Remedy (Basement Jaxx album)

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Remedy
Studio album by
Basement Jaxx
Released10 May 1999 (1999-05-10)
Recorded1998
Genre
Length57:03 (CD)
65:51 (LP)
LabelXL
Producer
  • Felix Buxton
  • Simon Ratcliffe
Basement Jaxx chronology
Remedy
(1999) 		Rooty
(2001)
Singles from Remedy
  1. "Red Alert"
    Released: 19 April 1999
  2. "Rendez-Vu"
    Released: 2 August 1999
  3. "Jump n' Shout"
    Released: 25 October 1999
  4. "Bingo Bango"
    Released: 3 April 2000

Remedy is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Basement Jaxx, released in May 1999 by record label XL.

The album was very well-received critically, and reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart. Four singles were released from the album: "Red Alert", "Rendez-Vu", "Jump n' Shout" and "Bingo Bango".

Background[edit]

Concept[edit]

When Basement Jaxx first rose to stardom, the duo was unsatisfied with the state of dance music, describing it as "linear" and "close-minded". "Most dance music is very shiny and so robotic," Simon Ratcliffe told Rolling Stone. "There's just not much feeling. If we made a record like that, we'd be just like everybody else."[3] Consequently, the title Remedy was chosen as "an antidote" to the "poisons" they saw within dance music. "A lot of it seems quite superficial," Ratcliffe said.[4]

"For me, Remedy was always about togetherness, which is the appeal of house music. You may be black; you may be white; you may be Jew; you may be gentile. It doesn’t matter in our house," Felix Buxton said.[5]

Release[edit]

Remedy was released on 10 May 1999 in the UK and 3 August 1999 in the US, by record label XL. It reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart.

Four singles were released from the album: "Red Alert" on 19 April, "Rendez-Vu" on 2 August, "Jump n' Shout" on 25 October and "Bingo Bango" on 3 April 2000. "Red Alert" was the first Basement Jaxx single to reach number 1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. "Rendez-Vu" also reached number 1 later in the year, and "Bingo Bango" became their third number 1 single the following year.[citation needed]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Alternative Press5/5[8]
Entertainment WeeklyA[9]
The Guardian[10]
Melody Maker[11]
NME9/10[12]
Pitchfork3.5/10[13]
Q[14]
Rolling Stone[1]
USA Today[15]

Remedy holds a rating of 88 out of 100 on review aggregator website Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim".[6] AllMusic's John Bush called the album "one of the most assured, propulsive full lengths the dance world has seen since Daft Punk's Homework."[7] Marc Weingarten of Entertainment Weekly described Remedy as a "blissful joy ride",[9] while Ted Kessler of NME called it "probably as good a dance album as anyone from these Isles has produced this decade."[12] The Austin Chronicle's Marc Savlov called the album "a top beat assemblage to rival any release this year".[16] Alternative Press wrote: "Somewhere on this album, Basement Jaxx have created a song that you're going to love, no matter what sort of music you listen to [...] the mere existence of Remedy shows hope for modern music's future."[8] Melody Maker wrote that the album "repeatedly, and durably, synthesises those notoriously unstable dance music elements; the dizzying dancefloor rush and the complex, long-lasting emotional hit", calling it "deft and obviously heartfelt" and "truly great."[11] Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk proclaimed the album as "better than [theirs]."[17]

The A.V. Club was less favourable, saying Remedy was "nowhere near as revolutionary as the hype would insinuate", though noting that it does "offer its distinct pleasures."[18] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice remarked: "Like so much good house, more fun than reading the newspaper and less fun than advertised."[19]

Remedy was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[20] In 2012, Rolling Stone placed Remedy at number 13 on its list of the 30 Greatest EDM Albums of All-Time.[21]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks written by Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, except where noted.[22][23]

Remedy CD track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rendez-Vu" 5:45
2."Yo-Yo" 4:29
3."Jump n' Shout"
  • Buxton
  • Mark James
  • Ratcliffe
4:42
4."U Can't Stop Me" 3:40
5."Jaxxalude" 0:35
6."Red Alert"
4:17
7."Jazzalude" 0:23
8."Always Be There" 6:24
9."Sneakalude" 0:11
10."Same Old Show"
5:55
11."Bingo Bango"
  • Buxton
  • Ratcliffe
  • Jose Ibata
  • Rolando Ibata
5:58
12."Gemilude" 0:47
13."Stop 4 Love" 4:53
14."Don't Give Up" 5:15
15."Being with U" 3:49
Total length:57:03
Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
16."Better Days"6:07
Total length:1:03:10

LP track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Rendez-Vu" 7:10
2."Yo-Yo" 5:04
3."Jump n' Shout"
  • Buxton
  • Mark James
  • Ratcliffe
5:21
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."U Can't Stop Me" 3:40
2."Jaxxalude" 0:35
3."Red Alert"
6:10
4."Jazzalude" 0:24
5."Always Be There" 6:23
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sneakalude" 0:11
2."Same Old Show"
8:46
3."Bingo Bango"
  • Buxton
  • Ratcliffe
  • Jose Ibata
  • Rolando Ibata
7:26
Side four
No.TitleLength
1."Gemilude"0:47
2."Stop 4 Love"4:52
3."Don't Give Up"5:13
4."Being with U"3:49
Total length:65:51

Sample credits

  • "Red Alert" contains a sample of "Far Beyond" written by Harvey Mason, Tyrone Brown, John Blake Jr., Leonard Gibbs, James Simmons, Richard Steacker, Millard Vinson and performed by Locksmith.
  • "Same Old Show" contains a sample of "Hip Hop vs. Rap" written by Lawrence Parker and performed by KRS-One, sample of "On My Radio" written by Neol Davies and performed by The Selecter and a sample of "Ooooh Baby" written by Kenny Lewis and performed by Veda Simpson.
  • "Bingo Bango" contains a sample of "Merenque" written by Jose Ibata and Rolando Ibata and performed by Bolivar.

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

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