The Jaxx Are Back - Basement Jaxx Interview

When it comes to unforgettable moments in the career of dance veterans Basement Jaxx, Simon Ratcliffe fondly recalls a date at the Ambassador in Dublin just before Christmas 2001. 

“I remember that show ever so well,” Ratcliffe enthuses. “I made a little documentary called Jaxx TV, which chronicled those first two or three years. We'd come offstage and the crowd would still be chanting 'Where's Your Head At?' The Dublin one was particularly insane. I’ve been told people were still chanting as they walked out of the venue and down the main street.”
Simon is right. I was at that show and the carnival did indeed spill raucously onto O’Connell Street. 
“I filmed and recorded a lot of those gigs because I'd just got myself a camcorder,” he continues. “In ’99 and 2000, I was a little overwhelmed by everything that was happening, so I used to hide behind my camcorder. As a result, I got tonnes of great footage. I must see if it's still around. It used to be up on our website; it would be well worth putting up again.” 
Between 1999 and 2001, Basement Jaxx were one of the hottest duos in dance.
“It was never a given to do another Basement Jaxx album in 2014 to be totally honest. We were still DJ-ing and touring. We weren't 100% sure about doing new music as Basement Jaxx. Then, the musical landscape changed. The kind of sound we've been associated with came back into fashion. People were saying to us that we should be doing more stuff because this new generation of kids had started doing something along the lines of what we were doing back in the day.
“We've often been quoted and cited as an influence, which is great. They've got a similar aesthetic to what we did. The production standards are so much better these days though. The technology is a lot more advanced. When we were doing it, it was a bit like something made in a garage with a few cardboard boxes, which was part of the charm. Even the hardest drum 'n' bass and dub step, house or whatever is pretty Rolls Royce, shiny and sophisticated these days.” 
The album’s title befits its uplifting and summer-tinged atmosphere.
“Junto is a Spanish word that means ‘together’,” Simon explains. “It was our intention to do a summer record. The last thing we did was Scars in 2009, a bit more introspective and slightly sombre. We had a break and did various different projects and moved studios. In the last few years we started working on this album and wanted to do something to make people feel good and play in a club, party or barbecue. We wanted it to be a bright summer record. We finished it back in March and were eager for it to come out straight away. The powers that be and the distributors told us to wait until August. That's as late as we'd go. It definitely is a summer record; it was great to get it out in time for our Bestival and Notting Hill Carnival shows.”
Basement Jaxx have never been that far from a recording studio between the making of Scars and Junto. 
“We were asked by the Tate Modern to participate in ‘Tate Tracks’, where musicians got involved with artists they liked,” Simon says. “We were told to take our pick. We went to the Tate and looked at various artists. We’d chose someone only to be told Jarvis Cocker, or whoever, would be doing them. We were very happy with the one we did; Karel Appel. These things can be funny. It never actually works out the way you were told. Still, it was great for us."
Archived at 2.tate.org.uk/tatetracks, the other multimedia hook ups include Lethal Bizzle and Cristina Iglesias, Graham Coxon and Franz Kline and the Chemical Brothers and Jacob Epstein. Despite taking a break from the studio and live band performance, Basement Jaxx have been tearing up dancefloors the world over recently.
“It's about interaction with the people rather than playing whatever you want,” Simon contends. “There was a time when we got a little tired of it. We've been very happily DJing for the last five or six years. It's not like we're Roger Sanchez who DJs non-stop. We're quite picky and choosy. It's a great way for us to road test the album. This album developed through live shows and deejaying. It's good to be at the mercy of people because they'll tell you if it's not happening and it will be very evident. You've got to know that and be aware that it cuts it or doesn't. It can be a harsh lesson but it's the only way you can find out." 

Junto is out now