Abstract Drums & Optimystic - "Energy To The Universe" (6:33)
Justice & Metro - "Shadowkid" (5:40)
Pixl & Peeb - "Koi Fable" (5:49)
Sicknote & Escher - "Trouble Part 2" (5:48)
Review: Proper pristine, technical drum & bass here from the Transmute crew, expending far more effort than most junglists in fleshing out the body, weight and polish of each constituent sound. Mostly forgoing sampled breakbeats, the 'DUOS' EP hears refreshingly unusual sound design choices dance over a more straight-up rollage in the rhythm section(s). From the opening washer pads of Abstract Drumz & Optimystic's 'Energy To The Universe', to the closing techstep clanks of Sicknote & Escher's 'Trouble Part 2', this EP brings a variety of emotions to a gestalt whole, unified by its consistently clean production.
Review: "Death Row" was Blame and Justice's first ever 12" release way back in and now it gets reissued for the first time. It's a hard hitting melange of big drum breaks, spoken word snippets and barrelling drums that is fun and high impact jungle of the highest order. "Murderin' M.C." is a darker tune with a rumbling bassline and shooting lasers synths that bring a more electronic and futurist feel, but still designed for club destruction. Big ups Modern Urban Jazz for the work on this one.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Safe & Sound
Pleasure
Alakazam!
Fire
Stop
Chorus
Randy
Heavy Metal
Love SOS
Close Call
Safe & Sound (CD)
Pleasure
Alakazam!
Fire
Stop
Chorus
Randy
Heavy Metal
Love SOS
Close Call
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
It's easy to forget that Justice were once one of dance music's most hyped acts, gracing magazine covers and gate-crashing the pop charts with a succession of crunchy, electro-house bombs. Times may have moved on, but the Parisian duo remain big news. Woman is their first studio album for five long years, and smartly moves between quirky, radio-friendly pop and thrusting club workouts. In the latter category you'll find the spiraling, low-slung, Italo-disco-with-balls of "Alakazam", the classic Ed Banger growl of "Chorus", and the vintage Daft Punk madness of "Heavy Metal". While these are impressive, it's actually the more downtempo songs - "Love S.O.S" and the dreamy "Close Call" included - that arguably stand out.
Review: A collaboration project with renowned artists Rob Le Plar, Hobzee, Sicknote, Uneven and Metro: Tony Justice - not to be confused with the electro-house duo Justice - creates music that intertwines the contemporary essence of urban life with the smooth, sophisticated sounds of jazz. His compositions blend modern beats and rhythms with the soulful melodies and improvisational elements characteristic of jazz, creating a vibrant fusion that resonates with the urban atmosphere - though perhaps this is a fusion that Justice himself would hesitate to call 'jazzstep', despite the immediate associations to the sound; we'd wager he's more particular about what he makes than a mere genre name could signify. Despite the clear influences, 'Swimming On A Bicycle' demonstrates this unpigeonholeability enough, perhaps most evidently in the track 'Beat Echo', which opts for a growling bass and smeared live drums, both of which upend the jazzstep style in a uniquely tense mood-move.
Review: Hyperdrama is the fourth full length album from the French Duo Justice. Two songs have preceded the album's May release. 'One Night/All Night (featuring Tame Impala)' is destined to be a club hit with its catchy EDM pop appeal. The bombastic electro pulser 'Generator' will also have a strong club appeal to it and you can expect the rest of the album to be just as strong with a production job that's clean and the tracks are powerful. This version comes in a beautifully designed gatefold 2xLP that also includes a sticker.
Review: In recent interviews, Justice explained that fourth album Hyperdrama - the wildly successful French duo's first for seven years - was born out of the idea of getting elements of disco, funk and electronic music to "fight with each other" (rather than smoother co-existence). Given the forthright and sometimes abrasive nature of their work, it's an idea in keeping with their career to date. Musically, what we get is a mixture of their usual electroclash and rave-inspired riffs and motifs, and basslines, strings and other instrumentation rooted in black dance music of the 1970s and '80s. When the fusion lands - as it does much of the time - it's a unique and thrilling fusion. For proof, check Tama Impala hook-up 'One Night/All Night', the Italo disco/jazz-funk/electro-house fusion of 'Incognito', and the wonderful slow-boogie mutation 'Saturine'.
Review: French dystopi-dance duo Justice gear up for their fourth full-length album, Hyperdrama. Owing to their towering status as producers and artists, it marks their first album in seven years since 2016's Woman. Unlike the neater fusions of disco and funk that the band have achieved in the past, Auge and Rosnay describe their latest as an embittered battle between the two stereotypes, elaborating that the album 'oscillates between pure electronic and pure disco but you never really get the two at the same time'."
Review: Justice's original soundtrack for A Cross The Universe, the 2008 documentary film charting the French house duo's rise to just power. Lady justice smiles on Romain Gavras and co.; classics such as 'D.A.N.C.E.', 'We Are Your Friends', and 'Genesis' all appear, complementing isolated yet dreamy moments captured from the band's 2008 tour.
Review: If there was ever a duo with the bombast and flair to pull off the 18-minute electro-rock-opera, it's surely Justice. Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay created Planisphere in the wake of conquering the world with their debut album Cross, initially for use on the catwalk but subsequently shared on their MySpace. Of course such releases now attain a kind of cult mythos, and Planisphere is no exception. In the Ed Banger era of dirty French touch, this is a fans dream come true - the gnarly monster that keeps on giving, now pressed up on a single side of vinyl for continuous listening, with a classy etching on the reverse.
Review: Jungle pioneer, Modern Urban Jazzist and all-round don Tony Justice goes back to the source with a new conceptual 7" series celebrating the late 80s / early 90s roots. Each release referencing service station meeting points, we start right here with 'Engineer'. Grimier and more hectic than Watford Gap, 'Engineer' hits with those classic hardcore rolling 4x4 breaks, a dramatic cascading riff and pitched up soundman vocals with the iconic 'let's go' sample. Flip for more foundation danger as more pitch-up vocals are now weaved between spacious percussion and sweeping emotional pads. Close your eyes and you can smell the burgers.
Review: The Head Hunter is back! An early jungle protagonist and consistent boundary pusher, Tony Justice returns to his less-is-more Modern Urban Jazz imprint with a brand new crop of timelessness. "Fried" sets the scene, all amen guns blazing, a gritty bass oozing like treacle beneath and cosmic arpeggios. Straight out of the book of 95, it grabs you hook, line and stinker for the rest of the EP: From the mournful synth lines and classic breaks of "Late Night Sweep", those early rave pads of "Edge Of Space" to the jungle techno style 4/4 bumps and jazzy keys of "Melt", this is top shelf material. Let's hope more is in the pipeline very soon.
Review: It's easy to forget that Justice were once one of dance music's most hyped acts, gracing magazine covers and gate-crashing the pop charts with a succession of crunchy, electro-house bombs. Times may have moved on, but the Parisian duo remain big news. Woman is their first studio album for five long years, and smartly moves between quirky, radio-friendly pop and thrusting club workouts. In the latter category you'll find the spiraling, low-slung, Italo-disco-with-balls of "Alakazam", the classic Ed Banger growl of "Chorus", and the vintage Daft Punk madness of "Heavy Metal". While these are impressive, it's actually the more downtempo songs - "Love S.O.S" and the dreamy "Close Call" included - that arguably stand out.
Review: It's easy to forget that Justice were once one of dance music's most hyped acts, gracing magazine covers and gate-crashing the pop charts with a succession of crunchy, electro-house bombs. Times may have moved on, but the Parisian duo remain big news. Woman is their first studio album for five long years, and smartly moves between quirky, radio-friendly pop and thrusting club workouts. In the latter category you'll find the spiraling, low-slung, Italo-disco-with-balls of "Alakazam", the classic Ed Banger growl of "Chorus", and the vintage Daft Punk madness of "Heavy Metal". While these are impressive, it's actually the more downtempo songs - "Love S.O.S" and the dreamy "Close Call" included - that arguably stand out.
Review: More than 18 months after their Audio, Video, Disco LP dropped, Justice's "Helix" finally gets a single release. It's a typical chunk of goodtime disco-stomp, like Daft Punk without the filter-heavy swing, or Cassius trying to rave in ill-fitting straightjackets. Remix-wise, Gesafellstein turns it into a crunchy electro banger - all heavy drum programming, cut-up yelps and murky riffs - while Parisian veteran Domenico Torti (once Dimitri From Paris's go-to "edit guy") cuts it up impressively, adding a dose of fuzzy funk to proceedings. For the heads, there are also two more downtempo bonus cuts, of which the effortlessly sweet "Ohio" is the pick.
Review: Voted the most air-guitar inciting track from their album Audio Video Disco, "New Lands" got the treatment from Falcon, A Trak and SebastiAn. While none of the takes require anywhere near as much air instrument frivolity, they all add a lot more dancefloor welly. Falcon goes for the rolling, filtered French funk approach, A Trak opts for an more abrasive, angular electro cut while Sebastian adds some much needed drama by opening with a long half step entry before breaking into the groove mid way. And there's a live version too! Very nice.
Review: Long running French imprint Ed Banger unleash this monolithic twelve inch from figureheads Justeeece which features remixes from messrs Alkan, Tiga and Brodi. "On & On" is the latest track to be taken from Justice's long awaited and opinion splitting second LP Audio Video Disco and is perhaps the best example of the sort of prog rock meets 21st Century gallic electro they were aiming for. The accompanying Brodinski remix naturally sheds the proggier elements for an expertly wound up main room electro revision, whilst the flip sees modern day DJ superstars Erol and Tiga rework "Canon". The presence of both demonstrate that Justice still retain a certain cache amongst their peers and both remixes will find favour amongst those who prefer their remixes to be on the disjointed, maximal side.
Review: Ed Banger present this 10" accoutrement to the main event that is Justice getting the remix treatment from Erol, Tiga et al, though there is plenty to admire here - not least the genius commission of iconic rap impresario Rick Rubin to remix "On & On". The track itself can be viewed as Xavier & Gaspard's most accomplished melding of throwback prog rock and 21st century Gallic electro from their opinion splitting second LP Audio Video Disco. Ed Banger's visual force So Me unveils his new production outfit Video Village, lending the track a softer synth pop edge reminiscent of Air circa Moon Safari, but it is the flipside endeavours of Rubin that truly impress though. Turning in one of his trademark "Ruined" efforts, the bearded don realigns the track to a bass hugging boom bap rhythm that is truly revelatory.
Review: Having conquered the world only to go into the deepest hibernation imaginable, Justice are finally back with us - following the release of their second album and the King Crimson-esque, time-signature switching, poodle rock of "Civilisation" with latest single "Audio Video Disco". It sees the French duo go from one extreme to the other - playing things with a soft touch by evoking Stereolab's chorus harmonies to a beat that reminds instantly of Joe Jackson's "Stepping Out" or even "Far From Over" by Frank Stallone (a track that regularly finds its way into their DJ sets). "Helix" however is instantly recognisable as a Justice beat, and a pretty damn good one at that as a sackful of guitar overdubs are piled on top of a punchy midtempo beat with a breakdown to die for.
Review: When the DVD/CD package A Cross The Universe appeared in 2008, nu-rave was in full swing and Justice were at the top of their game, knocking off noisy dancefloor anthems for fun. Three years on, Audio, Video, Disco finds them switching focus, quietly morphing into a powerpop combo with a warm new sound that blends the old (notably 60s, 70s and 80s rock and pop influences) with the new (their trademark electronics and dancefloor nous). Where there were once eye-popping dancefloor bangers, there are now perm-sporting synth-rock wig-outs, psychedelic prog-pop anthems and Beatles-on-pills singalongs. It's a surprising but highly enjoyable transformation.
Review: Judging by the overcrowded sweaty scenes in Dalston for the launch party of Justice's second album, the iconic French duo still retain a core number of fans - who will no doubt be eager to snap up this deluxe version of said album. Audio Video Disco comes in gatefold, silver embossed sleeve, holding both the double vinyl and CD versions of the eleven track album. Musically, this is an album that delves deeper into Gaspard and Xavier's passion for prog, marrying the jagged harshness of the 07 era when they ruled the roost with stadium sized ambition. It's probably one of this year's most divisive albums, but then Justice have always liked making a noise.
Review: 2007 has been the year of Justice. To round it off our Parisian heroes let loose with "Phantom", another killer cut from their debut album. On the b-side Soulwax bring their trademark sounds. This is the essential Ed Banger release of 2007.
Review: Because Music brings you 'Dance (remixes)'. The biggest hit of this spring from Justice gets the remix treatments from Jackson, MSTRKRFT, and the duo of Alan Braxe and Fred Falke.
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