If you’ve never heard of Juno Reactor, there’s still a pretty good chance you’ve heard their work before. The band, fronted my mastermind Ben Watkins, has remixed and produced tracks with Traci Lords and Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie and the Banshees/The Creatures), and had tracks featured in movies such as Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Juno’s biggest, most recent break was their collaboration with composer Don Davis that resulted in a handful of kick-ass tracks for the last two Matrix movies.
In late 2004, the band put out their sixth studio album titled Labyrinth, a masterful work that combined elements of trance, industrial-rock, tribal/Celtic music and an arsenal of orchestrated strings. Now, Juno Reactor is set to unleash its seventh album, Gods and Monsters, on April 22nd, and it is no less amazing than its predecessor. The album continues the Juno tradition of featuring talented musicians and vocalists from across the globe. This time around we have singers Ghetto Priest, Taz Alexander and Yasmin Levy; guitarists Sugizo, Eduardo Niebla and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol); pianist Mike Garson (David Bowie/Nine Inch Nails); drummer Greg Ellis (Beck/Billy Idol) and many more.
To lump Juno Reactor in the trance category is flat-out wrong. Each album has evolved and progressively become more sophisticated and diverse than its predecessor. This is not 100% pure electronic music thrown together on a Mac here—it has life, energy, raw instrumentation and a soul that’s lacking from most other artists in this genre. This album is, quite simply put, a journey. Things kick off with the pulsating “Inca Steppa” and the throbbing and hypnotic “Tokyo Dub,” both featuring lush vocals by Ghetto Priest. These two tracks make you want to dim the lights and go on a mindtrip. The cinematic “Las Vegas Future Past” is one of the first standout songs that sounds like it’s lifted straight out of a film you’ve never seen before. The amazing trumpet work by Byron Wallen and piano all fused together with an underlying trance-rock sound works brilliantly—it’s almost as if Frank Sinatra went on an acid trip here.
Then there is the road-rage inducing “Immaculate Crucifixion”—an electronic rocker backed up by chilling strings, guitar riffs and impressive percussion by Ellis. But the number one track by far is the epic “Tanta Pena.” It’s a hair-raising Middle Eastern-flavored industrial rocker that’s ingeniously composed, and the battle cry-like vocals by Israeli singer Yasmin Levy are eminently fierce. Things get a little eerie with the dark and thought provoking “City of the Sinful.” The lyrics here are delivered in a distorted quasi-rap fashion by Ghetto Priest, layered with ethereal backing vocals by Taz. (Robert Rodriguez, here’s your theme song for Sin City 2.) The biggest revelation would be “The Perfect Crime.” A nice, Gothic rock ballad featuring (for the first time in the band’s history) vocals by Watkins. Lyrics and lead vocals aren’t usually part of the Juno’s ingredients (the lyrics in both “City of the Sinful” and “The Perfect Crime” are excellent) but this time they make a fine addition. Overall, fans of this genre will be captivated by the latest offering from Mr. Watkins and friends.
For any trance/industrial lovers out there seeking something with more depth and life, for any of you new age and world music fans who are secretly wishing your music had more testosterone, and for any music or soundtrack lover seeking something new, inventive, daring and epic—Gods and Monsters has arrived.
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Juno Reactor is a great band... What sweet music they make!