JUNO REACTOR Vinyl & CDs

Review: Juno Reactor's 2004 album Labyrinth makes its vinyl debut, presented on double 140g black vinyl. This sixth studio album from Ben Watkins, a key innovator in electronic music, melds orchestral, industrial, and techno elements with the band's signature tribal sound, exemplified in tracks like 'Conquistador II.' Labyrinth also includes two collaborations with Don Davis from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions: 'Mona Lisa Overdrive' and 'Navras.' While Labyrinth represents a departure from the psy-trance roots of its predecessor Shango, leaning more towards dark d&b influences, its intricate detailsiespecially in percussion and Latin guitar elementsireveal themselves after multiple listens. The album is a distinctive listening experience, enhanced by Juno Reactor's unique fusion of electronic and global sounds. For fans of dark, immersive dance music and live percussion, this vinyl release provides a rich, sonic journey through Watkins' experimental vision.

Review: Reissued on vinyl for the first time, here comes Juno Reactor's 1997 LP Bible of Dreams, also newly remastered and available on double black vinyl. Juno Reactor's fourth album, Bible Of Dreams came with a staunchly different sound compared to the group's previous albums, and moved away from the traditional dance beats by implementing tribal influences. The band collaborated with Amampondo, a traditional South African percussion act, on the single 'Conga Fury'. Watkins and Amampondo went on a five-week tour of the US, opening for Moby. With many of its tracks appearing in acclaimed pop culture soundtracks - the likes of The Matrix Reloaded, Animatrix, Mortal Kombat Annihilation and Beowulf - its composer, producer, musician and performer Ben Watkins has gone on to become an essential innovator of modern electronic music and a pioneer of trance.

Review: Juno Reactor are without much doubt, the most successful and important Goa and psy-trance related artist of the 90s. From 1993 to 2000, the band was in lock and step with the growing sound and scene across the world within trance music. This five-disc boxset gathers all five albums they made plus material they did for movies like Matrix and Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Composer, producer, musician and performer Ben Watkins is an essential innovator of modern electronic music. Over the course of nearly 30 years, Watkins has created a unique driving fusion of electronica, orchestral and global music executed on an epic & symphonic scale. Every trance and 90s electronic music fan should have this retrospect from this ground breaking act.