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

Concept

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." 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.

"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.

Release

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.

Critical reception

Remedy holds a rating of 88 out of 100 on review aggregator website Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". 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."

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." Robert Christgau of The Village Voice remarked: "Like so much good house, more fun than reading the newspaper and less fun than advertised."

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

Track listing

All tracks written by Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, except where noted.

LP track listing

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

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.

Basement Jaxx

  • Felix Buxton – mixing, production, vocals (on "Don't Give Up" and "Being with U")
  • Simon Ratcliffe – mixing, producer, vocals (on "Don't Give Up")

Additional vocalists

  • Gwyn Jay Allen – backing vocals (on "Don't Give Up")
  • Brett – vocals (on "Jaxxalude")
  • Benji Candelario – shouts (on "U Can't Stop Me")
  • Roland Clark – backing vocals (on "Being with U")
  • Alma "The Soul" Duah – vocals (on "Yo-Yo"), breaths (on "Jazzalude")
  • DJ Gemini – vocals (on "Gemilude")
  • Blue James – vocals (on "Red Alert")
  • Jaxx Allstars – backing vocals (on "Gemilude")
  • Slarta John – vocals (on "Jump N' Shout")
  • Yvonne John Lewis – vocals (on "U Can't Stop Me")
  • Jorges – "word bitz" (on "Bingo Bango")
  • KDL Allstars – backing vocals (on "Red Alert")
  • Monday Michiru – vocals (on "Always Be There")
  • Erick Morillo – shouts (on "U Can't Stop Me")
  • Nyna – "word bitz" (on "Bingo Bango")
  • Patsi – vocals (on "Jaxxalude")
  • Junior Sanchez – vocals (on "Jaxxalude")
  • Slarta's Crew – vocals (on "Jump N' Shout")
  • DJ Sneak – vocals (on "Sneakalude")
  • Madman Swyli – shouts (on "Jump N' Shout")
  • Cassie Watson – "word bitz" (on "Bingo Bango"), backing vocals (on "U Can't Stop Me")

Additional musicians

  • Alexander Telnikoff – violin (on "Stop 4 Love")
  • Ugo Delmirani – keyboards (on "Bingo Bango")

Production

  • Mike Marsh – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Weekly chart performance for Remedy

! scope="col"| Chart (1999–2000)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

! scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA)

| align="center"| 65

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

! scope="col"| Chart (2023)

! scope="col"| Peak<br />position

|-

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Year-end chart performance for Remedy

! scope="col"| Chart (1999)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| UK Albums (OCC)

| 73

|}

Certifications and sales

!scope="row"|Worldwide

|

|1,000,000

|-

References