JUNO REACTOR - COMPLETE DISCOGRAPHY (1992-2008) Juno Reactor - Biography Although Juno Reactor's personnel has been in a continual state of flux over the course of their five albums and eleven years one constant is pivotal member BEN WATKINS. Since the early 80's Ben has been at the centre of numerous electronic musical projects that have pushed ahead of populist trends. As far back as 1983 he released a couple of albums with YOUTH as THE EMPTY QUARTER. One was recorded and mixed in two days, the other in five. As THE FLOWERPOT MEN he had a series of indie hits such as 'JO's SO MEAN TO JOSEPHINE' and 'WALK ON GUILDED SPLINTERS'. The duo's combined influences produced a sound that drew comparisons to German pioneers DAF as well as 70's New York punk anarchists SUICIDE. A name change to SUNSONIC heralded their signing to Polydor and the subsequent 'MELTING DOWN ON MOTOR ANGEL' album of 1990. By the time the Sunsonic relationship dissolved the following year Ben was already working on a variety of parallel experimental projects driven by his increasing fascination with the new influx of technology and studio trickery. A series of temporary alliances followed, resulting in a flurry of releases under various pseudonyms. With Frenchman STEFAN HOLWECK he became ELECROTETE, releasing 'I LOVE YOU' for APOLLO, the off-shoot of seminal Belgian label R&S Records. The PSYCHO SLAP HEAD project was issued by American label TVT and Ben was also part of APOLLO XI, alongside THE ORB's ALEX PATERSON who recorded the 'PEACE (IN THE MIDDLE EAST)' track for Mr.Modo during the Gulf war. By 1992 Logic had issued 'JUNGLE HIGH' followed by JUNGLE HIGH & BLUE PEARL's 'FIRE OF LOVE'. The 'Jungle High' single later re-appeared on the PERFECTO label in 1996, complete with an OAKENFOLD remix and credited to Juno Reactor. Another collaboration with TONY THORPE resulted in the URBAN JUNGLE PROJECT and a sound that was one of the earliest examples of Drum & Bass. Out of all this feverish activity Juno Reactor somehow emerged, initially as an experimental ambient soundtrack, recorded live by Ben & Holweck to accompany a sculptural art installation and performance project by artist Norma Fletcher entitled 'THE MISSILE PROJECT'. The track was eventually released as 'LUCIANA', the second Juno Reactor album, on Alex Paterson's INTER-MODO label. In the meantime, the 'LAUGHING GAS' single had appeared on the NOVAMUTE label along with the debut 'TRANSMISSIONS' album. Juno's sound is in a continual state of evolution, always moving ahead of the pack. In the early 90's, long before it was hip or hyped, they'd forged their sound from the trance vibe going off in Goa. Juno, unwilling to stagnate in a spiral of repetition and predictability, had moved on by beginning to incorporate more live elements and 'real' musicians. A move to BLUE ROOM resulted in 1995's 'GUARDIAN ANGEL' single and 'BEYOND THE INFINITE' album, still displaying heavy trance influences, yet pushing away from the purist attitude by employing more varied elements including break beats. By the 'BIBLE OF DREAMS' album of 1997, Juno had moved dynamically away from the ebb and flow of that previous rambling 'musical journey' style towards a much more punchy and focused sound. Ben came into contact with traditional South African percussion act AMAMPONDO ( Nelson Mandela's favorite band) and with conga player MABI THOBEJANE co-wrote 'CONGA FURY' which was released as a single, to great acclaim. Ben and Amampondo embarked upon a 5 week tour of the U.S as support act to MOBY. Realising that a change of show was needed for the American audience, the Juno Reactor live show switched from the standard dark, sombre set to a visually spectacular show with Ben providing the techno and playing cock rocking guitar riffs while Amampondo, clad in body paint and full costume wowed the crowds with circus acrobatics while beating out their percussion rhythms. This wasn't a cliched case of 'ethnic' vocal wails over driving techno beats but instead a genuine collision of diverse musical cultures feeding from each other to provide a unique live experience. The idea of DJ domination and and shadowy figures hunched over mixing desks was blown away in favor of something more akin to theatre, an inspirational subversion of the techno principle. As well as his own original productions, Ben has also remixed artists such as DEVO, TALKING HEADS, FATIMA MANSIONS, SIOUXIE & THE BANSHEES and KILLING JOKE as well as composing and producing four tracks for former porn star TRACI LORDS' debut album '1000 Fires'. His dramatic instrumental versions have all since appeared on film soundtracks for punchy action movies like 'MORTAL KOMBAT', 'VIRTUOSITY', 'ERASER', 'LOST IN SPACE' (with Siouxsie Sue) and the trailers for 'ROMEO & JULIET', 'TOMB RAIDER' & the forthcoming Robert Rodrigez film 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO'. Ben has also composed the score for the forthcoming movie 'BEOWULF' starring Christopher Lambert and provided three new tracks to Playstation's Jet Moto 2 game as well as the entire score to 'MARK OF KRI'. The fifth Juno Reactor album, entitled 'Shango' and named after a Nigerian God of Thunder was released in 2000. The first single to be taken from the album is 'PISTOLERO'. A collaboration with Billy Idol's guitarist Steve Stevens. Juno Reactor toured North America twice in support of this album as well as a number of dates in Japan including two shows at the Fuji Rock Festival in 2001. The sold out shows at the Tokyo Akaska Blitz were also filmed and released on DVD, 'Shango Live'. In early 2002 he recorded a new single Hotaka at a studio overlooking Mt Fuji featuring the exciting Taiko drums of Gocoo. This track was included on the 'Odyssey' best of album which was released last year on Universal / Island in Japan. He is currently holed up in Brighton, England at his studio finishing the next Juno album after spending the first two months of 2003 in Los Angeles working on the new Matrix film 'Reloaded' to which he wrote four scenes. Discography: Albums: (1993) Transmissions (1994) Luciana (1995) Beyond The Infinite (1997) Bible Of Dreams (2000) Shango (2002) Odyssey 1992-2002 (2004) Labyrinth (2008) Gods & Monsters Live: (2002) Shango Tour 2001 Tokyo (Live In Tokyo) Singles: (1993) Laughing Gas (1994) High Energy Protons (1995) Guardian Angel (1996) Samurai (1996) Conga Fury (1997) Jungle High (1997) God Is God (1997) God Is God (Front 242 Mixes) (2000) Pistolero (2001) Masters Of The Universe (2002) Hotaka (2003) Zwara Remixes & Music Production 1993-2003: (this aren't all remixes, few missing) Ana Voog - Hollywood (Juno Reactor 7" Mix) Anne Clark - Wallies (Night Of The Hunter Remix by Juno Reactor) Devo - Whip It (HMS & M Mix) Fatima Mansion's - The Loyaliser (JR Vocal Mix) Gravity Kills - Guilty (Juno Reactor Instrumental) Gravity Kills - Guilty (Juno Reactor Remix) Juno Reactor - Alash (When I Graze My Beautiful Sheep) Juno Reactor - Conga Fury (Animatrix Mix) Juno Reactor - Jardin De Cecile (Man With No Name Remix) Juno Reactor & Creatures - I?m Here... Another Planet Juno Reactor & Don Davis - Mona Lisa Overdrive Juno Reactor & Don Davis - Tetsujin Juno Reactor & Don Davis - The Trainman Cometh Juno Reactor vs. Don Davis - Burly Brawl Killing Joke - Millenium (Back To Orion Mix) Laibach - Final Countdown (Juno Reactor Remix) Siouxsie & The Banshees - Stargazer (Mambo Sun Remix) Siouxsie & The Banshees - Stargazer (Planet Queen Mix) Skold - Anything (Dominatrix Mix) Sunkings - Starbuck (Juno Reactor Remix) Traci Lords - Control Traci Lords - Control (Juno Reactor Instrumental) Traci Lords - Fallen Angel Traci Lords - Fallen Angel (P. Oakenfold Mix) Traci Lords - Fallen Angel (Perfecto Mix) Traci Lords - Good-N-Evil Traci Lords - Outlaw Lover
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