Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Trying new things: some work, some don't, October 29, 2000
When I heard Juno Reactor was coming out with a new album I was very excited. From the taste I got from the Pistolero single it looked very good. The CD isn't bad. It's not their best (Beyond the Infinite is, in my opinion), but it is good.It starts off with Pistolero which is a very interesting mix of synthesized sound and music from spaghetti westerns. All in all, they pull it off and it sound really good. The second track is a harsh sounding track with frenetic, tribal-sounding drumming. It's good too. Track is a calmer, bass-driven, low-key track that is a well-placed change of pace. Track 5 is my favorite. It's what I've come to love about JR and has the same energy that dominates Beyond the Infinite. Track 7 falls into this category too and is another highlight of the album. Tracks 8 and 9 are also calmer. 8 is almost ambient and 9 seems strongly influenced by God is God from Bible of Dreams. Juno Reactor has never sat back and rested on the success of prior albums. This one is no exception. They experiment with new things and definately are continuing moving forward. Shango is enjoyable, but I don't know if they will ever top Beyond the Infinite. If you enjoy anything by JR, you will like Shango too.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Far-reaching album skillfully crosses genres, October 27, 2000
By A Customer
Once tantalised by the release of the Flamenco-inspired "Pistolero" single, Juno Reactor fans have had to wait over a year to hear the much-delayed album the single is taken from. But the wait has definitely been worth it: Shango shows that Juno Reactor still produce truly original work.The album starts upbeat with the fast Spanish guitars of "Pistolero", by now a classic floor-filler. The album moves smoothly on to African drumming on "Hule Lam", a fine example of ethnic trance. The pace slows slightly with the bass-laden but strangely haunting "Insects", mellowing out nicely before picking up for the dark and brooding "Badimo". Towards the end of the track, those with good hearing may pick out some familiar sounds from Juno Reactor's first album, "Transmissions". Then without much warning you're suddenly launched into "Masters of the Universe", a powerful and at times frantic track. Again a Spanish influence comes to the fore here, with Flamenco / Arabesque chanting and super-fast tom-toms. The track is beautifully paced, moving from impossibly fast to slow, funky syncopation and back again with incredible ease. The "Nitrogen" tracks mark a change in the flow of the album, connecting the previous adrenaline-laced material to the more ambient and rather mellow tracks that follow. "Nitrogen part 1" takes its inspiration from a more oriental style of music, slightly reminiscent of "Kaguya Hime" on "Bible of Dreams". "Nitrogen part 2" is slightly more upbeat, with an insistent, pulsing rhythm. "Solaris" is a beautifully crafted super-relaxed Tibetan sound. Nothing is rushed. Slowly Indian drums come in, overlayed with African then Arabic chanting. The final track "Song for Ancestors" is a little faster, but is still pretty mellow. Long echos, strings, and a thin female voice over the top make this an amazingly relaxing tune to bring you down gently on. This album is unique in blending such diverse styles of music; only "Banco de Gaia" comes close in terms of breadth. This album has a harder, darker edge than Banco's "Igizeh", but if you like one you'll probably like the other.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible!, January 8, 2001
When I bought this cd, I had VERY VERY high expectations. I expected it to be some of the greatest music I'd ever heard, because in the past, Juno Reactor has always lived up to that standard.I was not in any way disappointed. This cd enthralled and moved me in so many ways. There are a few main styles of music found in this cd: -A kind of an organic-ambient sound found on songs like Solaris and Song for the Ancestors. This is kind of a new direction for Juno Reactor, because in the past, they've mostly been about spacey-melodies, and complex jungle rythms. -A more African sound, found on songs like Hule Lam, and Badimo. There's strange chanting, and some intricate melodies and beats. Juno Reactor expands it's horizons, and gives more of the same kind of style that was found on "Bible of Dreams." The African style is a welcome addition. -The straight, driving, trancey melodies and beats found on Transmissions, and Beyond the Infinite. The enthusiasm and power from their previous works are present in songs like Pistolero, and Masters of the Universe. ...And everything in between. There's even some unique throat singing on Solaris, and most of the songs are laced with some very African and cultural sounding drumbeats. Pistolero combines the driving beats that you're used to, but also uses a melody which has a very strong spanish sound to it and is very catchy. Shango probably has the most diversity out of any of their albums, thus far. It is, in many ways, my favorite work by them, and it just about sums up and highlights all of the different styles they've perfected since 1994. This album is a gem. If you liked any of their previous works, and are looking for more of the same, and some new sound as well, look no further! Shango is near perfection to someone who can appreciate Juno Reactor's other music!
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