Shango

Goodbye Goa, hello world. The members of Juno Reactor seem to have made a decision here as to what they wanted to do when they grew up, with the answer being, interestingly, Art of Noise for the 21st century coupled with atmospheric merging with world music elements from all over the planet. There are mammoth sounds at hand — deep, dark moods, moments of widescreen cinema — and much clever subtlety. With "Pistolero" alone — a mad blend of samples, beats, effects, and flamenco guitar from Steve Stevens — Juno Reactor has leapt away from the past and into a more imaginative future. The only question now is whether or not they can keep up this kind of growth, and whether that means continuing to work with live musicians or expanding their tonal and rhythmic space. Either way, Shango is a benchmark for the duo. ~ Steven E. McDonald, Rovi