Basement Jaxx

A carnival house born in Brixton

In the South London nights of the mid-nineties, house didn't ask for permission: it blended with garage, Latin percussion, vocals, and a festive chaos closer to carnival than to an anonymous DJ booth. From those sessions at venues like The George IV, The Crypt, or The Junction, Basement Jaxx was born, the project with which Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe turned a regular Brixton party into one of the most recognizable signatures of British electronic music.

Atlantic Jaxx, Remedy, and conquering the charts

Before massive success, they had already released EPs on Wall of Sound and founded the label Atlantic Jaxx. The single Fly Life (1997) and the contract with XL Recordings led to Remedy (1999), a million-selling debut with Red Alert, Rendez-Vu, Jump n' Shout, and Bingo Bango. Rooty (2001) brought the sound to the general public with Romeo, Where's Your Head At, and Do Your Thing; Kish Kash (2003) won the first Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album; and The Singles (2005) reached number 1 in the UK. The duo won Brit Awards for Best Dance Act in 2002 and 2004, and in 2005, they replaced Kylie Minogue as headliners on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.

Orchestra, film, and a theatrical live show

They never stayed within the club duo format. They recorded with the Metropole Orkest, composed the soundtrack for Attack the Block, brought their orchestral repertoire to the Sydney Opera House, and have composed music for British children's series. Albums like Crazy Itch Radio, Scars, Zephyr, and Junto expanded a catalog that crosses house, UK garage, and big beat, with remixes for Missy Elliott, Justin Timberlake, or Kylie Minogue. Live, they have performed at the Hollywood Bowl and have headlined both the Main Stage and The Other Stage at Glastonbury, with a stage production featuring vocalists, dancers, and a live band.

Glitterbox, Coachella, and the return of the live show

In the last decade, they have held a regular residency at Glitterbox in Ibiza and an international circuit of DJ sets, with dates at Movement Detroit, Defected, Amnesia, and The Warehouse Project. In 2025, they reactivated their large-scale live show, with Coachella and outdoor tours in the UK and Ireland; in 2026, the full live show landed on the main stage of Boiler Room at Burgess Park, London. They remain active as a club and festival duo, with Atlantic Jaxx as their record label and a legacy that still fills dance floors and stages.