Juno Reactor was formed in 1990 by Ben Watkins and Stephen Holweck. The group came together as an experimental ambient project in order to record an accompanying soundtrack to sculpture artist (and Watkins' girlfriend) Norma Fletcher's art installation and performance piece called "The Missile Project". The centerpiece of the project was a 70-foot decommissioned missile, nicknamed "Juno Reactor", which the band rolled around London while playing its music to raise awareness about nuclear war. According to Watkins, "[it] was blue concrete. And it looked like a dinosaur tail. And a smoke came out of it." [1] The project took over a month to complete; however, the exhibition lasted only several hours, as London police arrived, breaking up the display and arresting all members of the project. The music was eventually released as Juno Reactor's second album, Luciana.
In 1993 Juno Reactor released its first single, "Laughing Gas", on NovaMute. The single was soon followed by their debut album, Transmissions. The album, reckoned a huge success, is considered one of the first albums in the Goa Trance genre. Later the band released Luciana on Alex Paterson's (The Orb) Inter-Modo label. Juno Reactor left NovaMute and Inter-Modo in 1995 and signed to UK's Blue Room Released label for the Guardian Angel single. Their album Beyond the Infinite followed in 1996.
The 1997 release on Wax Trax! Records/TVT Records, Bible of Dreams, was Juno Reactor's fourth album. Its sound diverged sharply from those of the previous albums and moved away from traditional dance beats by including tribal music influences. Watkins collaborated with Amampondo, a traditional South African percussion act, on the single "Conga Fury". Ben Watkins and Amampondo followed up with a five week U.S. tour as the opening act for Moby. In 1998 Juno Reactor played a stunning live set with Amampondo at Glastonbury Festival. The group has played as headliners each year at Glade Festival, the Glastonbury spinoff.
Watkins released the fifth Juno Reactor album, Shango, in 2000. It was the band's first album on Metropolis Records. The first track, "Pistolero", was a collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). The track opened up an entirely new direction for Juno Reactor. The same song was featured in the trailer for the movie "Once Upon a Time in Mexico", as well as in the film itself. In the fall of 2002, Juno Reactor released a new single titled "Hotaka", recorded in a Japanese studio overlooking Mt. Fuji. "Hotaka" once again featured Steve Stevens on guitar and included traditional Taiko drummer Gocoo. In 2003, the Odyssey 1992-2002 album was released as a compilation of the best Juno Reactor tracks of the past decade.
The latest Juno Reactor album, Labyrinth, was released in October 2004 and featured Watkins' work from the Matrix films. The new album once again confirmed the tribal music influences present in Juno Reactor's work, with tracks like "Conquistador II".
In 2006 Ben Watkins was hired to produce the OST for Brave Story (a children's anime movie). The Soundtrack was released in July 2006 by Sony, Japan, though printed in very limited numbers.
The group may soon release an EP entitled ‘Superman – the immaculate Crucifixion’, featuring experimental works. One of the EP's tracks, City of the Sinful, is co-written and sung by Ghetto Priest, who also provides the vocals for Asian Dub Foundation.
In Oct 2006 Juno reactor performed a taped concert in Tokyo. Including an extended lineup and some new work, this show will be featured in a forthcoming tour DVD.
2008: A new studio album called "Gods & Monsters" is set to be released in March. Also, a new DVD entitled "Juno Reactor - Audio Visual Experience" will be released this year.
Lineup:
Ben Watkins
Taz Alexander (vocals & dance)
Mabi Thobejane (congas)
Michael LaDonga (African drums)
Simpiwe Marele (African drums)
Mandala Lande (African drums)
Greg Ellis (drum kit)
Paul Jackson (bass)
Steve Stevens (guitar)
Squid (Ghetto Priest) (rap & dance)
Xavier Morell (dj)
Play List:
Conquistador I & II
Biot Messiah
Giant
War Dogs
Komit
City of the Sinful (New)
God is God
Mutant Message
Hotaka
Pistolero
Conga Fury
Nitrogen II
Insects
Rotorblade
Zwara
Hule Lam
Masters of the Universe
Angels & Men
Wavg (?New?)
Guardian Angel
Juno Reactor are also providing part of the soundtrack for Genius Party, a forthcoming Studio 4°C Animation
Their remix of Traci Lords' song "Control" as an instrumental was featured on the soundtrack for the Mortal Kombat movie. They returned for the sequel Mortal Kombat Annihilation with tracks like "Conga Fury". Later, the group, in collaboration with Don Davis, had a number of tracks featured on the soundtracks for the Matrix series of films (most notably the famous freeway chase scene in The Matrix Reloaded, which featured "Mona Lisa Overdrive", as well as the Animatrix, which featured the track, "Masters Of The Universe" on the segment, "Kid's Story" and "Conga Fury (Animatrix Remix)" on the segment, "Final Flight of the Osiris" ). Their single "Guardian Angel" was featured as the opening theme of the anime series Texhnolyze. "Guardian Angel" was also featured in the movie Drive starring Mark Dacascos and Kadeem Hardison. Other Juno Reactor tracks appear on movies such as Eraser, Virtuosity, Lost In Space, the Romeo + Juliet trailer, Beowulf and even Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Juno Reactor soundtracks have also been played during baseball, basketball, and gridiron football games, the Japanese Grand Prix, and appear on the PlayStation 2 games Jet Moto 3 and Frequency, as well as the Xbox game Mad Dash Racing. Juno Reactor also scored the entirety of the Mark of Kri game.
The name Juno is the name of an Ancient Roman goddess. In this fashion, Juno Reactor symbolizes a "powerhouse of the ancient religions". One of the band's logos is actually a form of the symbol associated with the asteroid Juno.
The title of the album Beyond the Infinite could be a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the sequence "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite". This may be related to the several occurrences of their sampling of this movie on the Transmissions album.
Discography:
Main Albums
Transmissions (NovaMute Records 1993)
Beyond the Infinite (Blue Room Released 1995)
Bible of Dreams (Blue Room Released 1997)
Shango (Metropolis Records 2001)
Labyrinth (Metropolis Records, Universal Music 2004)
Gods & Monsters (2008)
Singles & EPs:
Luciana (Inter-Modo 1994)
Laughing Gas (1993)
High Energy Protons (1994)
Guardian Angel (1995)
Samurai (1996)
Conga Fury (1996)
Jungle High (1997)
God Is God (1997)
GOD IS GOD!! (Front 242 Mixes) (1997)
Pistolero (Blue Room Released 2000)
Masters Of The Universe (2001)
Hotaka (2002)
The Zwara EP (2003)
Live Recordings & Compilation Albums:
Odyssey 1992-2002
Shango Tour 2001 Tokyo (Live In Tokyo) (2002)
Inca Steppa
Juno Reactor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silk and satin, our stories untold
From here to this moment, mysteries of time
Pulling us further on this journey of mine
This journey divine
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Mexican horizon the colors of gold
Silk and satin, our stories untold
From here to this moment, mysteries of time
Pulling us further on this journey divine
This journey divine
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
The Inca Steppa
Crossing over water, fly through the air
I hear you calling, my heart I declare
Head's on the highway, stretching space
Leaving the wasteland, a world in disgrace
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Mexican horizon the colors of gold
Silk and satin, our stories untold
From here to this moment, mysteries of time
Pulling us further, this journey divine
Crossing over water, fly through the air
I hear you calling, my heart I declare
Head's on the highway, stretching space
Leaving the wasteland, a world in disgrace
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
The lyrics to Juno Reactor's song "Inca Steppa" paint an image of a journey through time and space towards a Mexican horizon of gold. The use of silk and satin evoke a sensuality and richness, while the stories they carry remain untold. It's a journey that is both physical and metaphysical, as mysteries of time pull the singer further along. The repetition of "this journey divine" emphasizes that this is no ordinary travel.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa" several times, creating a rhythm that adds to the overall sense of motion and movement. The verse then shifts back to the golden horizon and the mysteries of time, suggesting that this journey is a spiritual one. The singer crosses over water and flies through the air, hearing a call from their heart. The head is on the highway, stretching space and leaving behind the world in disgrace.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, but it's clear that the journey is the most important theme. Whether it's a physical voyage, a spiritual one, or a combination of the two, the singer is clearly seeking something. The repetition of the "Inca Steppa" may be a nod to the ancient South American civilization of the same name, suggesting that the singer is drawing inspiration from their culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Mexican horizon the colors of gold
The beauty of Mexico, with golden colors in its horizon
Silk and satin, our stories untold
The luxurious and untold stories we carry within us
From here to this moment, mysteries of time
The unknown secrets of the past leading up to this present moment in life
Pulling us further on this journey of mine
Our path in life, always leading us further on an unknown journey
This journey divine
Our path in life can be seen as divine
Hill and gully rider the Inca Steppa
The Inca Steppa, a skilled horse rider navigating mountains and hilly terrain
Crossing over water, fly through the air
Going beyond the limitations of what is expected, like crossing over water and flying through the air
I hear you calling, my heart I declare
Feeling a sense of connection and declaration for someone or something important in our lives
Head's on the highway, stretching space
Moving forward in life, constantly expanding our horizons
Leaving the wasteland, a world in disgrace
Moving away from a negative and desolate environment or situation
This journey divine
Our path in life can be seen as divine
Contributed by Peyton K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@biguproduction8605
Самара на проводе! Друзья, так держать! Любим вас!
@user-pe1nx5iu8b
Хренасе, думал в Самаре кроме меня про них никто не знает
@erichillerniton3130
Keep this video alive. Keep JR alive. Their music enters your mind and paints visuals of different times, places, galaxies, dimensions, worlds and beyond.
Pretty sure out of the 10 people you let listen to JR, 1 will find it interesting, and you'll have another fan of the JR collective. Let's keep JR going.
@BotherNone
Still here :)
@kurtownsj00
One of my most empowering songs, and returning energy songs ever.
@kurtownsj00
"Thank you" Ben, is the least and at the same time most I can say.
@avza9215
The only music that helps you start the day energetic. Not everyone understands the nature of the Junoreactor. You are the best, watkins. This music is one of the best performances.
@avza9215
love you ben !!!!
@JunoReactorOfficial
@@avza9215 <3 to you Uzbek
@Soldatul13
The Rabbit is the center player in all of this :))