not long ago, on a night lit up by a fat golden moon, juju took a trip. fuelled by rocking guitar and one-string swing, by backseat bass and afro-jazz beats, justin adams and juldeh camara travelled to the place where tradition meets psychedelia - and then teetered, out there, on the edge. theirs was a journey of rhythmic circles and open spaces, a journey over age-old grooves and along futuristic highways: a journey where the destination - with its whirling spirals and other kaleidoscopic motifs - counted as much as the journey. "we just came together, plugged in and played," says adams of in trance, a one-take marvel that begs repeated listening. "we played it exactly as we play it live. it was a bit like controlling a runaway horse - that is completely spooked!" if juju's chemistry was evident on their acclaimed 2007 debut soul science and its equally praised follow up tell no lies, it is almost palpable here. in trance is precisely that: an album that sees adams' les paul goldtop vying and blending with camara's keening bittersweet vocals and fiery ritti playing, and embracing dub reggae and avant-garde jazz en route. tracks build and circle, layer and knit. melodies interlock, rhythms cross and the drone guitar builds a web of sound with an african aesthetic and heavy rock fervour.
not long ago, on a night lit up by a fat golden moon, juju took a trip. fuelled by rocking guitar and one-string swing, by backseat bass and afro-jazz beats, justin adams and juldeh camara travelled to the place where tradition meets psychedelia - and then teetered, out there, on the edge. theirs was a journey of rhythmic circles and open spaces, a journey over age-old grooves and along futuristic highways: a journey where the destination - with its whirling spirals and other kaleidoscopic motifs - counted as much as the journey. "we just came together, plugged in and played," says adams of in trance, a one-take marvel that begs repeated listening. "we played it exactly as we play it live. it was a bit like controlling a runaway horse - that is completely spooked!" if juju's chemistry was evident on their acclaimed 2007 debut soul science and its equally praised follow up tell no lies, it is almost palpable here. in trance is precisely that: an album that sees adams' les paul goldtop vying and blending with camara's keening bittersweet vocals and fiery ritti playing, and embracing dub reggae and avant-garde jazz en route. tracks build and circle, layer and knit. melodies interlock, rhythms cross and the drone guitar builds a web of sound with an african aesthetic and heavy rock fervour.