Juno Reactor Live @ Shinagawa Stella Ball

Juno Reactor Live @ Shinagawa Stella Ball (2006)


This is definitely one of the best shows under the flag of Juno Reactor, so many backstories in this performance, I find it incredible to watch now, how brilliant every musician is, the surreal messiah in Ghetto Priest, I love his improvisations, Taz, so powerful a singer and playful with her adlibs, Steve Stevens adding so much class to the tracks, wild and virtuosic, wish I could play like him:) Greg Ellis on drums drives the whole band in his relentless beats, Mabi, wow always a miracle I met him and enjoyed his spirit whilst he was on this planet, Mandla is a bedrock of sanity and control, Michael on African Kit, one of the funniest men I ever met along with Simpewe who's trumpet, Piano and drum skills reimagined so many tracks.

You might think it was hard to put this band together, but it wasn't, it was a natural progression of what had gone before, and just came together at the right time. This show to me is amazing, so much on the inside of everyone on the stage and the crew who gave so much, Like Itchi, Jun Ito, Kotoro, Yappo, the Japanese family that gave birth to so many ideas, along with Robert Trunz of Melt 2000 who nurtured JR just when the project needed it.

For me one of the standout tracks emotionally is Zwara, Mabi had lost two adult children that year and wasn't his usual self, onstage I asked him to do a Sangoma introduction to Zwara, and he did, and then he didn't stop! a primal scream came out of him so powerful on stage that I was shocked, to release his demons, 3/4 of the way through, you can see the change in him, the demons had gone, and we had our Mabi back again. I miss Mabi a lot and find myself being inspired every time I work on a track without him.

Thank you all for supporting Juno Reactor and hope our sonic journeys inspire you.

Pre-Order "Before Time Was Now" Boxset here: https://junoreactor.lnk.to/JunoReactor

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