Juxtapose (album)

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Juxtapose
Studio album by Tricky
Released	16 August 1999
Genre	Trip Hop Hip Hop
Label	Island Records
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Tricky chronology
Angels With Dirty Faces (1998)	Juxtapose (1999)	Blowback (2001)

Juxtapose is the fifth album of Bristol, England rapper/producer Tricky, in collaboration with DJ Muggs and Grease (DMX). Two tracks with DJ Muggs find their way to the first and only single For Real (Pop Muzik, a cover of the famous song by M) and the Japan release (Who). Martina is not on the album, instead Kioka Williams is doing most of the female vocals on the album and the following tours. The album also features a British rapper called Mad Dog on two tracks. 'Juxtapose' is not only very short (36 minutes), but also musically disappointing for a lot of his old fans. It seems that his healthier state of mind also brought out a healthier record, which most people weren't prepared for.

In November, Tricky writes a message to his fans, in which he almost excuses himself for Juxtapose: "I was reading a revue on Juxtapose and it said blah blah blah yada yada if you want to be a pop star boy blah blah blah, now the first thing I have to say is: 1) I don't like the album and 2) who the fuck wants 2 to be a pop star? well anyway... I wanna apologize 4 all my vocals on Juxtapose..." (message to his fans, 99)

Finally in 1999 his record label Durban Poison starts to release other artists: the first album of The Baby Namboos (Ancoats 2 Zambia), Genaside II (Ad Finite) and a project called Product of the Environment, which features British gangsters telling their stories over music by Tricky's keyboardist Gareth Bowen. Tricky himself has some guest appearances on all these albums, or is at least executive producer for Product of the Environment. Grace Jones seems to have left the label, the only release of her on Durban Poison is a promo 12" of a track called Cradle to the Grave, which also has vocals by Tricky.

In summer 1999 he tours through Europe and the US and declares in an interview that his next album is already recorded, Street Dog and Scrappy Love. But it seems it will never be released, because in fall 1999 he leaves Island Records. The company says that this decision is due to disappointing sales of Juxtapose. In April 2000, he joins Epitaph, the Californian record label who also signed Tom Waits recently (with the European division Anti).

Meanwhile everyone is still waiting for the release of his autobiography All I Hear Is Words, which was announced with a CD of unreleased material - but according to Tricky's management this release won't happen in the near future. Tricky already published poetry in a book from 1998 called The Fire People, available from Payback Press. And finally in winter 2000 he releases a new EP (Mission Accomplished), with three new tracks and the old Divine Comedy, only in a shorter version than on the bootleg 12". He also contributes music to a TV commercial for GAP.

[edit] Track listing

1. "For Real"
2. "Bom Bom Diggy"
3. "Contradictive"
4. "She Said"
5. "I Like The Girls"
6. "Hot Like A Sauna"
7. "Call Me"
8. "Wash My Soul"
9. "Hot Like A Sauna" (Metal Mix)
10. "Scrappy Love"