U.K. electronic duo the Basement Jaxx will release their third studio album, Kish Kash, in October. Joining Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe this time around are a diverse cast of leading ladies: Siouxsie Sioux, Me'Shell Ndegeocello and Lisa Kekaula, frontwoman for Los Angeles rockers the BellRays.

Goth queen Sioux lends her vocals to the title track. "The energy of it is quite fast and it has a dark bass line," Ratcliffe says. "We were trying to think of a voice that was going to complement it, and we just sent it over to her . . . Siouxie and the Banshees' 'Happy House' was one of the first singles I bought."

Ndegeocello, who fellow U.K. duo Groove Armada unsuccessfully tried to recruit for their latest album, appears on "Here's the Spot" and "Feels Like Home." "She's a really busy person and we're lucky she was over [in England]," Ratcliffe says. "She was working on lots of different things, so we just tried to get as much out of her as possible."

The Jaxx recorded several dozen tracks during the sessions, and they're already eyeing their next release. "It's tempting to finish the remaining songs and release a second album," Radcliffe says. "We are on a roll."

JOLIE LASH
(August 13, 2003)