Juno Reactor on tour

For folks well-versed in electronic music, the internationally-reknowned Juno Reactor need no introduction since breaking out of the trancey Goa vibe in the early 90's. For the rest of the general public, Juno Reactor's music needs no introduction either since their music has been prominently featured in films and commercials such as Beowulf, both Matrix sequels, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Tomb Raider among many others.

With the recent release of their critically-acclaimed seventh album Gods & Monsters on Metropolis Records this past Spring, mastermind Ben Watkins and band will be playing their first U.S. shows in seven years with a multi-cultural, transcendental live show that will surely break boundaries and open minds with their pulsing, tribal world of sonic awareness.

As a testament of the band's worldwide eminence as musical pioneers, in 2008 alone, Juno Reactor will have played a total of thirteen countries: U.K., Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Israel, Germany, France, Mexico, Canada, Belgium and the U.S.

The tour dates are as follow:
Sept 23 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
Sept 25 - The El Rey - Los Angeles, CA
Sept 26 - The Metro - Chicago, IL
Sept 28 - Blender @ Gramercy Theatre - NYC
More dates to be announced!

Unlike most faceless electronic acts who hide behind computer screens or other electronic machinery, Watkins has remained a major global force over the last decade and a half. In addition to lending his music to a multitude of films, videogames and commercials over the years, Juno Reactor headlined Japan's massive Fuji Rock Festival in 2007. The resulting performance, which was released in Japan on DVD, set the stage for the U.S. live show this Fall with all of its production, lights and visual (it can be seen on the band's MySpace page). Ben also created the score for the Japanese anime films, Brave Story and Dimension Bomb which is scheduled to premiere in Japan in October 2008.

Through heavy planning and fortuitous timing with his collaborators' schedules, Watkins and the ensemble that will become this current incarnation of Juno Reactor will undoubtedly bridge land masses from Europe to North America to Asia to Africa with this array of transcontinental guest musicians. The U.S. shows will include Amapondo, a South African percussive ensemble, as well as Japanese guitar superstar Siguzo (who is a member Japan's biggest band Luna Sea), ex-Asian Dub Foundation vocalist Ghetto Priest, American drummer Greg Ellis (who has worked with Beck and has added percussion to many Hollywood films), and the wonderful vocals of the U.K.'s Taz Alexander. Celebrated guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) who played on many of Juno Reactor's albums will be joining the band in Los Angeles and potentially San Francisco.

On the album, Juno Reactor combine their trademark cinematic soundscapes with downtempo stomps and jazzy interludes. Surrounding himself with the best musicians to create an expansive vision that explores multiple worlds and cultures, Watkins offers up nine sonic adventures that are sure to expand and captivate the minds of even the most critical listener with his artful fusing of different cultures. From the Frank Sinatra-space-odyssey of "Las Vegas," the apocalyptic darkness of "Immaculate Crucifixion," the frantic Middle Eastern flavor of “Tanta Pena,” to the native Mexican rhythms of the first single and soon-to-be-released video for the pulsating “Inca Steppa,” Juno Reactor succeeds in creating the most dynamic album of his career.

WARNING: DO NOT DRIVE WITH THIS MUSIC ON! When the road disappears, it’s dangerous.

Juno Reactor's seventh album Gods & Monsters was released in April 2008 on Metropolis Records.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.reactorleak.com
OFFICIAL MYSPACE: www.myspace.com/juno_reactor
OFFICIAL YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/junouno