Hit me with your best shot

Maximum Joy - Stretch (99 Records Version)

With a unique take on post-punk dance music, Maximum Joy meld punky choppy guitars, disco-funk beats and basslines, skronk-y jazz elements, reggae and dub effects, polyrhythms and (more!) cowbell.

On the biography tip, the band formed in 1979 in Bristol, England, when Janine Rainforth (vocals, violin and clarinet) and former Glaxo Babies member Tony Wrafter (sax and trumpet) hooked up with Charlie Llewellyn, John Waddingtom and Dan Catsis, all of whom were also in either Glaxo Babies and Pop Group (both of whom had also mixed similar elements and musical styles to create a post-punk sound). Maximum Joy were signed to Y Records and released their first single in 1981 (and was re-edited for the New York City disco-floors and released by 99 Records), their first album (Station MXJY) was released in 1982, with production by Adrian Sherwood (a master of modern reggae production, who formed the On-U Sound label that, besides reggae records, also released records by PiL and the Pop Group). Later that year they also recruited Nellee Hooper, who was part of the Wild Bunch (the collective that would later become Massive Attach), and who later produced Soul II Soul, Björk, Sade, and No Doubt.

It is an interesting amalgam of sound and talent at hand here that would help to define the post-punk sound in Bristol - I think I could argue that Maximim Joy and the people around them would also help lead to the post-post-punk Bristol sound that lead to the creative and commercial successes of Massive Attack, Tricky, Portishead, Björk's Debut album (she spent a lot of time in Bristol in the early 90s), and the reggae vs jazz sound of Bristol's Jungle scene (see Roni Size's Full Cycle label group and Reprazent). The songs are also a time capsule of sorts, what with the rise of crushingly conservative politics under PM Margaret Thatcher, and the inner city race-riots and other more politcally motivated protests going on - Maximum Joy's lyrics are about being conscious of the world around them and trying to stay positive in a time that made that more than a little difficult (just as applicable now as it was then).

Anyway, Maximum Joy is damn hot for so many reasons, so its lucky for us record nerds that Crippled Dick Hot Wax has released a collection of their singles, B-sides and a few album cuts, called Unlimited (1979-1983). Some of the songs on the CD build up into these funky jazzy workouts that ride a bassline groove for miles, while other songs sound like James Murphy probably listened to them in his sleep to absorb the sticky, almost tactile feel of the organic and electronic funk they bring to the table. Really special stuff.

Unlimited (1979-1983) is available to buy from Forced Exposure (US) or direct from the label here (Europe) - it is also available on vinyl. Highly recommended.

PS: I'm DJing tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 2nd) at Lit Lounge here in NYC (2nd Avenue btwn 5th and 6th) - I'll be upstairs, bringing you the jams... I'll be there from 11pm on. Hope to see some of you out there!