† (album)
Encyclopedia
†, alternatively known as Cross, is the debut album of the French electro house duo Justice
, released on June 11, 2007. It was certified as Silver in the UK March 13, 2009 for sales of 60,000 copies.
Several songs were released as singles before the album's release. "Waters of Nazareth
" was the first single released by the group in 2005 and also featured "Let There Be Light" as its B-side
. "D.A.N.C.E.
" was the second single from the album and released on April 23, 2007. The single also featured the song "Phantom", which was also released on the Ed Rec Vol. 2
compilation album prior to the release of the album. The song "D.A.N.C.E." is about and dedicated to Michael Jackson
.
There are three credited samples present on the album: "You Make Me Wanna Wiggle" by The Brothers Johnson was sampled for "Newjack", "Tenebre (main theme)
" by Goblin
was sampled for "Phantom" and "Phantom Pt. II", and "Night on Disco Mountain
" by David Shire
was sampled for "Stress". However, the band has stated there are many samples in the form of "microsamples" present on the album in which the author of the original composition would not recognize their work was sampled. De Rosnay stated that as many as 400 albums were used as sampled material and spoke about the microsampling process:
said, "With loads of melodrama and not a moment of subtlety, Justice define the new-jacques swing." It came in at number 15 on Pitchfork's
Top 50 Albums of 2007 list, stating in their review of the album that "Cross is a harsh and mostly instrumental set that nonetheless plays like the ideal crossover electronic-pop record. Justice knows how to sequence a dance album to avoid drag and boredom." The A.V. Club
called it "An engaging study in contrasts and a killer party record." In his consumer guide for MSN Music
, critic Robert Christgau
gave the album an honorable mention rating, indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy". Christgau stated "As dance music, not my idea of a good time, but as electronic pop, so much trickier, sillier and more kinetic than Kraftwerk
". It holds an 81 rating (out of 100) on Metacritic
.
The album was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album
ultimately losing to The Chemical Brothers
, Best Dance Recording ("D.A.N.C.E.
"), and Best Video ("D.A.N.C.E") for the 50th Grammy Awards
. They were also nominated for 6 PLUG Independent Music Awards including "Album of The Year". The album was also nominated for the 2007 Shortlist Prize, eventually losing out to The Reminder
by Feist. It was ranked at No. 2 by Planet Sound
in their Best Albums of 2007 list. Online music magazine
Pitchfork Media
placed † at number 107 on their list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.
and in television advertisements for Cadillac
and Levi's. The song also appears in the video game Electronic Arts
' Need for Speed: Undercover
, and used in a gameplay trailer for Ubisoft
's Assassin's Creed II
, "Genesis" also appears in the trailer and ending credits of the film Echelon Conspiracy
, and in the film Punisher: War Zone
. It was featured in episodes of Top Gear, in series 13, episode 3, where Jeremy Clarkson
tests the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series and series 17, episode 1, where he tests the BMW 1 Series M Coupe. It was used for a BMW promotional video of the M3. It is also featured on the cinema advertisement for series 3 of the E4 comedy The Inbetweeners
. "Genesis" also appeared on the Season 5 Top 10 of America's Got Talent
for Fighting Gravity's act.
"Phantom Pt. II" was used for a Telus
commercial in 2007, as the intro music to Channel 5's Football Italiano, sampled by Swizz Beatz
for a 2010 Gucci Mane
song called "Gucci Time", and featuring in Richard Hammond's review of the Holden Maloo ute during an episode of Top Gear. The Soulwax
remix of the track was the final boss track in Tap Tap Dance.
"Waters of Nazareth" appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
under the Electro Choc radio station and in DJ Hero 2
. Jay-Z
's song "On to the Next One" from the album The Blueprint 3 features a sample of "D.A.N.C.E.". The Game has also used a sample of "Genesis" in his song "American Dreams". "Genesis" appears in multiple setlists in the DJ Hero
video game. "Newjack" has been featured in the Cartoon Network
block, "You Are Here", at the beginning of the program. "Let There Be Light" is featured in the video game Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
. "D.A.N.C.E" is also featured in Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
and Just Dance 2. The song was also used in college basketball commercial for ESPN
as part of its "It's Not Crazy, It's Sports" promotion.
Justice (band)
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
, released on June 11, 2007. It was certified as Silver in the UK March 13, 2009 for sales of 60,000 copies.
Recording history
The concept for † was to be an "opera-disco" album. Xavier de Rosnay stated about the opera disco concept:Several songs were released as singles before the album's release. "Waters of Nazareth
Waters of Nazareth
"Waters of Nazareth" was the first single by Justice. It was released twice, once as a 12" single with the original three songs, and once on CD and 12" with remixes by DJ Funk, Erol Alkan, and Justice featuring Feadz. The song was featured on the ElectroChoc radio station on Grand Theft Auto IV...
" was the first single released by the group in 2005 and also featured "Let There Be Light" as its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. "D.A.N.C.E.
D.A.N.C.E.
"D.A.N.C.E." is the second single by Justice, and the first from their album †. It includes an edit and extended versions of "D.A.N.C.E", a rougher mix in the style of their earlier releases, "B.E.A.T", and the track "Phantom" which was previously issued in limited quantities twice on 12" vinyl...
" was the second single from the album and released on April 23, 2007. The single also featured the song "Phantom", which was also released on the Ed Rec Vol. 2
Ed Rec Vol. 2
Ed Rec Vol. 2 is the second label compilation by Ed Banger. It was released on Ed Banger Records 19 March 2007.-Track listing:#Mr. Oizo - "Intra" – 1:02* uses the Plaintalk voice "Anjali".#Uffie - "Dismissed" – 3:47#Justice - "Phantom" – 4:54...
compilation album prior to the release of the album. The song "D.A.N.C.E." is about and dedicated to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
.
There are three credited samples present on the album: "You Make Me Wanna Wiggle" by The Brothers Johnson was sampled for "Newjack", "Tenebre (main theme)
Tenebrae (soundtrack)
Tenebrae is the soundtrack to Dario Argento's film of the same title, first released as an album in 1982, and reissued most recently in 2004 with multiple bonus tracks. The score was composed and performed by three former members of the defunct rock group, Goblin, who briefly reunited at the...
" by Goblin
Goblin (band)
Goblin are an Italian progressive rock band known for their soundtracks for Dario Argento films ....
was sampled for "Phantom" and "Phantom Pt. II", and "Night on Disco Mountain
Night on Bald Mountain
Night on Bald Mountain is a composition by Modest Mussorgsky that exists in, at least, two versions—a seldom performed 1867 version or a later and very popular "fantasy for orchestra" arranged by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, A Night on the Bare Mountain , based on the vocal score of the "Dream Vision...
" by David Shire
David Shire
David Lee Shire is an American songwriter and the composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. The soundtrack to the movie The Taking of Pelham 123 and parts of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack such as Night on Disco Mountain, an adaptation of Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald...
was sampled for "Stress". However, the band has stated there are many samples in the form of "microsamples" present on the album in which the author of the original composition would not recognize their work was sampled. De Rosnay stated that as many as 400 albums were used as sampled material and spoke about the microsampling process:
Reception
The album received positive reviews from most music critics. Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said, "With loads of melodrama and not a moment of subtlety, Justice define the new-jacques swing." It came in at number 15 on Pitchfork's
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
Top 50 Albums of 2007 list, stating in their review of the album that "Cross is a harsh and mostly instrumental set that nonetheless plays like the ideal crossover electronic-pop record. Justice knows how to sequence a dance album to avoid drag and boredom." The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
called it "An engaging study in contrasts and a killer party record." In his consumer guide for MSN Music
MSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave the album an honorable mention rating, indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy". Christgau stated "As dance music, not my idea of a good time, but as electronic pop, so much trickier, sillier and more kinetic than Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
". It holds an 81 rating (out of 100) on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.
The album was nominated for Best Electronic/Dance Album
Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronica Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the dance music and electronica genres...
ultimately losing to The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music duo comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Originating in Manchester in 1991, along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture.- Background...
, Best Dance Recording ("D.A.N.C.E.
D.A.N.C.E.
"D.A.N.C.E." is the second single by Justice, and the first from their album †. It includes an edit and extended versions of "D.A.N.C.E", a rougher mix in the style of their earlier releases, "B.E.A.T", and the track "Phantom" which was previously issued in limited quantities twice on 12" vinyl...
"), and Best Video ("D.A.N.C.E") for the 50th Grammy Awards
50th Grammy Awards
The 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
. They were also nominated for 6 PLUG Independent Music Awards including "Album of The Year". The album was also nominated for the 2007 Shortlist Prize, eventually losing out to The Reminder
The Reminder
The Reminder is the third full-length album by indie artist Feist. It was released on April 23, 2007 in countries outside of North America, and May 1, 2007 in the United States and Canada....
by Feist. It was ranked at No. 2 by Planet Sound
Planet Sound
Planet Sound was a Teletext music page on ITV and Channel 4 in the UK. It was broadcast on analogue Teletext from page 340, and on digital Teletext from page 820. From May 24, 2007, Planet Sound was also available to read online via the Teletext website...
in their Best Albums of 2007 list. Online music magazine
Online magazine
An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control...
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
placed † at number 107 on their list of the top 200 albums of the 2000s.
Usage in media
The track "Genesis" has been sampled several times throughout mainstream media. It was featured in an episode of the television series SharkShark (TV series)
Shark is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on CBS from September 21, 2006 to May 20, 2008. The series stars James Woods.-Synopsis:...
and in television advertisements for Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
and Levi's. The song also appears in the video game Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
' Need for Speed: Undercover
Need for Speed: Undercover
Need for Speed: Undercover is the 12th installment of the popular racing video game series Need for Speed, developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts . It was released on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, and mobile...
, and used in a gameplay trailer for Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
's Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed II is a historical third-person action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It is the second video game installment of the Assassin's Creed series, and is a sequel to the 2007 video...
, "Genesis" also appears in the trailer and ending credits of the film Echelon Conspiracy
Echelon Conspiracy
Echelon Conspiracy is a 2009 science fiction action thriller film directed by Greg Marcks and starring Shane West, Edward Burns, and Ving Rhames.-Plot:...
, and in the film Punisher: War Zone
Punisher: War Zone
Punisher: War Zone is a 2008 comic book action film directed by Lexi Alexander; based on the fictional Marvel Comics vigilante/anti-hero the Punisher. It is the third film to depict the Marvel character Frank Castle...
. It was featured in episodes of Top Gear, in series 13, episode 3, where Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
tests the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series and series 17, episode 1, where he tests the BMW 1 Series M Coupe. It was used for a BMW promotional video of the M3. It is also featured on the cinema advertisement for series 3 of the E4 comedy The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners
The Inbetweeners is a British sitcom which aired for three series from 2008 to 2010 on E4. Created and written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, the show follows the life of suburban teenager Will , and three of his friends at the fictional Rudge Park Comprehensive. The Inbetweeners Movie was...
. "Genesis" also appeared on the Season 5 Top 10 of America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
for Fighting Gravity's act.
"Phantom Pt. II" was used for a Telus
TELUS
Telus is a national telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, voice, entertainment, video, and satellite television. The company is based in Burnaby, British Columbia, part of Greater Vancouver...
commercial in 2007, as the intro music to Channel 5's Football Italiano, sampled by Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
for a 2010 Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
song called "Gucci Time", and featuring in Richard Hammond's review of the Holden Maloo ute during an episode of Top Gear. The Soulwax
Soulwax
Soulwax, headed by David and Stephen Dewaele, are an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium. Next to the Dewaele brothers, Soulwax consists of bassist Stefaan Van Leuven and drummer Steve Slingeneyer. They were first noticed after the release of their album Much Against Everyone's...
remix of the track was the final boss track in Tap Tap Dance.
"Waters of Nazareth" appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
under the Electro Choc radio station and in DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2
DJ Hero 2 is a rhythm video game and a sequel to DJ Hero, a spinoff of the Guitar Hero series. DJ Hero 2 uses a special turntable-controller, the same as introduced in DJ Hero, to simulate turntablism, the act of creating a new musical work from one or more previously recorded songs using record...
. Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's song "On to the Next One" from the album The Blueprint 3 features a sample of "D.A.N.C.E.". The Game has also used a sample of "Genesis" in his song "American Dreams". "Genesis" appears in multiple setlists in the DJ Hero
DJ Hero
DJ Hero is a music video game, developed by FreeStyleGames and published by Activision as a rhythm game spin-off of the Guitar Hero franchise. It was released on October 27, 2009 in North America and on October 29, 2009 in Europe...
video game. "Newjack" has been featured in the Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
block, "You Are Here", at the beginning of the program. "Let There Be Light" is featured in the video game Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is a PlayStation 3 exclusive title which was announced at the E3 2007. This short version title was a precursor and sampling of Gran Turismo 5 and replaced Gran Turismo HD Concept...
. "D.A.N.C.E" is also featured in Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2
Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2, called in Japan, was announced by Konami on May 15, 2008 as part of the 10th anniversary of Dance Dance Revolution celebration. Hottest Party 2 features the same gameplay as the first Hottest Party and introduces new gameplay modes, gimmicks, characters and...
and Just Dance 2. The song was also used in college basketball commercial for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as part of its "It's Not Crazy, It's Sports" promotion.
Track listing
Chart performance
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
71 |
| Belgium Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Flanders Flanders Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp... ) |
33 |
| Belgium Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... (Wallonia) |
29 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
77 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
11 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
25 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
36 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
49 |