CD OF THE WEEK

BASEMENT JAXX The Singles XL  ****

The more you listen to this sparkling collection, the louder the punky-funky party in your head. Over the last six years, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton have morphed into a swashbuckling musical extravaganza. When not turning venues and festivals into Rio at carnival time, the pair have produced three albums that still stand the test of time - and try saying that about some of the other dance albums championed the same month their Remedy debut was released in 1999 and see how you get on. In fact, it's the earliest singles, the likes of Fly Life, Red Alert and Romeo, which surprise the most because of the sturdy and robust nature of their sound.

It was when Basement Jaxx discovered their live legs that their ability to throw curveballs really took off, and you can see the influence of technicolour, barnstorming live performances on tracks such as Oh My Gosh and Lucky Star (with Dizzee Rascal's gruff squeaking and squawking), while the Prince-like contours of Jus 1 Kiss is a testament to the duo's growing confidence as producers.

Yet, between the mongrel house energy of Where's Your Head At and Jump 'n' Shout, and the demented robotic funky struts of Do Your Thing and Plug It In, it's their ability to throw the mother and father of all parties that always hits home. The first summer soundtrack of the year. www.basementjaxx.com

Jim Carroll