Reel Dealer

Basement Jaxx Plug It In

Words: Sandy Hunter

This March has borne forth the joyous reignition of one of the most successful video partnerships of recent years. Traktor, the party responsible for Basement Jaxx's raucous "Where's Your Head At?" have again teamed with the London duo to offer up the red hot "Plug It In."

Jaxx's Simon and Felix star in the video as security guards at a mail-order operation called Second Hand Super Models. They are employed by a pig-mask favoring boss who markets robotic babes to bachelors looking to get, shall we say, plugged in. By simply inserting a power cable into a jack near the base of each unit's spine, lonely men can frolic with sexy stewardess "Mile Heidi" or a variety of models sporting archetypically foxy motifs such as a cop, bride or gym bunny. Of course, Traktor knows how important marketing is for any product and the Pig-Boss follows suit by hiring N' Sync's JC Chasez to star in a flashy infomercial showcasing the bendy talents of his wares. Chasez belts out his oft-Jacko inflected bit with a zeal that is nearly superfluous considering the extremely gifted talent Traktor coached from their well-worn casting couch.

The ad works a wee bit too well and the Jaxx guards are soon enough compelled to break into the warehouse after hours to frolic with the show room floor models. Their test drive is initially a tasteful melee of mechanized booty thrusts yet the rent-a-cops get too greedy and are rewarded for their lust by a flaming, melting, mangled mess. Entertaining to be sure, and likely to arouse some hot-blooded response from would-be clients and feminists alike.

But then again, those familiar with the joyous teat-to-milk-to-teat slanted video Traktor crafted for wonky rave rockers Prodigy a few years back will take solace in the fact that our Santa Monica-based Scandinavian swordsmen have made a video that most, if not all of us can enjoy. And of course, Astralwerks and XL did the right thing in coming back to Traktor. Especially considering the most hotly tipped track on Jaxx's latest LP Kish Kash, ("Lucky Star," featuring Dizzee Rascal) was shackled with a video that was at best, confusing. As for Traktor's picture perfect return to form, an insider at their Santa Monica offices put it best by saying, "Although the cynical kids in the know will ask why we keep making the same story. I refer to Jung (the figure skater): "There is only one story to tell. Now stop playing with yourself!"

Los Angelenos can catch the video on the big screen at the March RES Screening Series event at the Egyptian Theater on March 30, or on the really small screen at: http://www.traktor.com/musicvideos/index.html