Hey kids! Back into the work week. I know, I think so too. BUT! It'll be Friday again before we know it, right?
In the meantime I want to remind anyone and everyone who reads this about a fantastic song that I absolutely adored when it first came out, then forgot about, then rediscovered, then forgot about again and have only recently discovered it for a third time! Just what is this elusive, mysterious song that is constantly escaping my mental grasp? What could it be about this song that keeps bringing it back, every time it slips out of my mind's eye? What is so special about '6 Underground' by The Sneaker Pimps that is so damned unique and remarkable?
Before I try to get into the minutiae of the song itself, a brief word about The Sneaker Pimps: Sadly, they are no more. Formed in 1994, the group was at the forefront of the trip-hop movement in England. While their debut album Becoming X was a thing of uneven yet inspired beauty, the remixing of the single by Nellee Hooper got it wider notice. Having initially been released in 1996, after the remix it started to appear all over the pop spectrum, from the soundtrack to the awful Val Kilmer vehicle The Saint to modern radio to teen rom-com ensemble flick Can't Hardly Wait, to skater film Dogtown and Z-boys. See how Nellee Hooper keeps popping up? He's like an Other in LOST - always emerging from the background at unexpected times, and when you see his handy work you nod and say "Ohhhh, I get it....right?" Anyway, their next album wasn't as big of a success, despite the excellent single 'Sick', singer Kelli Dayton having left the band by this time. Nothing they've done has paralleled the success of 6 Underground, which is too bad for everyone. It's a phenomenal track.
The song itself is an incredible piece of poppy trip-hop, mellowly rocking along with a steady, relaxed beat. According to those who know better than I, the harp sample that recurs in the song is actually derived from the James Bond classic 'Goldfinger', specifically when Bond's paramour early in the film is murdered and covered in gold paint. A fitting bit of referential art, if I do say so. The track is a mysterious, strange bit of pop heaven, singer Dayton singing the verses softly but with a bit of an edge. The chorus sees the tempo and intensity pick up just a hair, just that slightest bit of vibrancy adding spark that keeps the tune from plodding. I just feel that even though the song is about fifteen years old their's still something fresh and original about it, an example of what quality writing and execution can do with proper production. The tone and mood of the song are sublimely dreamy in a surreal way that makes me think of falling through mist.
I love this song, but it keeps escaping me. When I first heard it almost fifteen years ago my mind could barely grasp it. It was some of my first exposure to my sacred joy of trip-hop. Somehow its ethereal tone allowed it to slip from my memory until it was stumbled upon via file-sharing in college. Deleting playlists sadly culled it from heavy rotation in my life, but digging through tracks got me back into it. I'm glad I found it, it's absolutely fantastic. Take a listen and see if you're as taken with it as I am.
In the meantime I want to remind anyone and everyone who reads this about a fantastic song that I absolutely adored when it first came out, then forgot about, then rediscovered, then forgot about again and have only recently discovered it for a third time! Just what is this elusive, mysterious song that is constantly escaping my mental grasp? What could it be about this song that keeps bringing it back, every time it slips out of my mind's eye? What is so special about '6 Underground' by The Sneaker Pimps that is so damned unique and remarkable?
Before I try to get into the minutiae of the song itself, a brief word about The Sneaker Pimps: Sadly, they are no more. Formed in 1994, the group was at the forefront of the trip-hop movement in England. While their debut album Becoming X was a thing of uneven yet inspired beauty, the remixing of the single by Nellee Hooper got it wider notice. Having initially been released in 1996, after the remix it started to appear all over the pop spectrum, from the soundtrack to the awful Val Kilmer vehicle The Saint to modern radio to teen rom-com ensemble flick Can't Hardly Wait, to skater film Dogtown and Z-boys. See how Nellee Hooper keeps popping up? He's like an Other in LOST - always emerging from the background at unexpected times, and when you see his handy work you nod and say "Ohhhh, I get it....right?" Anyway, their next album wasn't as big of a success, despite the excellent single 'Sick', singer Kelli Dayton having left the band by this time. Nothing they've done has paralleled the success of 6 Underground, which is too bad for everyone. It's a phenomenal track.
