Born Slippy (Nuxx) (Radio Edit)

Album review

The three-song release of Born Slippy deceptively contains almost 30 minutes of music. Unfortunately, outside the dancefloor, two of the songs are nearly too much to bear. Born Slippy's finest moment, or finest ten minutes, is in ".NUXX." Fans of the film Trainspotting will remember the song from one of the movie's most daring scenes, where Ewan McGregor's character makes a pivotal decision. The song is simply one of the best slices of electronica one will find. Musically austere in its emotional textures, the song becomes a nearly unstoppable force once Karl Hyde starts spasmodically listing all sorts of "boys" and begins repeating "lager" to dramatic effect. Dance music is rarely so artistic and enjoyable in the same instance. The song wraps itself around a listener's body and mind, straddling the house and IDM genres with grace. Though this version of the song putters out before it reaches its conclusion, the song is a landmark of its genre. The first song is purely instrumental, with rising, racing synth sounds suggesting a futuristic hovercraft video game soundtrack. It's the sound of Underworld channeling Kraftwerk through state-of-the-art electronics. "Telematic" is less interesting and perhaps too repetitive for its own good; it sees the band members unable to find their usual stellar grasp of melody. The best track on this single has appeared on countless collections, most prominently on Trainspotting: Original Soundtrack, making this single ultimately less than essential.

© Tim DiGravina /TiVo