#songbender part 32 – Leftfield – Afrika Shox
Ok, so i’m not going to go THIS TIME with the idea that I didn’t want originally to go with this – even though it’s still true. Rather than that, let’s focus on the facts that I have done 31 songs already and it DID NOT FEATURE A SINGLE ONE OF THE BIGGGGG ONES i originally wanted to share! I still think i need to save those for later, as there are plenty of super great ones around that deserve attention, and not from Simon Posford or Ott (yes, those are the ones i mean, as i already said in the beginning, i could just list like 40 songs from those 2 and call it a day, and it’s up to you if you’re interested or not, who cares).
But man, this is one of the big ones. There is a reason that people who are now too old to matter have once said: there were 4 big “bands” to really shape the music scene of the electro 90s (i read this somewhere a long time ago but it stuck with me) – and those were: Leftfield, Underworld, Orbital and Prodigy. And I agreed with that in an instant. It’s just that i don’t know what these fkin cunts did back in those days, but for some reason these british were actually way ahead of everyone else in terms of production, songwriting, generally this whole ass music scene was revolving around them, and nobody could do anything against it. America? HHAHAHAHHAHAH those assholes were just looking up from the corner of “yeah we have our own underground but, ummmm, yaknow, issa bit diffrent, you know what i’m sayin’?”
sidenote: this video version is the video version. It’s shorter than the original, which i usually don’t like, but am willing to give this up this time because the video is just so good. Check out the original album version if you want to hear the whole, real thing.
So back to the point. There so much to say about this song and so little time. Is this catchy? not really. and it’s not the point. It features Afrika Bambaataa, who is actually from fkin NEW YORK, so this whole afrika thing is just a role. Yeah, kind of a bummer, i know, But it’s true. (Also he’s a child molester which is maximum brrrrrr but let’s not get into that here).
I’m pasting the official video here, and only for the reason that it was directed by my beloved Chris Cunningham, who I (and a couple of others) had high hopes for that he would direct Gibson’s Neuromancer into a real movie: spoiler alert: he didn’t, and never will. So there’s that. But he’s a brilliant director, especially for videos, I will definitely feature him more over here, but since we’re not throwing away the big ones just yet, you will need to wait.
So the song. HOW BAD IS THAT BEAT. i mean, really. there is NO FKIN BEAT that equals this one. There is NONE.
NONE. ENNN OOOO ENN EEEE. just in case you need help. you’re welcome.
I just LOVE if a beat is FAT and has a melody on it’s own, even without you realizing it that it does, well this one does not joke. It slaps you in the fkin face. And with all the other things around it, this is a BEATER. This is something that even those idiots who do not understand music, will just wave their heads to and say: yeah I like rock music!!!
……..
grrrr. now. anyway.
you now go ahead, scroll down, watch the video. You will be captivated by Chris’ visuals, and the funny stuff and the dramatic stuff, it’s powerful, it’s ABSOLUTELY amazing, and very very well done.
coming back to this one when I myself actually watched it again: I MEAN DO YOU REALIZE all the small details in there? Man, i would SO love to do a video with this guy. It’s just mindblowing what vision and absolute understanding he has on a song and how it should be represented. God DAMN.
BUT, then i need to you come back, and listen to it AGAIN, but this time, do NOT look at the video.
and once you did that, run it for the 3rd time (i mean it’s not a long song, quit bitching about not having the time, you fkin liar, we all know what you spend your time with, so go ahead and do it).
and then, when it’s just the song going for the 3rd time, check this out:
Did you realize there’s no change in the drumbeat throughout the whole song?
None. It’s all the same. All the way. BOOOORING. right? no. exactly.
No fills?
NO. none. whatsoever. not even a change in the beat. nothing. absolutely fking amazing how you can pull this off.
NONE?
nope.
No crash cymbals even? (nothing to point the not-so-musical-people in the direction that YES this is where we restart?)
RIGHT?
you didn’t. but here i am telling you.
so. once we’re all through this, i hope you agree that this is an amazing song, with absolutely brilliant arrangement, a fantastic performance by Afrika Bambaataa, and a stunningly killer video by Chris Cunningham.
oh oh oh and my favorite thing in this whole song, i just HAVE to say this: when they do this “computer singing” effect, and they have this really high tone come in at every 3rd beat at the end, when they go “Electro get flowin’ and the funk don’t stop” and there’s that high UMPH that is actually an effect and not related to the lyrics, but MY GOD how that changes everything, it is absolutely mindblowing, to me, at least. aaah shit. that’s my favorite thing in this song I promise you.
but please, just go ahead on your own, if you can, if your government, wife, or employer allows you.
And if you can, take a day off, go about whatever the fk you do, and come back to it tomorrow. And have a listen to it again. And if i’m right, THEN it will hit you the right way. Because THEN you will know it all and experience the WHOLE thing as it should be experienced, as the creators wanted it, and it deserves this, my person reading this, believe me. THIS is the way these pieces should be acquired. They need the effort, and it’s much less effort from YOUR side than what THEY did to bring you this, but still.
OR you can look at it as a fairly interesting song with a funny video about a black guy falling apart in new york city.
up to you.
hope you enjoyed this one, I just shot one of the big ones, for the first time after this many episodes, more to come, please like and subscribe, no, not really, who cares. I’m writing all these for a future chatgpt for internet archeologists anyway.
see you around.