Born Slippy .NUXX

"Born Slippy .NUXX" is a dance track by British electronic group Underworld. It was released in July 1995 as the B-side to an unrelated track, "Born Slippy". The fragmented lyrics, by vocalist Karl Hyde, describe the perspective of an alcoholic. After it was used in the 1996 film Trainspotting, "Born Slippy .NUXX" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. It has been named one of the best tracks of the 1990s by numerous publications.

"Born Slippy .NUXX"
Single by Underworld
from the album Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture
Released1 July 1996
GenreTechno, trance, experimental[1]
Length9:44
LabelJunior Boy's Own, Wax Trax!
Songwriter(s)Rick Smith, Karl Hyde, Darren Emerson
Producer(s)Rick Smith, Karl Hyde, Darren Emerson
Underworld singles chronology
"Pearl's Girl"
(1996)		 "Born Slippy .NUXX"
(1996)		 "Juanita"
(1997)

Writing

Vocalist Karl Hyde wrote the lyrics for "Born Slippy .NUXX" after a night drinking in Soho, London, hoping to capture the way a drunk "sees the world in fragments". The vocals were recorded in one take; when Hyde lost his place, he would sing the same line repeatedly, creating the line "lager, lager, lager, lager".[2] Hyde was struggling with alcoholism, and said he did not intend the song to be a "drinking anthem" but rather a "cry for help", and was disturbed when audience members raised their lager cans during performances.[2] Underworld producer Rick Smith said the lyrics reflected "this energy of movement, and of time and place", like an abstract painting.[3]

Release

Underworld released "Born Slippy .NUXX" as the B-side to unrelated instrumental track, "Born Slippy", in July 1995.[4] It became a hit after it was used in the 1996 film Trainspotting.[4] Director Danny Boyle described it as the "heartbeat" of the film, capturing its "euphoric highs following intense lows".[4] Underworld initially refused permission to use it in the film, as they disliked how often their music was used in negative portrayals of clubbing, but Boyle persuaded them after showing them a clip.[3]

Boosted by Trainspotting,[3] "Born Slippy .NUXX" reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1996.[2] Smith said he was shocked when BBC Radio 1 played the track on breakfast radio, and said: "I thought, music is moving, culture is moving, it's spreading. It's meaning things outside of just the context of on an amazing sound system in a club or on a PA system in a student hall. It was very nice!"[3]

Legacy

AllMusic said wrote that "Born Slippy .NUXX" was "simply one of the best slices of electronica one will find. Musically austere in its emotional textures, the song becomes a nearly unstoppable force ... Dance music is rarely so artistic and enjoyable in the same instance."[5] Vice described "Born Slippy .NUXX" as one of one of the 90s' most iconic songs,[3] writing that it "mixed sublime synths with a four-to-the-floor freakout, and represented everything that was going on; it was new."[3] In 2004, it was voted the fourth best dance track by readers of Mixmag.[6] In 2014, NME named it the 261st greatest song of all time.[7] Pitchfork named it the 31st best track of the 1990s.[8] The Guardian called it, alongside the Chemical Brothers' "Setting Sun", the "most experimental and sonically extreme hit of the 90s".[1] The Guardian also named it among "the weirdest chart [hits] of all time".[9]

For the film T2 Trainspotting (2017), Smith created a new version with timestretched chords, "Slow Slippy".[3] He said in 2017, "We’ve been playing 'Born Slippy' live for 20 years, and the reaction from the audience is so strong it’s almost overwhelming. It’s never got tiring to perform or play. It’s what it triggers in people."[10]

Charts and certifications

    References
    1. Petridis, Alexis (14 February 2004). "The rebirth of art rock". the Guardian.
    2. Lynskey, Dorian (24 February 2006). "Born Slippy was a greyhound we bet on". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
    3. "How 'Trainspotting' Made Underworld's "Born Slippy" One of the 90s' Most Iconic Songs". Vice. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
    4. "From the Crate: Underworld "Born Slippy"". Insomniac. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
    5. DiGravina, Tim, "Born Slippy Nuxx 2003 - Underworld", AllMusic, retrieved 16 August 2020
    6. "What is the greatest dance track of all time?". Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
    7. "Rocklist.net....NME The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.. 2014". Rrocklistmusic.co.uk.
    8. "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21 - Pitchfork". pitchfork.com.
    9. Lester, Paul (11 July 2008). "What's the weirdest chart hit of all time?". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
    10. Dazed (31 January 2017). "How do you follow Trainspotting's iconic soundtrack?". Dazed. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
    11. "Australian-charts.com – Underworld – Born Slippy". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
    12. "Austriancharts.at – Underworld – Born Slippy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
    13. "Ultratop.be – Underworld – Born Slippy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
    14. "Ultratop.be – Underworld – Born Slippy" (in French). Ultratop 50.
    15. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 9726." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
    16. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 29. 20 July 1996. p. 13. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
    17. "Underworld: Born Slippy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
    18. "Offiziellecharts.de – Underworld – Born Slippy". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
    19. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.7. – 26.7. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 20 July 1996. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
    20. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Born Slippy". Irish Singles Chart.
    21. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 42. 19 October 1996. p. 18. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
    22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 36, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 25 November 2018.
    23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Underworld – Born Slippy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
    24. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
    25. "Swedishcharts.com – Underworld – Born Slippy". Singles Top 100.
    26. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
    27. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
    28. "Underworld Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
    29. "Jaaroverzichten 1996" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
    30. "Rapports annuels 1996" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
    31. "Music & Media 1996 in Review – Year End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 51/52. 21 December 1996. p. 12. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
    32. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1996" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
    33. "Árslistinn 1996". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 January 1997. p. 25. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
    34. "Top 100 Singles 1996". Music Week. 18 January 1997. p. 25.
    35. "British single certifications – Underworld – Born Slippy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Born Slippy in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
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