Flux (song)
Encyclopedia
"Flux" is a song by Bloc Party
which was released as a single on 12 November 2007. It was produced by Jacknife Lee
, along with several other new songs, during the band's week in the studio after their performances at the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals
. The song uses mostly electronic instruments and features vocalist Kele Okereke
's voice manipulated through auto-tune
. It was first performed live on 26 September 2007 at Covington's Madison Theater.
CD1 of the set was only released as a free CD through the 14 November 2007 issue of NME
. The song peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart
as the band's fourth UK Top 10 single. "Flux" is featured on the re-released version of Bloc Party's second studio album
A Weekend in the City
and on the North America
n version of their third album Intimacy
.
for the song was directed by director Ace Norton
, who has previously directed videos for The Willows
, Norah Jones
and Death Cab for Cutie
. The video was published on NMEs website on 17 October 2007. Like the Beastie Boys
' music video for "Intergalactic
", it pays homage to Japanese kaiju
movies. It shows two giant silver robots falling in love while other monsters and robots destroy the city they are in. The band themselves do not appear in the video.
The video was filmed over two days in Boston with American performance troupe Kaiju Big Battel
. Some of the Kaiju (Japanese for 'strange beast') characters in the video are the Call-Me-Kevin, Grudyin, Unibouzo, Vegetius, Giii the Space Pirate and Steam-Powered Tentacle Boulder. One of the characters has striking similarities to a Cylon
.
, all music composed by Bloc Party
(Kele Okereke
, Russell Lissack
, Gordon Moakes
& Matt Tong).
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
which was released as a single on 12 November 2007. It was produced by Jacknife Lee
Jacknife Lee
Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including The Cars, U2, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, AFI, The Hives, Weezer, Vega4 and Editors.-Biography:...
, along with several other new songs, during the band's week in the studio after their performances at the Carling Weekend: Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
. The song uses mostly electronic instruments and features vocalist Kele Okereke
Kele Okereke
Kelechukwu "Kele" Rowland Okereke is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.-Early life:...
's voice manipulated through auto-tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
. It was first performed live on 26 September 2007 at Covington's Madison Theater.
CD1 of the set was only released as a free CD through the 14 November 2007 issue of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. The song peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
as the band's fourth UK Top 10 single. "Flux" is featured on the re-released version of Bloc Party's second studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
A Weekend in the City
A Weekend In The City
A Weekend in the City is the second studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Westmeath, Ireland, in mid-2006 and was produced by Jacknife Lee. The record was refined and mixed at several locations in London at the end of 2006...
and on the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n version of their third album Intimacy
Intimacy (Bloc Party album)
Intimacy is the third studio album by British indie rock band Bloc Party. It was recorded in two weeks at several locations in London and Kent during 2008 and was produced by Paul Epworth and Jacknife Lee. Inspired by the release options available in the Internet age, the band members made the...
.
Music video
A music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song was directed by director Ace Norton
Ace Norton
Ace Norton is a music video and commercial director.-Biography:Norton grew up in Venice, and is the son of writer/director Bill Norton Junior and grandson of motion picture screenwriter William Norton Senior.Norton spent most of high school shooting short films...
, who has previously directed videos for The Willows
The Willows
The Willows is a town in Queensland, Australia. Situated in a region called the Gemfields, sapphires are mined extensively in the area. At the 2006 census, Willows Gemfields had a population of 103.-External links:**...
, Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
and Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
. The video was published on NMEs website on 17 October 2007. Like the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
' music video for "Intergalactic
Intergalactic (song)
"Intergalactic" is a Grammy-winning song by American hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, released as the first single from their fifth studio album Hello Nasty on May 12, 1998....
", it pays homage to Japanese kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
movies. It shows two giant silver robots falling in love while other monsters and robots destroy the city they are in. The band themselves do not appear in the video.
The video was filmed over two days in Boston with American performance troupe Kaiju Big Battel
Kaiju Big Battel
Kaiju Big Battel is a performance by the Boston, Massachusetts based performance entertainment troupe Studio Kaiju created by Rand Borden and David Borden. The performances are parodies of both professional wrestling and the tokusatsu kaiju movies of Japan...
. Some of the Kaiju (Japanese for 'strange beast') characters in the video are the Call-Me-Kevin, Grudyin, Unibouzo, Vegetius, Giii the Space Pirate and Steam-Powered Tentacle Boulder. One of the characters has striking similarities to a Cylon
Cylon
-Places:United States*Cylon, Wisconsin, a town in St. Croix County, Wisconsin*Cylon , Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in St Croix County, Wisconsin-Science fiction:...
.
Charts
| Charts (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
7 |
Track listing
All lyrics by Kele OkerekeKele Okereke
Kelechukwu "Kele" Rowland Okereke is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.-Early life:...
, all music composed by Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
(Kele Okereke
Kele Okereke
Kelechukwu "Kele" Rowland Okereke is a British musician, best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party.-Early life:...
, Russell Lissack
Russell Lissack
Russell Dean Lissack is an English musician best known as the lead guitarist of London based indie rock band, Bloc Party. Lissack is also in the electronica band Pin Me Down; a duo of himself and Milena Mepris...
, Gordon Moakes
Gordon Moakes
Gordon Peter Moakes is an English multi-instrumentalist and backing vocalist for English indie rock band Bloc Party.-Bloc Party:...
& Matt Tong).
Digital download (United Kingdom)
- "Flux"
- "French Open" (Principle Participant Legs Mix)
CD2 (cardsleeve): Wichita / WEBB135SCD (United Kingdom)
- "Flux"
- "Flux" (Live from the WaMu Theater at Madison Square GardenMadison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
03/Oct/2007) - "Emma Kate's Accident"
CD1: Wichita / NMECD07-05 (United Kingdom)
CD: Wichita / WEBB135SJPN (Japan)
12" (clear vinyl): WEBB135T (United Kingdom)
- "Flux" (Extended Version) - 6:32
- "Flux" (Extended InstrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
) - 6:27 - "Where Is Home?" (Burial Remix) - 5:28