Movement in Still Life
Encyclopedia
Movement in Still Life is the third album
by electronica
artist BT. Released, in the United Kingdom
in 1999, with a modified version for the United States
in 2000. The album features a transition towards hip hop
and includes the singles "Godspeed", "Dreaming", and in the US, "Never Gonna Come Back Down".
, while continuing with BT's trademark trance
methods; the opening four tracks of the UK
pressing exemplify the newer hip hop techniques, while the rest of the album is more trance-based. The entire record was mixed so that all songs transition into one another, creating a continuous mix. The album opens with an answering machine message left by an un-named, upcoming rapper who wishes to work with BT, despite not having any records produced nor a convenient line of contact ("if my mother answer the phone, she give you my cousin beeper number [sic].")
In the United States, Movement was entirely revamped for an American audience. This pressing edits every track by a few minutes and appears in an unmixed format with pauses between songs. The tracklisting was also re-arranged: acoustic closer "Satellite" was moved to the middle of the record and was replaced by straight hip hop
track "Love on Haight Street", while the album's opening was also moved to the centre of the record, and was replaced by "Madskills Mic-Chekka" and the US single "Never Gonna Come Back Down", which featured Mike Doughty
of Soul Coughing
on vocals. "Ride", "The Hip Hop Phenomenon", "Giving Up the Ghost" and "Namistai" were replaced with "Shame" and "Smartbomb"; the latter of which would be sampled for *NSYNC's international hit "Pop
", which was also produced by BT.
The Australia
n pressing of Movement in Still Life uses the UK track listing, but replaces "The Hip Hop Phenomenon" with "Never Gonna Come Back Down", mixing it into it surrounding tracks with transitions.
There exists two versions on vinyl: a double-LP version containing a variant of the UK track listing, and a quadruple-LP version featuring eight tracks, with one song per side; this second version wholly features extended mixes. Several of these extended mixes were later added to a Special Edition double-CD set from Hong Kong
, which also included other extended mixes.
, Invocation http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/photography/blind_visually_impaired/fuss/index.html, by Adam Fuss
.
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stations. "Smartbomb" was used in several films, most notably in 3000 Miles to Graceland
, and was used in the video game FreQuency
. The Plump DJs remix of "Smartbomb" and "Hip Hop Phenomenon" were featured in the video game SSX Tricky
. A remix of "Never Gonna Come Back Down" was featured in FIFA Football 2002
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
artist BT. Released, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1999, with a modified version for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2000. The album features a transition towards hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and includes the singles "Godspeed", "Dreaming", and in the US, "Never Gonna Come Back Down".
Overview
Movement marks a transition toward hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, while continuing with BT's trademark trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
methods; the opening four tracks of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pressing exemplify the newer hip hop techniques, while the rest of the album is more trance-based. The entire record was mixed so that all songs transition into one another, creating a continuous mix. The album opens with an answering machine message left by an un-named, upcoming rapper who wishes to work with BT, despite not having any records produced nor a convenient line of contact ("if my mother answer the phone, she give you my cousin beeper number [sic].")
In the United States, Movement was entirely revamped for an American audience. This pressing edits every track by a few minutes and appears in an unmixed format with pauses between songs. The tracklisting was also re-arranged: acoustic closer "Satellite" was moved to the middle of the record and was replaced by straight hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
track "Love on Haight Street", while the album's opening was also moved to the centre of the record, and was replaced by "Madskills Mic-Chekka" and the US single "Never Gonna Come Back Down", which featured Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty is an American indie and alternative rock singer-songwriter. He led the band Soul Coughing in the 1990s, and in the 2000s, became a solo artist...
of Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing
Soul Coughing was a popular New York-based alternative rock band. The band found modest mainstream success during the mid-to-late 1990s. Soul Coughing developed a devout fanbase and have garnered largely positive response from critics. Steve Huey describes the band as "one of the most unusual cult...
on vocals. "Ride", "The Hip Hop Phenomenon", "Giving Up the Ghost" and "Namistai" were replaced with "Shame" and "Smartbomb"; the latter of which would be sampled for *NSYNC's international hit "Pop
Pop (song)
"Pop" is the first single by *NSYNC from their third studio album, Celebrity. It was written by Wade Robson and Justin Timberlake and produced by BT using his famous "stutter edit" sound. The song's subject focuses on contemporary criticism of boy bands and pop music, and assures the public of...
", which was also produced by BT.
The Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n pressing of Movement in Still Life uses the UK track listing, but replaces "The Hip Hop Phenomenon" with "Never Gonna Come Back Down", mixing it into it surrounding tracks with transitions.
There exists two versions on vinyl: a double-LP version containing a variant of the UK track listing, and a quadruple-LP version featuring eight tracks, with one song per side; this second version wholly features extended mixes. Several of these extended mixes were later added to a Special Edition double-CD set from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, which also included other extended mixes.
Cover art
The art of the main album cover is a photogramPhotogram
A photogram is a photographic image made without a camera by placing objects directly onto the surface of a photo-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The result is a negative shadow image varying in tone, depending on the transparency of the objects used...
, Invocation http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/photography/blind_visually_impaired/fuss/index.html, by Adam Fuss
Adam Fuss
Adam Fuss is a British photographer.-Early life:Adam Fuss was born in England in 1961. His father manufactured woman’s coats and his mother was an Australian fashion model. Fuss’s father suffered a stroke in 1963 and required constant care until his death in 1968. Fuss lived in Australia with...
.
UK CD pressing
- "Movement in Still Life" – 6:32
- "Ride" – 4:56
- "Madskillz-Mic Chekka" – 5:36
- "The Hip Hop Phenomenon" – 5:17
- "Mercury and Solace" – 7:42
- "Dreaming" – 9:15
- "Giving Up the Ghost" – 6:43
- "Godspeed" – 6:44
- "Namistai" – 6:51 °
- "Running Down the Way Up" – 8:36
- "Satellite" – 5:40
UK Limited Edition bonus disc
- "Never Gonna Come Back Down" – 5:47
- "Fibonnaci Sequence" – 9:28
- "Godspeed (Hybrid Mix)" – 7:03
- "Mercury and Solace (Reach Out) (Mark Shimmon Remix)" – 6:43
- "Dreaming (Evolution Mix)" – 10:11
- "Dreaming (Libra Mix)" – 9:19
- "Namistai (Extended Version)" – 9:28 °
US CD pressing
- "Madskillz-Mic Chekka" – 4:52
- "Never Gonna Come Back Down" – 5:47
- "Dreaming" – 5:19
- "Shame" – 3:21
- "Movement in Still Life" – 4:30
- "Satellite" – 5:11
- "Godspeed" – 5:10
- "Running Down the Way Up" – 5:51
- "Mercury and Solace" – 5:07
- "Smartbomb" – 5:10
- "Love on Haight Street" – 6:17
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Sides G-H
- "Running Down the Way Up" – 9:30
- "Fibonacci Sequence" – 9:28
|}
- ° - This track was renamed "Namasté" on the UK Limited Edition release. However, the original name, "Namistai," is considered to be the official title by fans.
Singles
Movement in Still Life ties These Hopeful Machines with the most singles BT ever released from one album, largely due to the differences between the UK and US versions. Tracks like "Godspeed" and "Mercury and Solace" did well in the UK, but would not fare well on US radios, where "Never Gonna Come Back Down" and "Shame" performed well on American alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
stations. "Smartbomb" was used in several films, most notably in 3000 Miles to Graceland
3000 Miles to Graceland
3000 Miles to Graceland is a 2001 American crime film, starring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine, Christian Slater, and Kevin Pollak. It is a story of theft and betrayal, revolving around a plot to rob the Riviera Casino during a convention of Elvis...
, and was used in the video game FreQuency
FreQuency
Frequency is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by SCEI. It is the first major release from Harmonix. It was released in November 2001. A sequel titled Amplitude was released in 2003.-Gameplay:...
. The Plump DJs remix of "Smartbomb" and "Hip Hop Phenomenon" were featured in the video game SSX Tricky
SSX Tricky
A soundtrack was released in 2002. It features the following songs:#"It's Tricky " - Run-D.M.C.#"Smartbomb " - BT#"Finished Symphony" - Hybrid#"King of the Beats" - Aphrodite#"Board Burner" - Mix Master Mike...
. A remix of "Never Gonna Come Back Down" was featured in FIFA Football 2002
FIFA Football 2002
FIFA Football 2002, known as FIFA Soccer 2002 in North America, and commonly known as FIFA 2002, is a football video game released in November 2001, produced by Electronic Arts and released by EA Sports. FIFA 2002 is the ninth game in the FIFA series.Power bars for passes were introduced, and...
.
Personnel
- Peanut Butter WolfPeanut Butter WolfChris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf, is a DJ, hip-hop producer and the founder of hip-hop label Stones Throw Records.A native of San Jose, California, He took on the name Peanut Butter Wolf in the late-80s when he realized that a girlfriend’s youngest brother feared the “peanut butter wolf monster”...
: record scratching on "Movement in Still Life" and "Love on Haight Street" - SashaSasha (DJ)Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
: Co-production on "Ride" - Planet AsiaPlanet AsiaPlanet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
: Vocals on "Madskillz-Mic Chekka" - Adam FreelandAdam FreelandAdam Freeland is an English DJ and producer associated with breakbeat based electronic music. He was a resident of Brighton, moved to Los Angeles where he recorded second album Cope™ but is now based back in Brighton...
: Co-production on "Madskillz-Mic Chekka" - Hutchi: Vocals on "Madskillz-Mic Chekka"
- RascoRascoKeida Brewer , known professionally as Rasco , is a rapper from San Francisco, California, United States, whose early recordings were released on Stones Throw Records...
: Vocals on "Madskillz-Mic Chekka", "Smartbomb" and "Love on Haight Street" - DJ Davey Dave: "cuts" and "scratching" on "Madskillz-Mic Chekka" and "Smartbomb"
- Kevin Beber: Co-production on "Madskillz-Mic Chekka"
- Tsunami OneTsunami OneTsunami One was an influential UK-based nu skool breaks act, composed of duo Adam Freeland and Kevin Beber.Their 1999 single Hip-Hop Phenomenon was one of the earlier classics of the genre, and featured on both Freeland's renowned Tectonics CD, and BT's Movement in Still Life album...
: Co-production on "The Hip Hop Phenomenon" - Jan JohnstonJan JohnstonJan Johnston is an English professional singer, best known for collaborating with some of the world's top trance music DJs.-Career:...
: Vocals on "Mercury and Solace"; backing vocals on "Dreaming" - DJ RapDJ RapCharissa Saverio is a British drum and bass, house music and progressive electronic music disc jockey.-Biography:...
: Vocals on "Giving Up the Ghost" - Paul Van DykPaul van DykMatthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
: Co-production on "Namasté" - Kirsty HawkshawKirsty HawkshawKirsty Hawkshaw is a British dance/electronica/house/trance musician and songwriter. She is known for her participation as lead vocalist for the group Opus III, and her collaborative work with other musicians and producers....
: Vocals on "Dreaming" and "Running Down the Way Up" - HybridHybrid (producers)Hybrid are a British electronic music group based in Swansea, comprising Mike Truman and Chris Healings, with the addition of Charlotte James completing their 2010 lineup. They are primarily known as a progressive breaks act, although they overlap considerably with progressive house and trance...
: Co-production on "Running Down the Way Up" and co-credited with "Godspeed" - Scott Frassetto: Live drums on "Satellite"
- Richard FortusRichard FortusRichard Fortus is a professional guitarist who is most famous for being rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses.Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Fortus cut his teeth throughout the Midwest with his band, The Eyes. The four-piece alternative band independently released "Freedom in a Cage", which was...
: Guitars on "Shame", "Running Down the Way Up" and "Smartbomb" - Mike DoughtyMike DoughtyMike Doughty is an American indie and alternative rock singer-songwriter. He led the band Soul Coughing in the 1990s, and in the 2000s, became a solo artist...
: Vocals on "Never Gonna Come Back Down" - Fifty Grand: Vocals on "Love on Haight Street"
- BT: All other vocals, instruments and programming