Becoming X

Becoming X
Studio album by Sneaker Pimps
Released	19 August 1996 8 June 1997 (Limited Edition)
Genre	Trip hop, electronica, downtempo
Length	52:57
Label	Clean Up (UK), Virgin (US)
Producer	Jim Abbiss, Line of Flight, Peter Collins, Flood
Sneaker Pimps chronology
Becoming X (1996) Becoming Remixed (1998)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[2]
Pitchfork Media	6.3/10[3]
Robert Christgau	[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]

Becoming X is the debut album from Sneaker Pimps released in 1996. The album was successful in the United Kingdom, while "6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar" would become hits in the US.

The album also marked the only appearance of Kelli Dayton as a vocalist for the group, before she was asked to leave the band. Chris Corner became the band's vocalist for subsequent albums.

"How Do", the last track on Becoming X, is a cover of the song known as "Willow's Song" featured in the movie The Wicker Man (1973). Sneaker Pimps' version begins with a short sound clip from the movie. It is in turn used in the movie Abre los ojos (Open Your Eyes). Most recently, "How Do" was used during an intimate scene in the 2005 Eli Roth movie, Hostel.

The album later spawned a remix album Becoming Remixed with DJs such as Paul Oakenfold remixing tracks from Becoming X.

Fueled by the hit "6 Underground", the album spent 23 consecutive weeks on the US Billboard 200.

Track listing

All tracks by Chris Corner, Liam Howe and Ian Pickering unless otherwise noted.

1. "Low Place Like Home" − 4:38
2. "Tesko Suicide" − 3:48
3. "6 Underground" (Chris Corner, Liam Howe, Ian Pickering, John Barry) − 3:54
4. "Becoming X" − 4:15
5. "Spin Spin Sugar" − 4:21
6. "Post-Modern Sleaze" − 5:21
7. "Waterbaby" − 4:12
8. "Roll On" − 4:28
9. "Wasted Early Sunday Morning" − 4:29
10. "Walking Zero" − 4:31
11. "How Do" − 5:03

The US edition featured "6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit)" as bonus track, the Japanese edition had "Walk The Rain" as bonus track included.

Limited Edition

1. "Low Place Like Home" − 4:38
2. "Tesko Suicide" − 3:48
3. "6 Underground (Nellee Hooper Edit)" − 3:48
4. "Becoming X" − 4:15
5. "Spin Spin Sugar (Radio Mix)" − 3:34
6. "Post-Modern Sleaze (Flight From Nashville)" − 3:29
7. "Waterbaby" − 4:12
8. "Roll On" − 4:28
9. "Wasted Early Sunday Morning" − 4:29
10. "Walking Zero" − 4:31
11. "How Do" − 5:03

This track listing was used for the 2008 vinyl reissue of the album.

Samples

• 'Waterbaby' sampled David Sylvian's 'Let The Happiness In'
• 'How Do' sampled the Rachel Verney vocal audio from the film 'The Wicker Man'
• '6 Underground' sampled John Barry's 'Golden Girl' from 'Goldfinger'
• 'Becoming X' sampled Sandy Denny's 'Next Time Around' from 'The North Star Grassman and the Ravens' (1971)

Credits

• Kelli Dayton - vocals
• Chris Corner - guitars
• Liam Howe - keyboards
• Joe Wilson - bass
• Dave Westlake - drums
• Jim Abbiss, C. Goddard, Flood, Oggy AKA Augustus Skinner engineering, Luke Gifford - engineering
• Mark "Spike" Stent, Flood, Jim Abbiss, Line of Flight, Nellee Hooper, Luke Gifford - mixing
• Andy Wright, Marius De Vries - additional programming and keyboards

References