This list of songs is inspired by lists published by radio station KEXP-FM from Seattle in 2010, as well as the latest poll taken in 2021 by Rolling Stone Magazine. For the most part I will faithfully countdown from their lists, starting at Song #500 and going until I reach Song #1. When you see the song title listed as something like: Song #XXX (KEXP)….it means that I am working off of the official KEXP list. Song XXX (RS) means the song is coming from the Rolling Stone list. If I post the song title as being: Song #xxx (KTOM), it means I have gone rogue and am inserting a song choice from my own personal list of tunes I really like. In any case, you are going to get to hear a great song and learn the story behind it. Finally, just so everyone is aware, I am not a music critic nor a musician. I am a music fan and an armchair storyteller. Here is the story behind today’s song. Enjoy.
KEXP: The Top 500 Songs in Modern Music History.
Song #360: Born Slippy: NUXX by Underworld.
Are there any truer, deeper bonds of friendship than those experienced by drunks at closing time?!
In those moments when the words “Last call!” threaten all that you hold dear, banding together with the like-minded among you always brings a certain type of comfort. Someone named Buddy or Pal or Sweetheart or Babe becomes your best friend as you suddenly find yourselves out on the street and into a world of danger or adventure where the only thing that matters is being able to continue that boozy buzz that fills your brain. I haven’t had many of those moments but, I can recall one time having pancakes at 4:30 in the morning at The Golden Griddle restaurant across from Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto with a group of people I met at a house party. I have no memory of who any of those folks were but I do recall the amazing feeling of liberation at being with them as we ran amok in the empty streets of the city as the world slept all around us. For me, it was tremendously empowering to throw off the shackles of my everyday life and be somebody different. I am not the sort of person to behave this way all of the time but, every now and again, it is exactly who I want to be. But, for some people, the opposite is true. That feeling of being disconnected from society at large is one that they feel most days. Unfortunately, for far too many, alcohol can be a cruel taskmaster.
“Born Slippy: NUXX” by Underworld is one of the most famous electronic dance songs ever made. It was released in 1995 and was meant to simulate the experience of alcoholism. The song was written by a man named Karl Hyde. He is the vocalist for Underworld. He was battling alcohol addiction at the time and didn’t feel that anyone had accurately captured that feeling of living a fragmented existence liker he was. So he wrote, “Born Slippy: NUXX”. This is a song that combines fast, pulsating beats with slower, dream-like transitions, all tied together with a series of stream-of-consciousness-type phrases and slogans. The effect of this alchemy of elements is disorienting and exhilarating at the same time. When it was released, “Born Slippy: NUXX” was hailed as being one of the freshest takes ever on an electronic dance music rave song. It is a song that tries to make communion out of isolation, sense out of madness. With the passage of time, critics have come to rate this song as one of the best of the entire decade of the 90s.
But, what truly elevated this song and took it to another level was its inclusion on the soundtrack to one of my favourite movies of all time Trainspotting. “Born Slippy: NUXX” plays in the climactic closing scene of the movie and acts as a racing heartbeat as the action unfolds. Trainspotting is about a group of Scottish heroin addicts and is, at times, funny, dramatic and heartbreakingly sad. The soundtrack is excellent! Music is interwoven with many memorable moments in this movie; of which the closing scene with “Born Slippy: NUXX” is the best. I will share a live video of Underworld performing the song at the Glastonbury Music Festival. For any Trainspotting fans, I will share the final scene (along with “Born Slippy: NUXX in the background) that you can enjoy again. ***Obviously, the SPOILER ALERT rules apply for those who haven’t seen the movie and who may wish to at one point.
Without further delay, here is Underworld with their iconic song, “Born Slippy: NUXX”. If you want to experience something completely different but, at the same time, something incredible then please check this song out! See you on the streets some day, my Buds! Until then, here is “Born Slippy: NUXX”.
The link to the video for “Born Slippy: NUXX” by Underworld can be found here. ***The lyrics version can be found here.
The link to the closing scene of the movie Trainspotting featuring the song “Born Slippy: NUXX” can be found here.
The official website for Underworld can be found here.
Thanks to KEXP for helping to inspire the writing of this post. The link to their official website can be found here.
***As always, all original content contained within this post remains the sole property of the author. No portion of this post shall be reblogged, copied or shared without the express written consent of the author. ©2021 http://www.tommacinneswriter.com
Tom MacInnes, Writer 