Superheroes of BMX
Encyclopedia
"Superheroes of BMX" is a song by Scottish
post-rock
group Mogwai
, which originally appeared on the 4 Satin
EP
in 1997, then later on the compilation album
EP+6
in 2000.
which makes use of a Bontempi Organ
, which is built upon throughout the song. The song features an electronic drum beat produced through a BOSS DR-550 Dr. Rhythm
drum machine
. A live version of the song appeared on the live compilation album, Government Commissions: BBC Sessions 1996-2003, recorded at The Golders Green Hippodrome
on December 22, 1996 by John Peel
. The "whooshing" noise heard in the song is made by a RoboCop
figurine, which can be seen briefly in The Recording of Mr. Beast documentary. The song was originally titled "Dominic", after Dominic Aitchison
, Mogwai's bassist. English
indie rock
band Bloc Party
once went under the name "Superheroes of BMX". SUPERHEROES OF BMX is also the name of an oddball pop and electronica playing DJ collective from Brighton, United Kingdom
and friend David Jack, whilst an electronic drumbeat plays. At (0:18), they are joined by the sound of a Bontempi Organ playing an A♯ major chord, followed by a D minor chord, which is repeated all throughout the song. Layers of synth and a guitar riff play over the chords. A whooshing noise can be heard at various points. At (1:56), acoustic drums can be heard playing the drumbeat, until (2:30), when it goes back to electronic drums. At (3:53), distorted guitars begin playing along and feedbacking with the chords in the background. This guitar noise and feedback continues, fading in and out gradually for the next few minutes, until it becomes almost overbearing, at which point the song ends abruptly.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
group Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
, which originally appeared on the 4 Satin
4 Satin
4 Satin is an EP by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai, released in 1997 in the UK and the US through Chemikal Underground and Jetset respectively.-Overview:4 Satin is Mogwai's debut EP...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 1997, then later on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
EP+6
EP+6
EP+6 is a compilation album by Scottish post-rock group Mogwai, released in Japan in 2000 through Toy's Factory, and later in the UK in 2001 through Chemikal Underground.-Overview:...
in 2000.
Overview
"Superheroes of BMX" is an eight minute long instrumentalInstrumental
An 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....
which makes use of a Bontempi Organ
Bontempi
Bontempi is an Italian musical instrument manufacturer, best known for manufacturing low-priced, plastic-cased Chord Organs; small keyboard instruments in which the sound is produced by air being forced over reeds by an electric fan....
, which is built upon throughout the song. The song features an electronic drum beat produced through a BOSS DR-550 Dr. Rhythm
Boss Corporation
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. A live version of the song appeared on the live compilation album, Government Commissions: BBC Sessions 1996-2003, recorded at The Golders Green Hippodrome
Golders Green Hippodrome
Golders Green Hippodrome was built in 1913 by Bertie Crewe as a 3000-seat Music Hall, to serve North London and the new tube rail expansion into Golders Green....
on December 22, 1996 by John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
. The "whooshing" noise heard in the song is made by a RoboCop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
figurine, which can be seen briefly in The Recording of Mr. Beast documentary. The song was originally titled "Dominic", after Dominic Aitchison
Dominic Aitchison
Dominic Aitchison is a Scottish bassist. He is best known as the bassist and founding member of post-rock band Mogwai. Aside from Mogwai, he also plays bass guitar in Crippled Black Phoenix and Stage Blood....
, Mogwai's bassist. English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Bloc Party
Bloc Party
Bloc Party are a British Indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke , Russell Lissack , Gordon Moakes , and Matt Tong...
once went under the name "Superheroes of BMX". SUPERHEROES OF BMX is also the name of an oddball pop and electronica playing DJ collective from Brighton, United Kingdom
Musical composition
The song begins with the sound of a phone call (which can be heard throughout most of the song) between Stuart BraithwaiteStuart Braithwaite
Stuart Leslie Braithwaite is a Scottish guitarist, bassist, drummer, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of post rock band Mogwai, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums.-Early life :...
and friend David Jack, whilst an electronic drumbeat plays. At (0:18), they are joined by the sound of a Bontempi Organ playing an A♯ major chord, followed by a D minor chord, which is repeated all throughout the song. Layers of synth and a guitar riff play over the chords. A whooshing noise can be heard at various points. At (1:56), acoustic drums can be heard playing the drumbeat, until (2:30), when it goes back to electronic drums. At (3:53), distorted guitars begin playing along and feedbacking with the chords in the background. This guitar noise and feedback continues, fading in and out gradually for the next few minutes, until it becomes almost overbearing, at which point the song ends abruptly.
Personnel
- Stuart Braithwaite – guitar, organ, monologue
- Dominic Aitchison – bass guitar
- John Cummings – guitar
- Martin Bulloch – drums
- David Jack – monologue
- Andy Miller – producer, mixer
External links
- "Superheroes of BMX" at Last.fmLast.fmLast.fm is a music website, founded in the United Kingdom in 2002. It has claimed 30 million active users in March 2009. On 30 May 2007, CBS Interactive acquired Last.fm for UK£140m ....