Hey U Explained

Hey U
Cover:Basement Jaxx - Hey U single cover.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Basement Jaxx
Album:Crazy Itch Radio
Recorded:2006
Genre:
  • House
Label:XL
Producer:Basement Jaxx
Prev Title:Take Me Back to Your House
Prev Year:2006
Next Title:Make Me Sweat
Next Year:2007

"Hey U" is a song recorded by the English electronic music duo Basement Jaxx for their fourth studio album, Crazy Itch Radio (2006). An extended play featuring remixes of the song was released in March 2007 under XL Recordings, as the third promotional release from the album. It did not chart. The song features vocals from the Swedish pop singer Robyn.

Composition

"Hey U" is four minutes and 54 seconds long.[1] Musically, it is a dance song that prominently samples the horns from "Asfalt Tango", by the Balkan brass band Fanfare Ciocărlia. The song contains elements of Romani music, Balkan music and klezmer.[2] [3] It features vocals from the Swedish singer Robyn.[4] The song also features a chorus of children from Nanthomba Orphan School in Malawi.[5] [6]

In 2011, the song was reworked by Felix Buxton and Jules Buckley in orchestral form on the collaborative album Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest. Reviewing the album for The Independent, Andy Gill described this version as a "riot of cosmopolitan eclecticism".[7] MusicOMHs Chris White called it an "eclectic mix of the Lambada, James Bond themes and Balkan instrumentation," and the highlight of the album's middle section.[8]

Critical reception

The track received generally positive critical reception. Jess Harvell from Pitchfork singled out the song as the album's standout track. The Guardians John Burgess said that the song "fizzes powerfully", and while the album's "daft interludes and kitchen-sink production sound too familiar, Crazy Itch Radio can still surprise - particularly on Hey U."[9] Michael Hubbard of musicOMH called it "a riotously inventive production that cries out to be played over and over again."[10] Kitty Empire of The Observer reacted less positively to the song, stating that it took the duo's "dalliance with Balkan-derived party music too far".[11]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Crazy Itch Radio and BMI.[12]

Recording and management

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: May 20, 2023 . Crazy Itch Radio by Basement Jaxx on Apple Music . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319074430/https://music.apple.com/us/album/crazy-itch-radio/183030567 . March 19, 2024 . March 19, 2024 . Apple Music (PH).
  2. Web site: Basement Jaxx: Crazy Itch Radio. Pitchfork. Harvell. Jess. 5 September 2006. 20 October 2023.
  3. Web site: Album: Basement Jaxx. The Independent. Gill. Andy. 1 September 2006. 20 October 2023.
  4. Web site: Robyn: "Everything's been leading to this moment. It all makes sense now" – Interview. MusicOMH. Hubbard. Michael. 5 September 2008. 20 October 2023.
  5. Basement Jaxx Scratches New 'Itch'. Billboard. 14 July 2006. 26 October 2023.
  6. Crazy Itch Radio . Basement Jaxx . XLCD205 . 2006 . CD liner notes . XL . United States.
  7. Web site: Album: Basement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest. The Independent. Gill. Andy. 15 July 2011. 21 October 2023.
  8. Web site: Basement Jaxx - Basement Jaxx vs Metropole Orkest. musicOMH. White. Chris. 11 July 2011. 21 October 2023.
  9. Web site: Basement Jaxx, Crazy Itch Radio. The Guardian. Burgess. John. 1 September 2006. 21 October 2023.
  10. Web site: Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio. musicOMH. Hubbard. Michael. 4 September 2006. 22 October 2023.
  11. Web site: Basement Jaxx, Crazy Itch Radio. The Observer. Empire. Kitty. 3 September 2006. 21 October 2023.
  12. Web site: BMI Repertoire Search. repertoire.bmi.com. 2023-10-23.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Hey U".

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