Obstacle 1

Last updated
"Obstacle 1"
Interpol obstacle 1.png
Single by Interpol
from the album Turn on the Bright Lights
B-side
  • "Obstacle 2" (Live)
  • "PDA" (Live)
  • "Hands Away" (Live)
  • "Obstacle 1" (Live)
  • Arthur Baker Remix
ReleasedNovember 11, 2002
RecordedNovember 2001
Studio Tarquin Studios (Bridgeport, CT)
Genre
Length
  • 4:11(album version)
  • 3:36 (radio edit)
Label Matador
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Interpol singles chronology
"PDA"
(2002)
"Obstacle 1"
(2002)
"Say Hello to the Angels" / "NYC"
(2003)

"Obstacle 1" is a song by American rock band Interpol. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Turn on the Bright Lights , on November 11, 2002. It was eventually remixed by producer Arthur Baker and reissued as a single on September 15, 2003. The music video for "Obstacle 1" was directed by Floria Sigismondi. The song peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Chart and was critically acclaimed.

Contents

Music video

The promotional video for the song was directed by Floria Sigismondi. [1] It shows several shots of the band playing in an aisle, there are many wires moving up and down. Then, a woman (Sigismondi herself) appears dancing to the song on another aisle. In a shot, a glass of water fall down and breaks, the water begins to move through the aisles and arrives to the aisle where the woman is dancing. The woman falls down and is electrocuted as a result of the electrical wires in the water.

Reception and legacy

In their review of Turn on the Bright Lights, Pitchfork magazine praised the song and compared it to the music of Joy Division. [2] In 2009, Pitchfork named the song the 64th best song of the 2000s. [3]

The song was featured on Interpol's 2003 EP, The Black EP . [4]

"Obstacle 1" is featured as a playable track on Guitar Hero World Tour . Singer Charlotte Martin has a rendition of "Obstacle 1" on her album, Reproductions . The song was also used to highlight Adam Sandler for Best Comedic Performance at the 2003 MTV Movie Awards for his work in Mr. Deeds .[ citation needed ] In 2016, The Killers covered the song during a concert. [5]

Track listing

2002 single

CD (OLE570-2):

  1. "Obstacle 1" – 4:11
  2. "PDA" (Live KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic Session) – 4:56
  3. "Hands Away" (Live Peel Session) – 3:10

7" vinyl (OLE570-7):

  1. "Obstacle 1" – 4:11
  2. "Obstacle 2" (Live Peel Session) – 3:50

2003 single

Remix CD (OLE594-2):

  1. "Obstacle 1" (Arthur Baker Remix Edit) – 4:17
  2. "Obstacle 1" (Arthur Baker Remix Long Version) – 5:55
  3. "Obstacle 1" (Radio Edit) – 3:36

7" vinyl (OLE594-7):

  1. "Obstacle 1" (Arthur Baker Remix Edit) – 4:17
  2. "Obstacle 1" (Live Black Session) – 4:18

DVD (OLE594-9):

  1. "Obstacle 1" (video) – 3:47
  2. "Specialist" (Live Black Session) (audio) – 6:34
  3. "Leif Erikson" (Live Black Session) (audio) – 3:55

Chart performance

Chart (2002)Peak
position
Scotland (OCC) [6] 81
UK Singles (OCC) [7] 72
Chart (2003)Peak
position
Scotland (OCC) [8] 53
UK Singles (OCC) [9] 41

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interpol (band)</span> American rock band

Interpol is an American rock band from Manhattan, New York. Formed in 1997, their original line-up consisted of Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler, Carlos Dengler, and Greg Drudy (drums). Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino. Dengler left to pursue other projects in 2010, with Banks taking on the additional role of bassist instead of hiring a new one.

<i>Antics</i> (album) 2004 studio album by Interpol

Antics is the second studio album by American rock band Interpol, released on September 27, 2004, by Matador Records. Upon its release, the album peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard 200 and number 21 on the UK Albums Chart, and went on to sell over 488,000 copies in the United States.

<i>Turn On the Bright Lights</i> 2002 studio album by Interpol

Turn On the Bright Lights is the debut studio album by American rock band Interpol. It was released in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2002, and in the United States the following day, through independent record label Matador Records. The album was recorded in November 2001 at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was co-produced, mixed and engineered by Peter Katis and Gareth Jones. Its title is taken from a repeated line in the song "NYC".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Banks (American musician)</span> Interpol member

Paul Julian Banks is an English-born American musician, singer, songwriter, and DJ. Noted for his baritone singing voice, he is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and bassist of the American rock band Interpol. He released a solo album called Julian Plenti is... Skyscraper in 2009 under the name Julian Plenti, though his solo material is now recorded under his real name.

<i>The Black EP</i> 2003 EP by Interpol

The Black EP is an EP by American rock band Interpol, released in August 2003 by EMI Records. It includes "Say Hello to the Angels", a demo version of "NYC", and four live recordings from the Black Sessions recorded on French radio station Radio France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every Day Is Exactly the Same</span> Nine Inch Nails song

"Every Day Is Exactly the Same" is the third and final single by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails from their album With Teeth. It is the twenty-first official Nine Inch Nails release. The commercial single was released on April 4, 2006, as an EP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The End of the World (The Cure song)</span> 2004 single by the Cure

"The End of the World" is a song by English rock band the Cure. It was the first single to be released from their 12th studio album, The Cure (2004), and reached the top 40 in Italy and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Wonder (David Bowie song)</span> Song by David Bowie

"Little Wonder" is a song by English musician David Bowie, released as the second single from his 21st album, Earthling (1997). "Little Wonder" backed by three remixes, was issued on 27 January 1997. The single was a success, peaking at number 14 in the UK and topping the chart in Japan. The accompanying music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi and depicts Bowie at three different ages. Biographer David Buckley considers it a dance-oriented video rather than a rock one, reminiscent of Orbital's "The Box" (1996).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supermassive Black Hole (song)</span> 2006 single by Muse

"Supermassive Black Hole" is a song by English rock band Muse. Written by Muse lead singer and principal songwriter Matt Bellamy, it was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Black Holes and Revelations (2006), on 19 June 2006, backed with "Crying Shame".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaka (song)</span> 2003 single by Sigur Rós

"Vaka" is the common name for the untitled first track and lead single from Sigur Rós' 2002 album ( ). As late as 12 November 2006 the single remained fifteenth in the Canadian singles chart, having spent a total of 16 weeks in the top 20.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banquet (song)</span> 2004 song by Bloc Party

"Banquet" is a song from British band Bloc Party's debut album Silent Alarm. Originally released on a double A-side single along with "Staying Fat" in May 2004 by Moshi Moshi Records, it was re-released as a regular single in the United Kingdom by Wichita Recordings on 25 April 2005. It was their first single to chart on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks where it came in at number 34, and is often credited as their breakthrough single in North America. It was also featured in the song "Bloc Party" on the Fort Minor Mixtape: We Major. It was ranked No. 31 in NME's top 100 tracks of the decade, and was number 54 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of all time. It peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2011, NME placed it at number 20 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years". The song was featured in the 2018/19 video game Life Is Strange 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Certain Slant of Light</span> 1994 single by The Tea Party

"A Certain Slant of Light" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tea Party. It was released as a single in Australia, where it peaked at #60 on the ARIA singles chart in May 1994, and as a promotional single in Canada. The music video was shot in the Sydney suburbs of Kurnell and Kings Cross, was directed by Floria Sigismondi, and features some of The Tea Party's Australian tour management personnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mammoth (Interpol song)</span> 2007 single by Interpol

"Mammoth" is a song by the American rock band Interpol. It was released on September 3, 2007 as the second and final single from the band's third studio album, Our Love to Admire (2007). The track was released only as a single in Europe and the UK. It reached number 44 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is the band's last release by the Capitol Records label as Interpol had returned to its previous label, Matador Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Work (The Saturdays song)</span> 2009 single by The Saturdays

"Work" is a song by British-Irish girl group The Saturdays from their debut studio album, Chasing Lights (2008). The song was written by Ina Wroldsen, Harry Sommerdahl and Kalle Engström. It was released on 29 June 2009 as the album's fifth and final single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interpol discography</span>

The discography of American rock band Interpol consists of seven studio albums, seven extended plays (EPs), and fifteen singles. Interpol was formed in 1997 by New York University students Daniel Kessler and Greg Drudy, with Carlos Dengler and Paul Banks joining later. Drudy left the band in 2000, and was replaced with Sam Fogarino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lights (Ellie Goulding song)</span> 2011 single by Ellie Goulding

"Lights" is a song by English singer Ellie Goulding from Bright Lights (2010), the reissue of her debut studio album, Lights (2010). Written by Goulding, Richard Stannard and Ash Howes, the song was inspired by Goulding's childhood fear of the dark. It was released on 13 March 2011 as the album's sixth single overall, and second from Bright Lights. Originally a bonus track on the UK and German iTunes edition of Lights, the song was re-edited for inclusion on Bright Lights in late 2010, serving as the single version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Language (Porter Robinson song)</span> 2012 single by Porter Robinson

"Language" is a song by American electronic music producer and DJ Porter Robinson. The song was uploaded on YouTube by Porter Robinson on April 1, 2012. The song was released in the United States on Big Beat Records as a digital download on April 10, 2012. The song was later released in the United Kingdom in an EP package from the Ministry of Sound on August 12, 2012. It debuted at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The song features uncredited vocals from Heather Bright. The song received remixes from producers Kayzo together with Gammer, and from Jauz.

<i>Marauder</i> (Interpol album) 2018 studio album by Interpol

Marauder is the sixth studio album by American rock band Interpol. It was released on August 24, 2018, by Matador Records. The album was produced by Dave Fridmann and recorded at his studio, Tarbox Road, in Cassadaga, New York from December 6, 2017 through April 18, 2018.

<i>A Fine Mess</i> (EP) 2019 EP by Interpol

A Fine Mess is the eighth extended play by American rock band Interpol. It was released on May 17, 2019, through Matador Records. It contains five songs that were recorded during the sessions for their previous studio album, Marauder (2018), but did not make its final cut. Like Marauder, A Fine Mess was produced by Dave Fridmann, while the song "Fine Mess" was co-produced by Claudius Mittendorfer and received additional production from Kaines and Tom A. D. Fuller. The song "Real Life" was first performed live during their Turn On the Bright Lights XV anniversary tour in 2017. "Fine Mess" and "The Weekend" were released as singles prior to the EP's release.

"PDA" is the debut single by American rock band Interpol. It was released on August 22, 2002 as the first single from their debut studio album, Turn on the Bright Lights. The music video for "PDA" was directed by Christopher Mills. Unlike the two singles that followed; "Obstacle 1" and "Say Hello to the Angels" / "NYC", "PDA" did not chart.

References

  1. "Matador Records Interpol Music & Video". matadorrecords.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  2. "Interpol: Turn On the Bright Lights". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  3. "The Top 500 Tracks of the 2000s: 100-51". pitchfork.com. Pitchfork Media. 2009-08-19.
  4. "Interpol: The Black EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  5. "The Killers Debut New Song, Cover Interpol: Watch". Pitchfork. 2016-06-03. Retrieved 2024-02-04.
  6. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  7. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  8. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 December 2020.