| Squaring the Circle | ||||
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| Released | 10 September 2021 | |||
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| Length | 1:07:40 | |||
| Label | Unfall Productions | |||
| Producer | Sneaker Pimps | |||
| Sneaker Pimps chronology | ||||
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Squaring the Circle is the fourth studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released on 10 September 2021.
After a hiatus of 18 years, it is the fourth album in the Sneaker Pimps discography. [1] It includes songs that had been sitting incomplete for decades, and collaborations with singer Simonne Jones. [2] [1] This returned the group to a trio of founders Liam Howe and Chris Corner alongside a female vocalist, reflecting their most commercially successful period in the mid-1990s when they worked with Kelli Ali. [3]
The album was recorded at Sawtooth Studios, Pioneertown, California and the Tower Studios, London. [4] It features Corner playing acoustic guitar on several tracks; Corner has said he has been influenced by Spanish guitar music and Simon and Garfunkel. [5] The title comes from squaring the circle, a seemingly impossible process, which describes the relationship between Howe and Corner and the unlikeliness of them reforming. [6]
The title track and "Fighter" were released as singles ahead of the album in July 2021, [7] which was released on 10 September. [5]
Howe's solo venture as Ape Mink Press (AMP) remixed several tracks from the album, including "Alibis", "Fighter" and "So Far Gone". [8]
The album received a mixed review from Dana Alward of mxdwn.com, who appreciated the duo wanted to move on from previous work, but found the resulting work "fails to create a cohesive thematic atmosphere". [6] Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of Popmatters appreciated tracks like "Tranquility Trap", "Child in the Dark" and "Immaculate Hearts" which showed them as "a latter-day Depeche Mode" and praised Corner's acoustic guitar work, but criticised the lack of input from Jones, adding the founding duo "haven't learned from past mistakes". [3]
Sneaker Pimps are an English electronic music band, formed in Hartlepool in 1994. They are best known for their debut album, Becoming X (1996), and its singles "6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". The band takes its name from an article the Beastie Boys published in their Grand Royal magazine about a man they hired to track down classic sneakers.
Yes are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by lead singer and frontman Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye and drummer Bill Bruford. The band has undergone numerous line-up changes throughout their history, of which 19 musicians have been full-time members. Since May 2022, the band has consisted of guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison, and bassist Billy Sherwood, as well as touring drummer Jay Schellen. Yes have explored several musical styles over the years and are most notably regarded as progressive rock pioneers.
Stephen James Howe is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to learn the instrument himself at age 12. He embarked on a music career in 1964, first playing in several London-based blues, covers, and psychedelic rock bands for six years, including the Syndicats, Tomorrow, and Bodast.
"6 Underground" is a song by the English band Sneaker Pimps, from their debut studio album Becoming X.
Kelli Ali, also known as Kelli Dayton, is a British vocalist, who was formerly the lead singer of the trip hop group Sneaker Pimps before going on to a solo career.
Becoming X is the debut studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps. It was first released on 19 August 1996 in the United Kingdom by Clean Up Records and on 25 February 1997 in the United States by Virgin Records. The album marked the only appearance of Kelli Dayton as lead singer before she was asked to leave the band; Chris Corner replaced her for the band's subsequent albums.
Splinter is the second studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released on 25 October 1999 through record labels Clean Up and Virgin.
Bloodsport is the third studio album by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps. It was released on 22 January 2002, through record label Tommy Boy.
IAMX is the solo musical project of Chris Corner of the band Sneaker Pimps. Founded in 2004 in London, it is an independent music project which also focuses on and experiments with visual art. Musically, IAMX spans multiple genres from electronic rock and dance music to burlesque-influenced songs and emotional ballads. Corner's striking and wide-ranging voice, and his way of programming sounds and beats, make up the obvious characteristic of the IAMX sound.
Kiss + Swallow is the debut album by IAMX and was released on 13 July 2004. It mostly consists of tracks that were recorded for the unreleased fourth studio album by Sneaker Pimps, which is dubbed "SP4" by the fans.
Christopher Anthony Corner is an English record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, singer and video artist. He was a founding member of the band Sneaker Pimps, and is now also active with his solo project IAMX.
The Alternative is the second album by English musical artist IAMX, released on 28 April 2006 in Europe and a year later in the UK and Ireland. It was re-issued on Metropolis Records in the US on 6 May 2008. It is the second IAMX album to contain tracks intended for the aborted Sneaker Pimps album SP4. 2008 US editions differ significantly from the original 2006 version. Many of the songs were significantly re-recorded or remixed, most noticeably "The Negative Sex" and "Spit It Out", as well as "The Alternative", "Nightlife" and "Song of Imaginary Beings". "This Will Make You Love Again" is among a handful of songs to have been edited to include vocals by Janine Gezang. The re-released versions also include a string version of "Spit It Out" as a hidden track. The original album and the reissues also have different covers.
Joseph Roy Chester Wilson is a British record producer and musician best known for his work with Sneaker Pimps. He has exhibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and The CCA in Glasgow. as well as producing music for films for Channel 4 and the BBC. He also has worked with Simon Faithfull on the film 13.
"Long Hard Road Out of Hell" is a song by American rock band Marilyn Manson and British trip hop band Sneaker Pimps. It was released as a single from the soundtrack to the 1997 motion picture Spawn. An arena rock and gothic rock song, "Long Hard Road Out of Hell" was written by Marilyn Manson and Twiggy Ramirez and produced by Manson and Sean Beavan. Its lyrics are about self-loathing and its title is derived from John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667). After the track was written, the Sneaker Pimps' Kelli Ali was recruited to perform background vocals on it, as the Spawn soundtrack featured collaborations between hard rock artists and electronic music artists. The Sneaker Pimps were dissatisfied with the final track and wanted a remix of it to be released as a single instead; conversely, Manson deemed it a personal favorite.
Jim Abbiss is a British music producer, best known for his work on records including the Arctic Monkeys' Mercury Music Prize winning debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, Kasabian's Kasabian and Empire, Ladytron's Witching Hour and Ladytron, Sneaker Pimps' debut Becoming X, and Adele's 19, and 21.
"Spin Spin Sugar" is a song by English electronic band Sneaker Pimps, released as the fourth single from their debut studio album, Becoming X (1996). The album version is in true Sneaker Pimps style and format; there is a driving bass line produced by a synthesizer keyboard. As the bass drives, there is a second synth loop playing above. Kelli Dayton provides the vocals.
Ultrafox is an electropop band formed by German twins Claudia and Connie Holzer. Liam Howe and Joe Wilson of Sneaker Pimps were also involved in the band's creation. The band was formed in 2001, and their only album, Ice Skating, was released in June 2004. Since then, Howe and Wilson have stopped playing with the band due to other commitments, and David Westlake, also of Sneaker Pimps, has been working with them.
Tales of Silversleeve is the second album released by Irish-born singer Cathy Davey. It was released on 12 October 2007 as the follow-up release to Davey's 2004 debut Something Ilk. The album contains eleven tracks, including the singles "Reuben", "Sing for Your Supper" and "Moving".
Liam Coverdale Howe is an English record producer, musician and songwriter. Since co-founding electronic music band Sneaker Pimps in 1996, he has been a producer for Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, FKA Twigs, Ellie Goulding, and Tom Vek.
Dave Westlake is a British musician and drummer, known most for his work with Sneaker Pimps and The Mighty Boosh Band. He has since moved on from performing and recording with Sneaker Pimps to joining fellow band mate Joe Wilson in the band Trash Money, and making music for film, media and sound samples.