Subliminal Plastic Motives

Last updated
Subliminal Plastic Motives
Self subliminal plastic motives front.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 24, 1995
Recorded1994–1995
Genre Alternative rock
Length43:01
Label Zoo/Spongebath
Producer Matt Mahaffey
Self chronology
Subliminal Plastic Motives
(1995)
The Half-Baked Serenade
(1997)
Singles from Subliminal Plastic Motives
  1. "Cannon"
    Released: 1995
  2. "So Low"
    Released: 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Pitchfork Media 8/10 [2]

Subliminal Plastic Motives is the debut studio album by the American alternative pop rock band Self, [3] released on October 24, 1995. [4]

Contents

Background

Subliminal Plastic Motives was recorded entirely by Matt Mahaffey and his brother, Mike, with small contributions by other artists like Seth Timbs and Chris James. It found some modest success with MTV and flagship radio stations like KROQ-FM. When Self was asked to go on tour with Cracker, Matt assembled a group of musicians who he could work with. Once the band was solidified, videos were made for "So Low" and "Cannon" in 1996. Notably, when the music videos for Self's "So Low" and God Lives Underwater's "Don't Know How to Be" were set to be played by MTV, they were accidentally switched and aired at the wrong airdates. This lead to them becoming friends, and eventually forming Wired All Wrong in 2006.

The album was released by Spongebath Records and was immediately picked up by Zoo Entertainment (now Volcano Entertainment). Critical reception was very positive, with Mahaffey receiving praise for his cut-and-paste, eclectic take on rock music, and garnering comparisons to artists such as Beck and Beastie Boys. Many of Self's fans hold the album in high regard and most of the songs are now fan favorites. While the album featured a hearty dose of what could best be described as "modern rock" songs, elements such as hip-hop beats, jazzy piano, dense, complex arrangements, and triggers/samples were dispersed throughout, hinting at Mahaffey's versatility as a composer and Self's future musical directions. The song "Shelf Life" was rumored to have been recorded during the sessions for the album, having been cut. It later appeared in the 2001 compilation Selfafornia.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Matt Mahaffey, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Borateen"3:09
2."Sophomore Jinx"5:14
3."Stewardess"3:40
4."So Low"3:53
5."Marathon Shirt"4:19
6."Lucid Anne"3:06
7."Cannon"4:05
8."Missed the Friction"3:04
9."Superstar"2:35
10."Mother Nature's Fault"3:39
11."Big Important Nothing" (Co-written with Seth Timbs)2:47
12."Lost My Senses"3:30
Total length:43:01

Personnel

Production

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References

  1. "Subliminal Plastic Motives - Self | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  2. "SELFies: Press". September 2, 2004. Archived from the original on September 2, 2004.
  3. Helligar, Jeremy (Jan 15, 1996). "Subliminal Plastic Motives by Self". People. Vol. 45, no. 2. p. 23.
  4. Orr, Jay (20 Oct 1995). "Music City: Lyrics on band's 1st album won't expose too much of 'Self'". Nashville Banner. p. C1.