electronic music
Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...
duo
the Chemical Brothers
The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...
featuring vocals by American rapper Q-Tip. It was released on 22 November 2004 as the first single from their fifth studio album, '' Push the Button'' (2005).
The song peaked at 3 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
on 23 January 2005. It was the Chemical Brothers' highest charting single in their native United Kingdom since "
Hey Boy Hey Girl
"Hey Boy Hey Girl" is a song by the British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. The song contains a sample from "The Roof Is on Fire" by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three. "Hey Boy Hey Girl" was released as the first single from the Chemi ...
", which had also reached No. 3 in 1999. In Spain, it reached No. 1 and held the top spot for two weeks. In Australia, the song was ranked No. 65 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.
"Galvanize" was used as the first song to play at the
Athletes Parade
An Athletes Parade () also known as a Physical Fitness Culture Parade was a traditional Soviet-era parade of national athletes and sports people, designed to promote physical education and sports among the Soviet people.
History
In 1919, on Mosc ...
Chaabi
Chaabi ( in Arabic), also known as Chaâbi, Sha-bii, or Sha'bii meaning "folk", refers to different music genres in North Africa and the Middle East such as Algerian chaabi, Moroccan chaabi and Egyptian Shaabi.
Chaabi music just means 'music ...
string sample from
Najat Aatabou
Najat Aâtabou ( ar, نجاة اعتابو; born 1960) is an Berber Moroccan singer, songwriter and composer.
Her song "Hadi Kedba Bayna" was sampled by the Chemical Brothers in their 2004 song " Galvanize".
Early life
Najat Aâtabou was ...
's song "Hadi Kedba Bayna (Obvious lie)". The main hook of the song is in
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
, while the rest is in . The track also features rapping by Q-Tip (member of
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip ). In part of the song, a sample from the group's early single "
Leave Home
''Leave Home'' is the second studio album by American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released on January 10, 1977, through Sire Records, with the expanded CD being released through Rhino Entertainment on June 19, 2001. Songs on the album ...
" plays.
Critical reception
''
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
''s Scott Plagenhoef stated the song along with "The Boxer" "harks back to the duo's early B-Boy/techno days" but missed "the ferocity and sub-bass rattlings of their earlier cousins, and here play second fiddle to unremarkable verses and nasally vocals."
It won the
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
in February 2006.
Music video
The music video was filmed in
Málaga
Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most po ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, and directed by
Adam Smith
Adam Smith (baptized 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics"—— ...
. It involves three North African boys wearing clown face paint, who head into a club named Lyceo during a
krump
Krumping is a style of street dance popularized in the United States, described as Afro-diasporic dance, characterized by free, expressive, exaggerated, and highly energetic movement. Dancers who started krumping saw the dance as a means for the ...
dance battle. The name of one of these boys is Bilal according to his father's line at the beginning (بِلالْ! اطفأ النورْ ونامْ, literally "Bilal! Turn off the light and go to sleep."). One of the boys starts dancing in the battle, but they are caught and taken away by the
police
The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...
afterwards.
Track listings
* UK and US 12-inch single
# "Galvanize"
# "Electronic Battle Weapon 7"
* UK CD1
# "Galvanize"
# "Rize Up"
* UK CD2
# "Galvanize"
# "Galvanize"
# "Electronic Battle Weapon 7"
# "Galvanize"
* Australia CD single
# "Galvanize"
# "Galvanize"
# "Electronic Battle Weapon 7"
* US CD single
# "Galvanize"
# "Rize Up"
# "Electronic Battle Weapon 7"
* Japanese CD EP
# "Galvanize"
# "Galvanize"
# "Galvanize"
# "Rize Up"
# "Electronic Battle Weapon 7"
# "Galvanize"