Sneaker Pimps
Bloodsport

"My mother never told me that love is a bloodsport" (Chris Corner)

Yeah, and mine never warned me that it's hard to resist clichés.

Let me give an example: let's say that in the '90s, the Trip-Hop dominates the electronic scene and we take two guys (who then become four) from Reading, England, with a passion for the noble art of Disc-Jocking (forgive the neologism) and a visceral attraction to Depeche Mode. Imagine they manage to put together a project after some underground time in various clubs and basements, and to make it appealing (given the times), they sprinkle some trippy sounds here and there and entrust the singing to a sweet damsel as was the fashion of the time (1996).

Incredible as it may seem, if in question within the album (Becoming X) the flagship song is called "6 Underground", the game is done: heavy rotation airplay, an advertising jingle, a presence in a soundtrack (The Saint), and a collaboration with another piece with Reverend Manson in the "Spawn" soundtrack—yes, in short, things are going well... and then... and then... and then nothing: the '90s end, the Millennium Bug takes away the dominance of Italian football clubs in Europe, grunge, and even Trip-Hop.

It's a pity that our protagonists have very little of these origins, but the risk of collapsing with the whole system is great, and then we know, anatomically and mentally, virginity does not recreate itself, but they try anyway: so Kelly Dayton (the singer) is out, who to be honest did not blend well with the group's sound, and instead we have founder Chris Corner, much more suited to interpreting his own lyrics, and Liam Howe (the other young man mentioned earlier) returning to a more keyboardist than disc jockey role.

But by now, the damage is done, and the Sneaker Pimps are already neatly archived (and forgotten) in the Trip-hop cauldron... A misfortune, because the subsequent works by the former Frisk indeed have something to say: in fact, even if there isn't a transcendental change in sound, the skill in moving through electronics and a more articulated melody search make a new warmth envelop the new works. The result is that Corner's more versatile voice and moreover a somewhat less "artificial" and more instrumental arrangement characterize both "Splinter" (1999) and, especially, "Bloodsport" (2002).

Here my pains kick in: "which to review first?" Well! After a quick self-examination, I realize that the emotional "up and down" proposed by the second makes it favored in my potential affective scale. "Emotional up and down", it was said, and indeed what is noticeable from the first listen is the constant mood swing from one track to the next. If the sound remains always in a dark-electronic environment (with broad references to the already mentioned Depeche Mode, Joy Division, but also to Cocteau Twins), there are songs like "Loretta Young Silks" that propose catchy choruses, but also pieces like "Small Town Witch" and the same title track that instead focus more on "rhythmic rebounds", yes, catchy but surely soaked in a melancholy that peaks in the beautiful "Grazes".

Another fundamental characteristic of this work is the uptempo sound that covers it, first aggressively (the initial "Kiro Tv" and "Sick") then gradually softening throughout the work, until it becomes a mere contour that serves only to better contextualize a work that would otherwise sound a bit too retro. Within this apparent concept, the diversity of "Fuel" stands out, a song that proposes really sharp rhythms and in which a certain reverence for the sound of Gore & co. is noticeable, but the beauty is that it remains a reference and certainly not plagiarism. Very interesting are the lyrics, which mostly speak of sentimental frustrations and fit well in the musical environment created by the English quartet.

In short, a different album, unconventional but certainly not difficult, where one often finds oneself involuntarily tapping the time, thanks to the various dance references that are nonetheless abundant but never invasive.

Unfortunately, as already mentioned, the album did not have much commercial success, although it received some good reviews, but perhaps then (and probably even now) the times were not quite right. Fortunately, the LP does not run the risk of aging prematurely; therefore, it remains in patient waiting. Meanwhile, Corner has embarked on another project called "IAMX" and who knows, maybe one day…