"Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (also titled "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place London)") is a

hard trance Hard trance is a subgenre of trance music that originated in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands in the early 1990s as the Breakbeat hardcore production community began to diversify into new and different styles of electronic music, all influen ...

song by Scottish

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

group

Public Domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

, written and produced by the group's three members: Mark Sherry, Alistair MacIsaac, and James Allan. It samples a remix of New Order's song "

Confusion In psychology, confusion is the quality or emotional state of being bewildered or unclear. The term "acute mental confusion"

", which was featured in the 1998

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

'', the source of the track's title. "Operation Blade" is also based on the theme to the 1982

science-fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, mutants, i ...

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...

''. The song was released on 20 November 2000 as Public Domain's debut single. On 26 November, it debuted at number five on the UK Singles Chart and stayed at that position for another week. Throughout December 2000 and early 2001, the track charted in at least 10 other countries, peaking within the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Germany, and Norway. It was also critically successful, with British publication ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' calling it "hardcore brilliance". In April 2001, it was included on Public Domain's only studio album, ''Hard Hop Superstars''.

Critical reception

British

music journalism Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary o ...

website ''

'' called "Operation Blade" a "gleefully manic song" and described it as "no-frills hardcore brilliance". Matthias Völlm of Swiss CHR radio station Radio 105 called the song "good" but doubted its airplay potential.

Track listings

UK, European, and Australian CD single # "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (7-inch radio edit) # "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (original mix) # "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (B'n'G vs Musico remix) UK 12-inch single :A. "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (original mix) :B. "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (B'n'G vs Musico remix) UK cassette single :A. "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (7-inch radio edit) :B. "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (B'n'G vs Musico remix) UK 12-inch single (2006 remix) :A. "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (2006 remix) – 8:15 :B. "Operation Blade (Bass in the Place)" (2006 XXX remix) – 7:54

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

External links

The story behind "Public Domain – Operation Blade" with Mark Sherry Muzikxpress 064
{{Authority control 2000 debut singles 2000 songs 2001 singles Acid house songs Trance songs