"Toxygene" is a single by electronic music artist
the Orb
The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential ...
. It was released in 1997 as the first single from the album ''
Orblivion
''Orblivion'' is the fourth studio album by English electronic music group the Orb, released on 24 February 1997 by Island Records. This album marked when the group, reunited with Andy Hughes and Steve Hillage, returned to their spacey sounds t ...
''. The song was originally commissioned as a remix of
Jean-Michel Jarre
Jean-Michel André Jarre (; born 24 August 1948) is a French composer, performer and record producer. He is a pioneer in the Electronic music, electronic, Ambient music, ambient and New-age music, new-age genres, and is known for organising out ...
's "Oxygène 8" from ''
Oxygène 7–13''.
However, the Orb "obliterated it" and reassembled only a few fragments for their remix, much to the chagrin of Jarre, who reportedly "threw a fit and refused to release it".
The Orb released the track themselves under the name "Toxygene", which further irritated Jarre, to whom Paterson retorted "The French are always five years behind us, anyway."
In statements made after the release of "Toxygene", Jarre denied the reports: "It's not that I didn't like it, but I wanted the first wave of remixes to be linked to Oxygene's theme and textures."
The release was accompanied by a music video directed by Ben Stokes.
"Toxygene" became the highest-charting single by the Orb, reaching number four on the
UK Singles Chart on 8 February 1997. The band appeared on
Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
to promote the song, with the two musicians each sitting cross-legged on a spinning platform surrounded by their gear. Outside the United Kingdom, "Toxygene" reached number 23 in Ireland and was an
alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
hit in Canada, climbing to number four on the
''RPM'' Alternative 30 chart.
Music video
Th
video for the songis inspired by the
CIA's experimental mind control program:
MK-ULTRA
MKUltra was an illegal human experimentation program designed and undertaken by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to develop procedures and identify drugs that could be used during interrogations to weaken individuals and force confes ...
.
Track listings
CD 1
#"Toxygene (Edit)" – 3:37
#"Toxygene (
Way Out West Begbie Mix)" – 7:40
#:Remix - Way Out West
#"Delta MK II (Dal Vivo A Roma)" – 7:14
#:Written by Giraudy, Hillage, Fehlmann
#"Toxygene (Kris Needs Up For A Fortnight Mix)" – 7:17
#: Remix - Henry Cullen, Kris Needs
CD 2
#"Toxygene (Edit)" – 3:37
#"Toxygene (Fila Brazillia Mix)" – 6:10
#:Remix - Fila Brazillia
#"Rose Tinted (Dal Vivo A Roma)" – 7:14
#:Written by Lewis Keogh, Thomas Fehlmann
#"Toxygene (Toxic Genes Mix)" – 7:59
12" single
*A1 "Toxygene (Toxic Genes Mix)" – 7:59
*A2 "Delta MK II (Dal Vivo A Roma)" – 6:15
*B "Toxygene (Kris Needs Up For A Fortnight Mix)" – 9:50
:Remix - Henry Cullen, Kris Needs
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
The Orb songs
1997 singles
1997 songs
Island Records singles