"Minimal" is a song by English

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...

duo

Pet Shop Boys Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music h ...

from their ninth studio album, '' Fundamental'' (2006). It was released on 24 July 2006 as the album's second single. "Minimal" reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the duo's 37th top-20 entry in the United Kingdom, and it was the number five Hot Dance Club Play Track of 2007 on '' Billboard's'' year-end chart. The B-side "In Private" is a new version of a song originally written for

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

, this time recorded as a duet between

Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for '' Smash Hits'', and assist ...

and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and remixed by Stuart Crichton.

Background

"Minimal" was originally announced as the first single to precede the release of ''Fundamental''. It was

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 1923 as the Parloph ...

's preferred lead single after the Pet Shop Boys' suggestion of "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" was rejected. " I'm with Stupid" was ultimately chosen for the leadoff spot, with "Minimal" as the second single. The lyrics, built around a chant of "M-I-N-I-M-A-L", are an abstract description of expressions of

minimalism In visual arts, music, and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in the post-war era in western art. The movement is often interpreted as a reaction to abstract expressionism and modernism; it anticipated contemporary post-mi ...

, such as "more is less" and "an empty box, an open space". This is contradicted by the upbeat, busy instrumentation and production.

Music video

The music video for "Minimal" was directed by Don Cameron and filmed in Paris. It features a pair of dancers (Keir and Thailai Knight) manoeuvering to form the letters of the chorus, while Tennant and Lowe perform in front of a light display.

Track listings

*UK CD single (CDR 6708) #"Minimal" (radio edit) – 3:38 #"In Private" (7-inch mix) – 4:13 *UK CD maxi single (CDRS 6708) #"Minimal" (radio edit) – 3:38 #"Minimal" ( Tocadisco's Sunday at Space Remix) – 8:00 #"Minimal" (M Factor Remix) – 8:45 #"Minimal" (U-MYX software) *UK DVD single (DVDR 6708) #"Minimal" (

Telex Telex is a telecommunication Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communica ...

Hell mix) – 6:18 #"Blue on Blue" – 3:13 #"No Time for Tears" (7-inch mix) – 3:38 #"Minimal" (music video) *UK 7-inch single (R 6708) :A. "Minimal" (radio edit) – 3:38 :B. "In Private" (7-inch mix) – 4:13 *UK promotional CD maxi single (00946 371144 2 1) #"Minimal" (radio edit) – 3:40 #"Minimal" (Tocadisco's Sunday at Space Mix) – 8:04 #"Minimal" (M Factor mix) – 8:49 #"Minimal" (M Factor dub) – 7:44 #"Minimal" ( Tiga's M-I-N-I-M-A-L remix) – 5:38 #"Minimal" (Tiga's M-I-N-I-M-A-L dub) – 5:38 #"Minimal" ( Superchumbo's Light & Shade dub) – 8:28 #"Minimal" (Telex Hell remix) – 6:19 #"Minimal" (Telex Heaven remix) – 4:29 #"In Private" (Tomcraft 7-inch mix) – 3:51

Additional remixes

The maxi-CD of "Minimal" featured the U-MYX software which allowed people to create their own remixes. On 25 July, Chris Lowe created a new version of the track titled "Chris Lowe Summer Mix" using the software and uploaded it onto the U-MYX website. A remix of "Minimal" by Lobe is on the limited edition bonus CD of ''Fundamental'', ''Fundamentalism''. A remix by Radio Slave appeared on the B-side of a promotional 12-inch with two remixes of "Psychological" on the A-side by Ewan Pearson. These were part of the " Numb" promotion.

Charts

References

External links

Lyrics: Minimal

PSB U-Myx microsite
{{authority control 2006 singles 2006 songs Parlophone singles Pet Shop Boys songs Song recordings produced by Trevor Horn Songs written by Chris Lowe Songs written by Neil Tennant