"Out of Space" is the fourth EP/single released by English

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

group

the Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...

in 1992. The song is also featured on their debut album,

Experience Experience refers to Consciousness, conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience i ...

(1992), and is the fourth single from it. The song samples the 1976 song "

Chase the Devil "Chase the Devil" is a reggae song, recorded in 1976 by Max Romeo, with the backing of Lee "Scratch" Perry's house band, The Upsetters. Background Composed by Perry and Romeo, "Chase the Devil" was released on the album ''War Ina Babylon'' in 19 ...

" by

Max Romeo Maxwell Livingston Smith (22 November 1944 – 11 April 2025), known professionally as Max Romeo, was a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording musician who achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. He had several ...

as well as some lines by rapper

Kool Keith Keith Matthew Thornton (born October 7, 1963), known professionally as Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer known for his surreal, abstract, and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both ...

on the 1988 track "Critical Beatdown" by

Ultramagnetic MCs The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in the Bronx, New York City. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as ...

. The song is arguably the most successful of the Prodigy's early period and was often played live by the band. The

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

certified the single platinum in June 2024. Its music video was directed by Russell Curtis. In 1998, ''

DJ Magazine ''DJ Magazine'' (also known as ''DJ Mag'') is a British monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs. Founded in 1991, the magazine is adapted for distribution in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, Lati ...

'' included "Out of Space" in their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes". In 2005 "Out of Space" was released as a remix by

Audio Bullys Audio Bullys are a British electronic music project from London, originally consisting of Simon Franks and Tom Dinsdale. Franks and Dinsdale released their debut album '' Ego War'' in 2003, and two years later followed up with ''Generation'', ...

in the single "

Voodoo People / Out of Space " Voodoo People" / " Out of Space" is the seventeenth single released by the British dance act The Prodigy on 3 October 2005, and was the only single released from their compilation album '' Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005''. The single was rel ...

" from the greatest hits compilation '' Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005''.

Critical reception

In his weekly UK chart commentary,

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a British music critic and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worke ...

said, "This track is by far their most commercial yet. It may not progress much further but is their 4th

Top 20 A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, ofte ...

entry this year, not a feat to be sniffed at."

Charles Aaron Charles Aaron is an American music journalist and editor, formerly for ''Spin'' magazine, where he worked for 23 years. Personal life Charles Aaron was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina and Rome, Georgia ...

from ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' wrote, "Swirling and constantly transforming, this here's

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

that bends your mind and tickles your belly."

Music video

The colour-negative music video for the song, directed by Russell Curtis, featured the band raving in a rural setting.

Keith Flint Keith Charles Flint (17 September 1969 – 4 March 2019) was an English singer, motorcyclist, dancer and a vocalist of the Electronic dance music, electronic dance act The Prodigy. Starting out as a dancer for the group, he became the vocalist an ...

was dressed up in a "raver's outfit", wearing white overalls, a face mask and fluorescent gloves, sniffing

Vicks VapoRub Vicks VapoRub is a mentholated topical ointment, part of the Vicks brand of over-the-counter medications owned by the American consumer goods company Procter & Gamble. VapoRub is intended for use on the chest, back and throat for cough suppres ...

. It also featured footage of the band's live shows at the time and

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds. Two living species are recognised, the common ostrich, native to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Somali ostrich, native to the Horn of Africa. They are the heaviest and largest living birds, w ...

es. The video received

heavy rotation In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely sh ...

MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV as 24-hour music video and entertainment pay television network officially launched on 1 August 1987 as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initia ...

Track listing

XL

* 7" vinyl record :A. "Out of Space" :B. "Ruff in the Jungle Bizness" (Uplifting Vibes Remix) (4:17) * 12" vinyl record #"Out of Space" (Original Mix) (5:07) #"Out of Space" (Techno Underworld Remix) (4:48) #"Ruff in the Jungle Bizness" (Uplifting Vibes Remix) (4:20) #"Music Reach" (1/2/3/4) (Live) (4:21) * Cassette Single #"Out of Space" (3.41) #"Ruff in the Jungle Bizness" (Uplifting Vibes Remix) (4.20) * CD single #"Out of Space" (Edit) (3:41) #"Out of Space" (Techno Underworld Remix) (4:48) #"Ruff in the Jungle Bizness" (Uplifting Vibes Remix) (4:20) #"Music Reach" (1/2/3/4) (Live) (4:21)

Elektra

* CD single #"Out of Space" (Edit) (3:41) #"Out of Space" (Techno Underworld Remix) (4:48) #"Out of Space" (Millenium Mix) (6:25) #"Out of Space" (Celestial Bodies Mix) (5:44) #"Ruff in the Jungle Bizness" (Uplifting Vibes Mix) (4:20) #"Jericho" (Live Version) (4:22) Tracks 2 and 5 remixed by

Liam Howlett Liam Paul Paris Howlett (born 21 August 1971) is an English record producer, musician, DJ, songwriter, co-founder and leader of the British electronic band the Prodigy. Early years Liam Paul Paris Howlett was born on 21 August 1971 in Braint ...

. Tracks 3 and 4 remixed by

Mark Picchiotti Mark Picchiotti is an American DJ, producer, remixer and songwriter based out of Chicago, Illinois. As a remixer and producer, Picchiotti has amassed 24 number one singles on the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart, and he has remixed such ar ...

and Teri Bristol.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1992 singles 1992 songs The Prodigy songs Songs written by Liam Howlett XL Recordings singles Songs about outer space