While at art college in Reading, Liam met David Westlake and Joe Wilson, who would both contribute to the first three albums and join the band on tour. When F.R.I.S.K. performed a gig with this line-up they later recorded some demos with Chris singing - these were considered the next stage in the evolution of Chis and Liam's professional partnership; another in an ever-improving set of smaller projects intended for a few thousand records at most. Drafting in Ian Pickering in 1995 to help with lyrics, they recruited Kelli Dayton for vocal duties after seeing her singing in a pub in Reading. The name 'Sneaker Pimps' itself was taken from a Beastie Boys article about a man they hired to track down classic shoes.
The first single Roll On preceded the first album, followed by Spin Spin Sugar, Post-Modern Sleaze, 6 Underground and Tesko Suicide. The album contains a myriad of 90s pop-culture references (such as film Thelma and Louise) coupled to dark double entendres and puns on drug taking and suicide. It was wildly successful everywhere: in America it remains their only real hit. In 2005, the song "Post-Modern Sleaze" (from the Becoming X album) was used as the theme song for Matroesjka's, an acclaimed Flemish drama series about Eastern European prostitutes and Belgians involved in the related sex trade.
Becoming X was "toured to death" over two years, particularly in America where the toll on Chris led to mental instability chronicled in the song Low Five. Depending on who you believe, Kelli Dayton left the band in 1998 or was sacked, going on to a solo career as Kelli Ali. The band trialled new vocallists, demoing some new songs with Icelandic chanteuse Emilíana Torrini, but coupled with the feeling that these demos fit Corner's voice better, and the fear of being identified with the fad for trip-hop acts, Corner became the singer. The Line of Flight studio was moved from Hartlepool to London and production on the next album started immediately.
1999's Splinter features the back of Chris' head, symbolizing the break with Kelli and his not feeling up to the responsibility of being a 'front man'. Dayton's departure, while lamented by many, was positively received by some critics who felt that it gave the band a more honest, emotional timbre and a more uniquely identifiable sound, especially with regard to the rawer and more personal quality of the lyrics. The album's production retains the sampled style of Becoming X while being edgier, less beat-driven, and at times more psychedelic. Due to wrangles with Virgin Records, the album was self-released on their own Clean Up label and not released in the US. Without significant promotion, and the lack of obvious singles that Becoming X had shown, the album was not as successful, but the favourable critical response led the band to set up their own club night in London. Called 'Home Taping' and hosted at the [venue]ICA[/venue], it invited celebrities and musicians to submit their own cassette mixes for the night's entertainment, and the odd live set by the band. Allegedly, one was even received by Madonna.
For 2002's Bloodsport, the band decamped to France and Germany, recording in a farmhouse while capturing the trans-European essence of Berlinesque "new-wave punk". Liam Howe was unavailable, so long-term associate and friend Chris Tate was brought in for synthesizer duties. The album was a glossier affair than before and included Flood on production duties rather than the band. On Bloodsport's release (including this time the US via Tommy Boy Records) the album was a comparative flop, but made the Austrian top twenty. Its singles were more successful in both the UK and Europe.
Sneaker Pimps recorded demos, previewed live in Russia and on European radio in 2003 for an unknown movie soundtrack and a fourth album tentatively titled 'Recall' or 'Songs of Imaginary Beings'. The album was never released; Chris and Liam purportedly shelved the tracks as a Sneaker Pimps album for several reasons. One, they contained some very emotional songs penned by Corner that were felt to be more suitable for a solo project, and two, in some cases were simply not being good enough to be released. The band eventually drifted apart during protracted sessions for the 4th album: many of the 'SP4' demos leaked and have been rereleased by Chris Corner's solo project IAMX on 2004's Kiss and Swallow and 2006's The Alternative. Another solo project, not including Corner or Howe, was the nu-rave and Madchester influenced Trash Money.
In late 2006, it emerged that seven new demos had been found and leaked from a portable music player left in a Russian bar. The demos, including "Rush", "Samaritan", "Sun Ate The Moon", "The Shutdown" and "Satellite" all sung by a new female singer believed to be Paris Hampton and referred to by fans as 'SP5. The band did not comment on the leaking of this material until 2015 when Liam Howe confirmed that "the Magnificent 7" had been recorded by Sneaker Pimps exploring a new, poppier sound.
Joe and David left the band to work in film production and academia. Liam Howe went on to have a successful career in music production, while Chris moved to Berlin and later Los Angeles as IAMX enjoyed a sustained alternative career, releasing Kingdom of Welcome Addiction in 2009, Dogmatic Infidel Comedown Ok in 2010, Volatile Times in 2011, The Unified Field in 2013, Metanoia in 2016, Everything is Burning in 2017, Unfall in 2018, Alive in New Light in 2019 and Echo, Echo in 2020. Ian Pickering launched his new project The Noise who Runs in 2020.
Chris and Liam continued to tease working together on new projects throughout various IAMX eras, including a session initially planned as Sneaker Pimps material becoming the Liam-produced IAMX mini-album "Everything is Burning".
In 2019, singer Simonne Jones was confirmed as the new featured singer of Sneaker Pimps which then began recording their new album together in earnest. Finally in May 2021, 18 years after their last album was released, the Squaring the Circle era was announced with two new singles, "Fighter" and "Squaring The Circle," which were released in July.
A remix album 'Rework Collection 1' was released in August, and their fourth full studio record 'Squaring The Circle' was released on September 10th, 2021 on Chris Corner's label UNFALL Productions. 'Squaring The Circle' features material recorded with both Simonne and Chris on lead vocals.
More remix albums and a re-release of the band's older records is also planned, with the band regaining copy and distribution rights of 'Becoming X' and 'Splinter' via One Little Independent Records and the ongoing negotiations of a re-release of 'Bloodsport' with Tommy Boy Records.
Post-Modern Sleaze
Sneaker Pimps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's wet and wild, a typical 90's child
She makes every move they make
She takes everything they take
She must be a Thelma or Louise
She must be a post-modern sleaze
Stories extreme, she's such a drama queen
Cries through the night, she choked on Marlboro Lites
Pure charm and grace, she hates her pretty face
She makes every move they make
She takes everything they take
She must be a Thelma or Louise
She must be a post-modern sleaze
Straw spun from gold, she craves a tortured soul
All doom and gloom, she plays an open wound
She takes every scene they steal
She fakes every pain they feel
She must be a Thelma or Louise
She must be a post-modern tease
In the song Post-Modern Sleaze by Sneaker Pimps, the lyrics are describing a young woman who is living in the 90's and who seems to be very wild and rebellious. The lyrics describe her painting her toenails red, which is often associated with sensuality and danger. She makes every move that others make and takes everything they take, which could imply that she is easily influenced by those around her. The lines "She must be a Thelma or Louise, she must be a post-modern sleaze" suggest that she is a modern version of the characters from the movie "Thelma and Louise," who were also strong and fiercely independent women.
The lyrics go on to describe her behavior and personality, suggesting that she is the life of the party and loves to tell extreme stories. She is a drama queen who cries through the night, but at the same time, she hates her pretty face, showing some form of insecurity. The lines "Straw spun from gold, she craves a tortured soul" suggest that she seeks out individuals with complicated backgrounds and problems.
In conclusion, the lyrics to Post-Modern Sleaze by Sneaker Pimps are describing a wild and rebellious woman living in the 90s. The singer is observing her behavior, which suggests that she is easily influenced but also fiercely independent. She is a drama queen who loves to tell extreme stories but also has some insecurities.
Line by Line Meaning
She looks ahead, she paints her toe nails red
She is full of optimism and paints her toe nails red to express her vibrancy.
She's wet and wild, a typical 90's child
She is a product of the wild 90s culture, carefree and adventurous.
She makes every move they make
She mimics those around her, lacking originality.
She takes everything they take
She has no sense of self and mirrors the actions of others around her.
She must be a Thelma or Louise
She is a rebel and a free-spirit like the iconic characters Thelma and Louise.
She must be a post-modern sleaze
She embodies the unconventional and avant-garde nature of post-modernism.
Unscrew the wine, she'll throw a party line
She is the life of the party and will do anything to keep the fun going.
Stories extreme, she's such a drama queen
She exaggerates every situation to make it more interesting, often causing unnecessary drama.
Cries through the night, she choked on Marlboro Lites
She is flawed and makes poor choices, such as smoking, which has caused her distress.
Pure charm and grace, she hates her pretty face
She has an exterior of charm and elegance, but internally, she struggles with insecurities and self-hate.
Straw spun from gold, she craves a tortured soul
She is drawn to people with complex and troubled pasts, as she sees beauty in their pain.
All doom and gloom, she plays an open wound
She embraces a tragic persona, often acting as if she is an open wound that cannot be healed.
She takes every scene they steal
She is quick to adopt new trends and fads, even if they are unoriginal or borrowed from others.
She fakes every pain they feel
She exaggerates her emotions to mirror those around her, often falsely portraying emotions for attention.
She must be a post-modern tease
She is an unconventional seductress, using her avant-garde nature to entice those around her.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS CORNER, IAN PICKERING, LIAM COVERDALE-HOWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leejt101
Becoming X was and still is one of the best play from start to end albums ever. 6 Underground, Spin Spin Sugar, How Do & this are Sneaker Pimps Masterpieces. Loved it in 96 and sounding as awesome as ever 22! ❤️🎶
@pamus6242
Yup, It still baffles me to this day!
@courtneyfrost915
I feel invigorated when I listen to this music. I miss it.
@edwardmarshall2035
It's post modern sleaze.
@ReezySIK
Every song is a breath of fresh air. Flows seemingly.
@Threesom666
Im still pissed they took of Kelli off, though Im not saying they sucked without her, they didnt but they were a unique and special band with her at at a time where no real trip hop had a special identity like this, they just disbanded her like it was nothing though it wasnt nothing. It really hurt the band and the image. I dont see why they couldnt just formed an alternate band like they usually do and left this intact. This album is so underrated and underappreciated and Im so glad others feel the same way.
@brandondrake14
Kelli is the reason we know about this band. And love this band. Period.
@RALF0691
I'm glad they're uploading the official music videos. Keep them coming.
@maximpopov8651
One of the greatest and intellectual electronic bands in human history. Trip hop forever.
@pamus6242
And you, I and others had the blessing to watch and recognize this.
Its really sad, the times of our times these days.