Supermodified (album)

Supermodified is the fourth studio album by Brazilian electronic music producer Amon Tobin. It was released on 16 May 2000 by Ninja Tune.

Supermodified
Studio album by Amon Tobin
Released	16 May 2000 (2000-05-16)
Genre	Breakbeat[1] Downtempo[2] drum and bass[3] IDM[4] Nu Jazz[5]
Length	67:15
Label	Ninja Tune
Producer	Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin chronology
Permutation (1998) Supermodified (2000) Out from Out Where (2002)
Singles from Supermodified
"Slowly" Released: 1 May 2000 "Four Ton Mantis" Released: 4 September 2000

Tobin's official website defined the title of the album as:

• modification: the act of modifying, state of being modified; change made in vowel by mutation, graphic representation of this
• super: on the top (of); over; beyond; besides; in addition; exceeding; going beyond; more

Release

Supermodified was released by the Ninja Tune label on 16 May 2000 in the United States^[6] and on 22 May 2000 in the United Kingdom.^[7] Two singles were issued from the album: "Slowly" on 1 May 2000^[8] and "Four Ton Mantis" on 4 September 2000.^[9] Music videos were produced for both "Slowly" (directed by Ben Rivers and Jeremy Butler)^[10] and "Four Ton Mantis" (directed by Floria Sigismondi).^[11]

In 2012, Supermodified was awarded a double silver certification by the Independent Music Companies Association, signifying sales of at least 40,000 copies in Europe.^[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	85/100[13]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[14]
Melody Maker	[15]
Pitchfork	9.1/10[16]
Q	[17]
Stylus Magazine	9.4/10[18]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, Supermodified received an average score of 85 based on eight reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".^[13] Pitchfork critic Taylor M. Clark found it more accessible than Tobin's previous albums, as well as more cohesive: "Everything just fits together so well, like Lego blocks making a castle."^[16] John Bush of AllMusic wrote that Tobin had "again made great strides in his production skills, and the range and greatness of this material serves as proof positive."^[14]

Use in film and television

• "Natureland", "Slowly" and "Get Your Snack On" were used in the movie coverage of the 2003 Gumball 3000 Rally.
• "Saboteur" was used in the 2003 remake of The Italian Job.
• "Slowly" was used in the 2006 film Candy, as well as ES footwear's film, "Menikmati".
• "Four Ton Mantis" was used in a commercial for "Death Note" on Adult Swim, Paul Rodriguez's "Forecast" skateboarding video for Mike Mo Capaldi's segment, a Molson M commercial. and a commercial for the Nissan Qashqai
• "Chocolate Lovely" has been used on Adult Swim's commercial bumps.
• "Get Your Snack On" and "Deo" were used in the 2005 anime "IGPX".
• "Deo" was used in a Coca-Cola commercial.
• "Natureland" was used on Channel 4's TV promotional spot for its Stanley Kubrick season.
• "Get Your Snack On" was used in season 8, episode 13 of American Dad!.
• "Get Your Snack On" and "Four Ton Mantis" have been used in various Toonami bumps.
• Like "Easy Muffin" from Bricolage (1997), "Four Ton Mantis" is not available on streaming services, possibly due to sample clearance issues.
• "Rhino Jockey" was used in the movie Project X.

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Get Your Snack On"	4:22
2.	"Four Ton Mantis"	4:45
3.	"Slowly"	5:37
4.	"Marine Machines"	5:45
5.	"Golfer vrs Boxer"	6:17
6.	"Deo"	6:44
7.	"Precursor" (featuring Quadraceptor)	4:39
8.	"Saboteur"	5:18
9.	"Chocolate Lovely"	6:03
10.	"Rhino Jockey"	7:28
11.	"Keepin' It Steel (The Anvil Track)"	4:29
12.	"Natureland"	5:48
Total length:		67:15

All tracks are written by Amon Tobin

Notes

• The track order for the LP edition repositions "Chocolate Lovely" between "Keepin' It Steel (The Anvil Track)" and "Natureland".

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.^[19]

• Amon Tobin – production
• Openmind – artwork, design
• Quadraceptor – beatboxing on "Precursor"
• She 1 – typography
• Haig Vartzbedian – recording on "Precursor"
• Voda – mastering

Charts

Chart (2000)	Peak position
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20]	39

References

1. Marchand, François (17 December 2011). "Five records that paved the way for the dubstep explosion". Vancouver Sun.
2. Discogs https://www.discogs.com/master/22486-Amon-Tobin-Supermodified. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. Dorr, Nate (7 March 2007). "Amon Tobin: Foley Room". PopMatters. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
4. Segal, Dave; Zurko, Nick (30 January 2017). "The Stranger's Alternative to Pitchfork's 50 Best IDM Albums List". The Stranger. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
5. Discogs https://www.discogs.com/master/22486-Amon-Tobin-Supermodified. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
6. "News". CMJ New Music Report. Vol. 62, no. 6. 1 May 2000. pp. 28, 35. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
7. "New Releases 22 May 2000 To 28 May 2000: All". Juno Records. Archived from the original on 11 June 2001. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
8. "Slowly / Bad Sex by Amon Tobin". Ninja Tune. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
9. "4 Ton Mantis (EP)". amontobin.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
10. Hi-Fi Rise: Sonic Cities from Another Timeline (liner notes). Semiconductor Films. Other Timeline Films. 2001. 0001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
11. Cranmer, John (26 April 2001). "OneDotZero hour". Design Week. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
12. "Impala Sales Award-Preisträger 2012". Independent Music Companies Association. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
13. "Supermodified by Amon Tobin Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
14. Bush, John. "Supermodified – Amon Tobin". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
15. Collins, Robert (14–20 June 2000). "Amon Tobin: Supermodified". Melody Maker. p. 60.
16. Clark, Taylor M. (16 May 2000). "Amon Tobin: Supermodified". Pitchfork. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
17. "Amon Tobin: Supermodified". Q. No. 166. July 2000. p. 125.
18. Andrews, Chris. "Amon Tobin – Supermodified". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 January 2003. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
19. Supermodified (liner notes). Amon Tobin. Ninja Tune. 2000. zen CD48.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
20. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 August 2021.

External links

• Supermodified at official Ninja Tune website (includes audio clips)
• Supermodified at Discogs (list of releases)
• Supermodified at MusicBrainz (list of releases)