Recorded 1996–1997 Producer Doc McKinney
Esthero Release date 28 April 1998 | Length 56:13 Artist Esthero Label Work Group | |
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Released April 14, 1998 (Canada)
April 28, 1998 (US) Breath from Another
(1998) Wikked Lil' Grrrls
(2005) Genres Trip hop, Lounge music, Downtempo, Chill-out music, Acid jazz Nominations Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year Similar Silent Treatment, Kakusei, Sweep of Days, Becoming X, Love in the Time of Science | ||
Esthero breath from another
Breath from Another is the debut studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Esthero. The album was released on April 28, 1998 and now generally considered a trip hop classic despite poor sales. Despite its containing several expletives and sexual content, the album was not released with a Parental Advisory warning. Thanks in part to the success of the album's music videos, the album has sold over 100,000 copies in the United States, and achieved Gold certification in the artist's native Canada.
Contents
Background
Esthero and Doc McKinney met in January 1996 at the EMI in Toronto. The pair's demos sparked interest from Warner Music Group, EMI and BMG in Canada. Esthero's managers, Zack Werner and Beau Randall, signed them directly to Sony Music Entertainment in U.S. The duo suddenly wrote "Superheroes", "Indigo Boy" and "That Girl." In August 1996 they wrote another 4 tracks, include the single "Heaven Sent".
In late January, 1998, prior to album's release 15,000 copies of promo EP "Short of Breath", featuring tracks "Breath from Another", "Heaven Sent", "Country Livin' (The World I Know)" and "That Girl" were sent to Sony Music staff worldwide. McKinney stated in a 2016 NPR interview that, when writing and producing the album, he was inspired by reggae, calypso, and house music, three genres that didn't receive much exposure in his native Minneapolis, also citing Björk, Portishead, and Massive Attack as influences.
Critical reception
Breath from Another received positive reviews from music critics. Tom Demalon of Allmusic stated that album "too scrumptious sounding to be ignored", however called it unfocused. He praised tracks "That Girl" and "Country Livin' (The World I Know)" as album's best offerings. Chris Molanphy of CMJ New Music Monthly noted that album sounds "slick for starters; clamorous but never abrasive, yearning but not very dark" and "organic".
Accolades
In 2016, the album was nominated for a Polaris Heritage Prize, for best album from 1996-2005. The album lost, however, to Arcade Fire's "Funeral" (which won the public vote) and Lhasa de Sela's "La Llorona" (which won the jury vote).
Commercial performance
Despite not charting in any country, the album sold 118,000 copies in the US and over 250,000 copies worldwide as of 2005. In Esthero's native country Canada, the album sold over 50,000 copies and received Gold certification. "Heaven Sent" and "That Girl" received significant play on Canadian television (namely the music channel MuchMusic), and also received some airplay on MTV. "Heaven Sent" reached number 27 on MTV's most-played videos chart.
Singles
"Breath from Another" was released as a 12" vinyl promo-single. It samples dialog from the film Deliverance. No music video was made for the song.
"Heaven Sent" was released as the album's first official single. It was released as a double A-side CD single with "Breath from Another". A music video was shot and received MTV airplay. The single charted at #4 on Billboard Hot Dance Breakout Maxi-Singles Sales.
"That Girl" was slated to be the album's second official single, but was never officially released as a commercial single. A music video was shot and aired. It was released as the album's second promotional single instead.
Uses in media
Track "Lounge" appears on the soundtrack to film Zero Effect. The remix of "Country Livin' (The World I Know)" featuring dirty south hip hop quartet Goodie Mob was included on the Slam soundtrack. Tracks "Anywayz" and "That Girl" was used in films Boiler Room and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer respectively.
Personnel
Adapted in part from album booklet and Allmusic
Songs
1Breath From Another4:48
2Heaven Sent4:30
3Anywayz3:54