Format CD, 12" Length 2:53 | Recorded 2004 Label Skint | |
Released 20 September 2004 (2004-09-20) Genre Big beat, electronica, hip hop | ||
"Slash Dot Dash" is a song by English big beat musician Fatboy Slim, released as a single from his album Palookaville. Cook himself plays bass guitar on the track. It also appeared on Fatboy Slim's greatest hits album The Greatest Hits – Why Try Harder. The single peaked at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. The best-known version of the song samples "Ricky V. Valentine" by Ghetto Classics. The original version of the track, contained on an advance US copy of the album, uses a different vocal sample which was possibly changed due to sample clearance issues.
Contents
Critical Reception
"Slash Dot Dash" garnered negative reviews upon its release, with some critics feeling that the song was too similar to FatBoy Slim's previous work. Entertainment Weekly's review of "Palookaville" noted that "'Slash Dot Dash' and its high-BPM (beats-per-minute) ilk — feel(s) half-cocked, like Cook can’t quite commit to the moment." Pitchfork's Johnny Loftus was equally critical of the track, stating that the song is "as empty as the vacuum after the dot-com bust, a tinfoil crumple of store-bought spy guitar and a vocal sample that needles three times sharper than the funk soul brother."
Music Video
A music video, directed by Tim Pope, was released, featuring people vandalizing and dancing in a bathroom.
Commercial Performance
Despite the song's poor critical reception, it performed well commercially in the UK, debuting at number 12 on the Official Singles Chart and spending a total of 3 weeks in the chart's Top 50. The song also entered the top 40 in Italy (where it reached number 27) and Mexico (where it reached number 6). The song remains his most successful in Mexico.