Twisted Transistor

Music and structure

The song introduces a clear change in direction for the band, embracing a more pop-tinged, bouncy sound, free of most of lead singer Jonathan Davis's throaty rage that characterized the group's previous albums, while guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's pummeling, seven-string guitar riffs are replaced entirely with James "Munky" Shaffer's simplistic power chords and a more hook-heavy, catchy chorus.

A sample previously implemented on Coil and Danny Hyde's remix of Nine Inch Nails' "Closer", can be heard at the end of the bridge section of "Twisted Transistor".

Concept

"You know that feeling when you're alone in your room, you feel bad and nothing around you seems to be going well then suddenly when you turn on your radio, you are immediately 'deep in the music'. That's exactly the subject of Twisted Transistor with the lyrics: 'A lonely life where no one understands you but don't give up because the music do'. – Jonathan Davis

Chart performance

The song has become Korn's second most successful single to date on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number sixty-four, and is their highest charting single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart, with a peak of number three. Its success was continued overseas, where it charted in many countries, including number twenty-seven in the UK, number twenty-four in Australia, and number six in Finland.

Music video

The video for the song was directed by Dave Meyers and features a Spinal Tap-esque mockumentary produced by "documentary filmmaker Rob Piner" (a reference to Canadian music journalist Nardwuar the Human Serviette) where four rappers play the parts of Korn: Lil Jon as Jonathan Davis, Xzibit as Fieldy, David Banner as David Silveria and Snoop Dogg as Munky. The real Korn appears at the end of the video as representatives of "Fony Music", complaining about how the music video isn't going to sell because it lacks "bling-bling" and "booty shakin'". There is also a section in the video featuring 'Jonathan' recording vocals in "Big Rick's Studio", a reference to metal and hip-hop producer Rick Rubin, as Big Rick himself as he appears in the video bears a resemblance to Rick Rubin.

The rappers have jokingly noted in interviews that "It might be a [new] band coming towards you".

Appearances in media

UK release

1. "Twisted Transistor" (radio edit)
2. "Too Late I'm Dead"

Australian release

1. "Twisted Transistor" (radio edit)
2. "Appears"
3. "Twisted Transistor" (Kupper's Elektro-tek radio edit)

US promotional release

1. "Twisted Transistor" (Dummies Club Mix)
2. "Twisted Transistor" (album version)
3. "Twisted Transistor" (Kupper's Elektro-tek Klub Mix)
4. "Twisted Transistor" (Josh Harris Fuck the Club Mix)