| "Hey U" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBasement Jaxx | ||||
| from the albumCrazy Itch Radio | ||||
| Released | 5 March 2007 (2007-03-5) | |||
| Recorded | 2006 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:54 | |||
| Label | XL | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Basement Jaxx | |||
| Basement Jaxx singles chronology | ||||
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"Hey U" is a song recorded by the Englishelectronic music duoBasement Jaxx for their fourth studio album,Crazy Itch Radio (2006). Anextended play featuring remixes of the song was released in March 2007 underXL Recordings, as the third promotional release from the album. It did not chart. The song features vocals from the Swedish pop singerRobyn.
"Hey U" is four minutes and 54 seconds long.[1] Musically, it is adance song that prominently samples the horns from "Asfalt Tango", by theBalkan brass bandFanfare Ciocărlia. The song contains elements ofRomani music,Balkan music andklezmer.[2][3] It features vocals from the Swedish singerRobyn.[4] The song also features a chorus of children from Nanthomba Orphan School inMalawi.[5][6]
In 2011, the song was reworked by Felix Buxton andJules Buckley inorchestral form on the collaborative albumBasement Jaxx vs. Metropole Orkest. Reviewing the album forThe Independent, Andy Gill described this version as a "riot of cosmopolitan eclecticism".[7]MusicOMH's Chris White called it an "eclectic mix of theLambada,James Bond themes and Balkan instrumentation," and the highlight of the album's middle section.[8]
The track received generally positive critical reception. Jess Harvell fromPitchfork singled out the song as the album's standout track.[2]The Guardian's John Burgess said that the song "fizzes powerfully", and while the album's "daft interludes and kitchen-sink production sound too familiar,Crazy Itch Radio can still surprise - particularly on Hey U."[9] Michael Hubbard ofmusicOMH called it "a riotously inventive production that cries out to be played over and over again."[10]Kitty Empire ofThe Observerreacted less positively to the song, stating that it took the duo's "dalliance with Balkan-derived party music too far".[11]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hey U" (Switch & Sinden Remix) | 5:29 |
| 2. | "Hey U" (Jaxx Accordian Mix) | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Hey U" (High Contrast Remix) | 5:41 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes ofCrazy Itch Radio[6] andBMI.[12]
Recording and management
Personnel
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)| Studio albums | |
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