The Prodigy – Breathe (12", 30th Anniversary Edition)

The Prodigy’s Breathe returns here in a 30th Anniversary Edition that marks three decades since the single first landed in November 1996. Released as the second single from The Fat of the Land, it gave the group their second UK number one after “Firestarter” and helped set up the album’s worldwide breakthrough the following year, when it topped charts in multiple countries and went on to sell more than ten million copies.

What still hits hardest about “Breathe” is how neatly it captures The Prodigy’s crossover moment: Liam Howlett’s big-beat attack sharpened with punk attitude, Keith Flint and Maxim turning club music into something closer to a confrontation. This anniversary 12-inch keeps the focus tight, pairing the original with an instrumental that throws the track’s taut groove and hooks into even sharper relief.

It also makes room for later readings of the song, adding remixes by The Glitch Mob and Mefjus & Camo & Krooked. According to the supplied release notes, those remixes appear on vinyl for the first time here, which gives this edition a bit more purpose than a simple commemorative repress. For anyone tracing how one of The Prodigy’s defining singles has travelled from mid-90s chart flashpoint to long-lived club weapon, this is a smart little package.

Features

• 1xLP, 30th Anniversary Edition
• Includes the original version, instrumental, and remixes by The Glitch Mob and Mefjus & Camo & Krooked
• Remixes appear on vinyl for the first time

Reviews

• a fine crossover single - AllMusic.com