BatBox

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BatBox
Studio album by
Miss Kittin
Released4 February 2008
Genre
Length51:40
LabelNobody's Bizzness
Producer
Miss Kittin chronology
A Bugged Out Mix
(2006) 		BatBox
(2008) 		Two
(2009)
Singles from BatBox
  1. "
    Kittin Is High
    "
    Released: 30 November 2007
  2. "Grace"
    Released: 20 June 2008

BatBox is the second solo studio album by French singer and DJ Miss Kittin, released on 4 February 2008 on her own label, Nobody's Bizzness. It was co-written and produced with Pascal Gabriel. The music combines elements of techno and electro and, as Miss Kittin describes it, "a flirtation with Goth culture."[1]

Background and development

For Batbox, Miss Kittin teamed up with producer Pascal Gabriel, who had previously worked with Kylie Minogue, Boy George and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The album was recorded in Pascal's studio in London over several months in 2007.[2] Of the title, Miss Kittin stated, "BatBox is a redemption. Let the bats in my head fly out. I was saying goodbye to old ghosts."[3]

Composition

Musically, the album draws influences from electropop and Detroit techno,[4] and fellow electroclash artists such as Chicks on Speed and Ellen Allien.[5]

Release and artwork

The CD booklet and cover art were designed by Rob Reger, the creator of Emily the Strange.[1] Miss Kittin met Reger after performing a DJ gig in San Francisco.[2]

Promotion

In 2008, "Barefoot Tonight" was used in the American

comedy-drama television series Entourage, in the episode "First Class Jerk".[6]

Singles

"

Kittin Is High" was released as the album's lead single commercially worldwide on 30 November 2007. Rob Reger designed limited-edition artwork for the vinyl single cover.[7]

"Grace" was released as the album's second and final single on 20 June 2008; it included remixes by Martinez and Sleeparchive.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
URB
[11]
XLR8R6/10[12]

Jason Lymangrover, writing for AllMusic, commented, "As she emerges from the broken cocoon of Detroit and German techno influences into a unique artist of her own – one who is slightly experimental but never lacking a head-bobbing hook – it's hard to argue when she quips, 'Frenchies do it better.'"[4] John Burgess from The Guardian stated, "Her charismatic approach made her a major electroclash figure, and she has sustained her cult status. This is unlikely to change, despite a more pop approach for Batbox [...] The music remains niche, industrial and Teutonic, over which Hervé delivers idiosyncratic observations on her life and gothic pursuits."[9] Rob Woo of Exclaim! wrote, "The production work is exceptional, with a greater depth of sounds and textures put into the beats and synths, the influences seemingly drawn from the best electro, tech and progressive of the last few years."[13] Quentin B. Huff of PopMatters noted that the album "could have been bigger, brasher, and bolder. But, all things considered, it still amounts to a full load of goodies and a heck of a ride."[10]

Conversely,

URB felt that "[a]s a concept the album fails miserably, but taken as individual tracks there are some that transcend, the brooding 'Lightmaker' or the nicely melodic DJ friendly track 'Playmate of the Century.'"[11] In addition, Luciana Lopez of XLR8R opined, "Even the glossy, high-quality production can't give this album the energy to rise above the middling bar it sets for itself."[12]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Caroline Hervé and Pascal Gabriel

No.TitleLength
1."Kittin Is High"3:51
2."BatBox"3:20
3."Grace"3:19
4."Solidasarockstar"3:56
5."Barefoot Tonight"3:03
6."Play Me a Tape"4:08
7."Pollution of the Mind"5:16
8."Wash N Dry"4:15
9."Metalhead"5:23
10."Machine Joy"3:32
11."Sunset Strip"3:02
12."Playmate of the Century"4:04
13."Lightmaker"4:31
Total length:51:40
iTunes Store bonus track[14]
No.TitleLength
14."Mother Star"3:37
Total length:55:17

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of BatBox.[15]

  • Miss Kittin – production
  • Pascal Gabriel – production
  • Mike Marsh – mastering at The Exchange (London)
  • Rob Reger – artwork, design

Charts

Chart performance for BatBox
Chart (2008) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[16] 91
Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 48
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[18] 84
French Albums (
SNEP)[19]
 75

References

  1. ^ a b "Miss Kittin set to release 2nd album 'BatBox' in February 2008". Side-Line. 12 December 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b Greig, Jasper (17 March 2008). "In the Batbox with Miss Kittin". Electronic Beats. Archived from the original on 21 February 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Miss Kittin: Stretching out her claws". In the Mix. 21 February 2008. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b c Lymangrover, Jason (2008). "Batbox – Miss Kittin". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Girard, Stéphane (30 January 2008). "RA Reviews: Miss Kittin – Batbox (Album)". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  6. ^ "Miss Kittin". IMDb. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  7. ^ "Kittin Is High – The first single off Miss Kittin's album 'BatBox', released on 30th November 2007". KittinBatBox.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  8. ^ "Out now, MissKittin's new BatBox release: "Grace" EP with remixes by Martinez and Sleeparchive". KittinBatBox.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  9. ^ a b Burgess, John (8 February 2008). "CD: Miss Kittin, Batbox". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  10. ^ a b Huff, Quentin B. (5 March 2008). "Miss Kittin: BatBox". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
  11. ^
    URB. 5 March 2008. Archived from the original
    on 5 February 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  12. ^ a b Lopez, Luciana (8 April 2008). "Miss Kittin: Batbox". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  13. ^ Woo, Rob (19 February 2008). "Miss Kittin: Batbox". Exclaim!. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  14. ^ "BatBox by Miss Kittin". Apple Music. United States. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  15. ^ BatBox (liner notes). Miss Kittin. Nobody's Bizzness. 2008. BIZZ2CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ "Ultratop.be – Miss Kittin – Batbox" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  17. ^ "Miss Kittin – Batbox" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Miss Kittin – Batbox" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Lescharts.com – Miss Kittin – Batbox". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 July 2021.

External links

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