This paid release is dated 14 May 2021, while Becoming X first appeared in 1996 as Sneaker Pimps' debut. The Hartlepool band, formed by Liam Howe and Chris Corner in 1994, helped push trip hop into a sharper pop shape, with Kelli Ali handling the vocals and Ian Pickering writing the lyrics. The album still has a strong sense of design, pairing electronic beats with synth lines, clipped guitar touches and plenty of space around Ali's voice.
The best-known tracks explain its staying power. “6 Underground” moves with a slow, tense pulse, while “Spin Spin Sugar” is brighter and more immediate, built around a hook that sticks without sanding away the album's strange edges. “Low Place Like Home”, “Becoming X” and “Walking Zero” lean further into the darker, dream-pop side, and the sequencing keeps the mood unsettled without losing its pop instincts. It can feel a little tied to the mid-90s in places, but that is part of the appeal. Anyone drawn to trip hop, synthpop and electronic pop should find plenty here, especially if polished hooks with a slightly off-centre feel sound better than straightforward dance music. The release is also available on CD and vinyl, alongside FLAC 16/44, ALAC, WAV and AIFF downloads.
