Cellphone's Dead

"Cellphone's Dead" is a song and single by Beck on The Information.

"Cellphone's Dead"
Single by Beck
from the album The Information
Released2 October 2006 (UK)
3 October 2006 (US)
RecordedWinter 2003 – Spring 2006
Length4:46
LabelInterscope Records
Songwriter(s)Beck Hansen
Producer(s)Nigel Godrich
Beck singles chronology
"Nausea"
(2006)		 "Cellphone's Dead"
(2006)		 "Think I'm in Love"
(2006)
The Information track listing
  1. "Elevator Music"
  2. "Think I'm in Love"
  3. "Cellphone's Dead"
  4. "Strange Apparition"
  5. "Soldier Jane"
  6. "Nausea"
  7. "New Round"
  8. "Dark Star"
  9. "We Dance Alone"
  10. "No Complaints"
  11. "1000BPM"
  12. "Motorcade"
  13. "The Information"
  14. "Movie Theme"
  15. "The Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton"

Musical structure

The song starts with acoustic guitars and percussion. Then a bass synthesizer riff comes in and Beck starts rapping. The acoustic guitar and percussion section comes back in for the chorus. There is a piano melody played throughout the song. The song is similar to the song "Hell Yes" off of his previous album Guero in terms of structure and musical style.

The opening bass synth riff has been cited as reminiscent in tone and rhythmic character of "Chameleon" by jazz artist Herbie Hancock from his 1973 record Head Hunters.[1]

Music video

The music video was directed by Michel Gondry. It is available on the DVD compilation Michel Gondry 2: More Videos (Before and After DVD 1).

The video is done to resemble one long shot, and uses Gondry's signature usage of special effects. In the black-and-white video, Beck walks into an empty house, tuning a radio to different stations, then sitting down in a chair, where he sings the song. Suddenly, the view of the city skyline outside morphs into a 2-dimensional humanoid figure, and the door morphs into a figure as well. As the video progresses, Beck and those two figures morph into each other, transforming into doors and skylines, while the apartment's radio and dresser morph into different forms, as well.

The visual effects were completed at Fly Studio.

Track listing
  1. "Cellphone's Dead" - 4:40
  2. "O Menina" - 2:08

BPitch Control remixes

A remix 12" was released by Berlin-based label BPitch Control, featuring remixes by Ellen Allien and Ricardo Villalobos.[2] These remixes are also on Disc 2 of the deluxe version of The Information.

References
  1. Dombal, Ryan (October 4, 2006). "Beck: The Information album review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  2. "Beck - Cellphone's Dead (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2007-07-09. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
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