The Prodigy | Breathe
The Prodigy’s “Breathe” - how a six-month instrumental loop, Jim Davies’ sampled guitar, and a Belgrade performance 11 months before release created their best-selling UK single in 1996.
Story Behind “Breathe”
From Instrumental Loop to Confrontational Anthem
“Breathe” began its life as a simple guitar riff layered over a beat, nothing more. Liam Howlett created the opening line six months before vocals were ever considered, sampling a couple of notes from guitarist Jim Davies and processing them into that twangy, monotone guitar sound. He threw some loops down on DAT and let the rough draft sit for three or four months, waiting for the right moment. The track existed as an instrumental that the band played on stage while Keith Flint and Maxim Reality danced to it.
When Howlett finally decided vocals were obvious, Keith and Maxim already knew the track intimately—they’d been listening to it for about three months. The recording session captured something Howlett never intended to overthink. According to the producer, the song was about confrontation between Maxim and Keith, no deep meaning behind it. He later explained: “It was like, you want to taste me, come over here and taste me. And then Maxim was like, breathe me, breathe me...When they do it on stage, that comes across really obviously.”
The Belgrade Performance Before the World Knew
The first-ever performance of “Breathe” took place at Pionir Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, on December 8, 1995—11 months before its official release. This gig was historic beyond the song itself: it was the first major international music act to play in Belgrade since the breakup of Yugoslavia, coming shortly after UN sanctions were partially lifted. For Serbia’s urban youth, “Breathe” became something of a freedom anthem, performed before the world even knew it existed.
The song was recorded straight after “Firestarter” and shared that single’s punk-aggressive energy. Howlett deliberately structured the track to avoid vocals throughout, giving the music space to breathe—hence the title. The result was a full-on, almost punk dance track with the edge of “Firestarter” but capturing the live confrontational energy between Keith and Maxim.
“Breathe” Recording and Production Details
Liam Howlett’s Sample-Heavy Construction
Producer Liam Howlett built “Breathe” through meticulous sample layering at his studio. The iconic drum break came from Thin Lizzy’s “Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed,” providing that machine-gun rhythm foundation. The whiplashing sword sound effect was sampled from Wu-Tang Clan’s “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” off Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Additional samples included “A Game of Chess Is Like a Sword Fight” from the kung fu film Shaolin and Wu Tang, “The Rill Thing” by Little Richard, “Sing a Simple Song” by Please, and “All Over Me” by Nu-Matic.
Neil McLellan handled additional recording duties, capturing the raw energy of Keith Flint and Maxim Reality’s dueling vocals. Howlett mixed the track himself, maintaining the claustrophobic intensity that made the song feel like an aural assault. The production featured Howlett’s signature approach: jittery, faux-funk beats layered with caustic synths and snarling vocals that grew more insistent with repeated listens.
Jim Davies’ Unwitting Guitar Contribution
Jim Davies played guitar on “Breathe,” as he had on “Firestarter,” but with an interesting twist. Davies handed Howlett a rough demo of himself playing over Prodigy songs in 1995, essentially blagging his way into the band. Within weeks he was on tour with them, including their legendary 1995 Glastonbury performance. For “Breathe,” Howlett sampled a couple of notes from Davies’ guitar, processed them heavily, and created the opening riff that producers spent years trying to recreate, assuming it was a synth or film soundtrack sample. Davies himself didn’t initially know his guitar had been sampled for the intro. In 2010, Total Guitar magazine voted Davies’ contributions to The Prodigy among the top 10 guitar riffs of all time.
Notes About “Breathe” by The Prodigy
Release Date: November 11, 1996
Duration: 5:35 (album version), 3:59 (edit)
Genre: Big Beat / Breakbeat / Electronic Punk
Album: The Fat of the Land (1997, second single)
Songwriters: Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, Maxim Reality
Producer: Liam Howlett
Additional Recording: Neil McLellan
Label: XL Recordings
Chart Performance: #1 UK, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic; #18 US Modern Rock Tracks
UK Sales: 709,000 copies (Prodigy’s best-selling UK single), 195,000 first week
The Prodigy “Breathe” Era Band Details
Album Details
Album: The Fat of the Land
Release Date: June 30, 1997
Label: XL Recordings
Producer: Liam Howlett
Recording Period: 1996-1997
Album Performance: #1 in 16 countries including UK and US
First electronic album to hit #1 on US Billboard 200
Album Concept: Electronic punk fusion with rock aggression
Critical Reception: Brought electronic music to alternative rock audiences
Band Members/Personnel
Liam Howlett - Producer, keyboards, programming, songwriter, mixer
Keith Flint - Vocals, dancer, songwriter
Maxim Reality - Vocals, MC, songwriter
Leeroy Thornhill - Dancer (left band 2000)
Jim Davies - Guitar, additional instruments (touring member 1994-1996)
Neil McLellan - Additional recording engineer
Mary Farbrother - Photography
Production Notes
First performance: Belgrade, Serbia, December 8, 1995 (11 months pre-release)
Originally played as instrumental for several months before vocals added
Radio play restricted to evening shows due to intensity
Featured on Big Shiny Tunes 2 compilation (diamond-certified Canada)
Music video directed by Walter Stern in abandoned apartment building
Won 1997 MTV Video Music Award for Viewer’s Choice
Won 1997 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Video and International Viewer’s Choice
Final music video to feature dancer Leeroy Thornhill
Re-entered Billboard charts after Keith Flint’s death in March 2019
Interesting Facts About “Breathe”
The Accidental Guitar Riff Mystery
For years, producers tried to recreate the opening riff of “Breathe,” digging through James Bond soundtracks and attempting to rebuild it from scratch on synthesizers. Nobody suspected it was actually Jim Davies’ guitar, heavily processed. Howlett described the process to Addicted to Noise: he sampled a couple of notes from Davies’ twangy old guitar, created a really monotone sound, and built the entire opening around that single processed sample. Davies hadn’t even known his guitar was used until much later, a testament to how heavily Howlett transformed the original recording through sampling and effects.
The confusion was understandable—Howlett’s production made the guitar sound like it could be anything from a synthesizer to a film score sample. The technique demonstrated Howlett’s genius for source material manipulation, turning recognizable elements into something entirely new. This approach defined the big beat sound and influenced countless producers who tried to reverse-engineer Prodigy tracks.
The Track That Defined Big Beat’s Commercial Peak
“Breathe” became The Prodigy’s best-selling UK single ever, shifting 709,000 copies including 195,000 in its first week despite radio play being restricted to evening shows. The song reached #1 in eight countries and became an iconic representation of mid-90s big beat culture. Melody Maker ranked it #29 in their 1996 Singles of the Year list, describing it as “a rarity, this; a Prodigy single that grew on you. Less instant, more insistent—insidious, even.”
The commercial success proved electronic music could dominate charts without compromising intensity. The Prodigy performed it at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, cementing their crossover appeal. Q Magazine included “Breathe” in their “1001 Best Songs Ever” in 2003, while Mixmag later featured it in “The Best Basslines in Dance Music,” writing: “What nightmares are made of. But inject it into my veins, C’MON!!!” The song’s aggressive energy made it a fixture in alternative clubs and sporting events—Dutch darts player Michael van Gerwen used it as his walk-on theme until 2012, and it appeared in a Tooheys Extra Dry commercial the same year.
Common Questions
Q: What samples did The Prodigy use in “Breathe”? A: The song features a drum break from Thin Lizzy’s “Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed” and the whiplashing sword sound from Wu-Tang Clan’s “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’.” Additional samples came from the kung fu film Shaolin and Wu Tang, Little Richard’s “The Rill Thing,” and tracks by Please and Nu-Matic. The iconic opening guitar riff was actually Jim Davies’ guitar, sampled and heavily processed by Liam Howlett.
Q: When did The Prodigy first perform “Breathe” live? A: The first-ever performance was at Pionir Hall in Belgrade, Serbia, on December 8, 1995—11 months before the single’s official release in November 1996. It was the first major international music act to play in Belgrade since Yugoslavia’s breakup, and the song became a freedom anthem for Serbia’s urban youth.
Q: What is “Breathe” by The Prodigy about? A: According to Liam Howlett, the song captures confrontation between vocalists Maxim Reality and Keith Flint with no deep meaning. Howlett explained it was about challenging each other—”you want to taste me, come over here and taste me”—and the aggressive energy comes across obviously when performed live. It’s essentially electronic punk capturing raw, confrontational stage presence.
Q: How successful was “Breathe” commercially? A: “Breathe” became The Prodigy’s best-selling UK single, selling 709,000 copies including 195,000 in its first week. It reached #1 in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, and Czech Republic. The song also hit #18 on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and won the 1997 MTV Video Music Award for Viewer’s Choice.
Q: Who played guitar on “Breathe”? A: Jim Davies played guitar on the track. Davies joined The Prodigy around late 1994 after handing Liam Howlett a demo of himself playing over Prodigy songs. Howlett sampled and processed Davies’ guitar to create the opening riff, though Davies himself didn’t initially know his guitar had been used. Total Guitar magazine later voted Davies’ Prodigy contributions among the top 10 guitar riffs of all time.