Obstacle 1

"Obstacle 1"
Single by Interpol
from the album Turn on the Bright Lights
B-side	"Obstacle 2" (Live) "PDA" (Live) "Hands Away" (Live) "Obstacle 1" (Live) Arthur Baker Remix
Released	November 11, 2002
Format	7" CD DVD
Recorded	November 2001 at Tarquin Studios (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
Genre	Post-punk revival
Length	4:11 (album version) 3:36 (radio edit)
Label	Matador
Writer(s)	Interpol
Producer(s)	Gareth Jones Peter Katis
Interpol singles chronology
"PDA" (2002) "Obstacle 1" (2002) "Say Hello to the Angels" / "NYC" (2003)
"Say Hello to the Angels" / "NYC" (2003) "Obstacle 1" (reissue) (2003) "Slow Hands" (2004)

"Obstacle 1" is a song by American rock band Interpol. It was released as the second single from their debut studio album, Turn on the Bright Lights, on November 11, 2002. It was eventually remixed by producer Arthur Baker and reissued as a single on September 15, 2003. The music video for "Obstacle 1" was directed by Floria Sigismondi. The song peaked at number 41 on the UK Singles Chart and was also ranked at number 64 on Pitchfork's 'Top 500 Tracks of the Decade' list.^[1] "Obstacle 1" is featured as a playable track on Guitar Hero World Tour. Singer Charlotte Martin has a rendition of "Obstacle 1" on her album, Reproductions.

Music video

The promotional video for the song was directed by Floria Sigismondi.^[2] It shows several shots of the band playing in an aisle, there are many wires moving up and down. Then, a woman (Floria herself) appears dancing the song on another aisle. In a shot, a glass of water fall down and breaks, the water begins to move through the aisles and arrives to the aisle where the woman is dancing. The woman falls down and is electrocuted as a result of the electrical wires in the water.

Track listing

2002 single

CD (OLE570-2):

1. "Obstacle 1" – 4:11
2. "PDA" (Live KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic Session) – 4:56
3. "Hands Away" (Live Peel Session) – 3:10

7" vinyl (OLE570-7):

1. "Obstacle 1" – 4:11
2. "Obstacle 2" (Live Peel Session) – 3:50

2003 single

Remix CD (OLE594-2):

1. "Obstacle 1" (Arthur Baker Remix Edit) – 4:17
2. "Obstacle 1" (Arthur Baker Remix Long Version) – 5:55
3. "Obstacle 1" (Radio Edit) – 3:36

7" vinyl (OLE594-7):

1. "Obstacle 1" (Arthur Baker Remix Edit) – 4:17
2. "Obstacle 1" (Live Black Session) – 4:18

DVD (OLE594-9):

1. "Obstacle 1" (video) – 3:47
2. "Specialist" (Live Black Session) (audio) – 6:34
3. "Leif Erikson" (Live Black Session) (audio) – 3:55

Chart performances

References