Editing Leftfield (section)

==== Breakthrough: ''Open Up'' and ''Leftism'' (1993–1995) ====

Leftfield's mainstream breakthrough came in 1993 with "Open Up", a collaboration with [[John Lydon]] (formerly [[Johnny Rotten]] of the [[Sex Pistols]]). Barnes had known Lydon since he was 19 years old and had been pursuing the collaboration for approximately two years. The track paired driven acid house with Lydon's confrontational vocals and reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It remains one of the most memorable intersections of punk attitude and dance music production.

Their debut album, '''''Leftism''''', was released on 30 January 1995 on Hard Hands / Columbia Records. Unusually for an album of its scale, it was financed entirely by Leftfield themselves to retain full artistic control; the major label deal with Columbia / Sony was secured only shortly before release. ''Leftism'' blended [[progressive house]], [[dub music|dub]], [[reggae]], [[techno]], [[breakbeat]], and ambient elements across eleven tracks, all featuring carefully chosen guest vocalists drawn deliberately from outside the dance music world:

{| style="border-collapse:collapse; width:100%; font-size:0.95em;"
! style="background:#333; color:#fff; padding:6px 10px; text-align:left;" | Track
! style="background:#333; color:#fff; padding:6px 10px; text-align:left;" | Guest
! style="background:#333; color:#fff; padding:6px 10px; text-align:left;" | Notes
|-
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | "Release the Pressure"
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Earl 16, Cheshire Cat
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Completely re-recorded from the 1992 Hard Hands single; slower and more atmospheric
|-
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | "Afro-Left"
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Djum Djum (theremin)
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Djum Djum played theremin live during performances
|-
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | "Original"
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Toni Halliday ([[Curve (band)|Curve]])
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Barnes was a long-time fan of Curve; described as a "sultry rock/electro fusion" by ''Q''
|-
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | "Inspection (Check One)"
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Danny Red
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Dub-influenced; later cited as an early blueprint for [[grime music]]
|-
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | "Open Up"
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | John Lydon
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Re-recorded and extended from the 1993 single; album version runs over 8 minutes
|-
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | "21st Century Poem"
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Lemn Sissay
| style="padding:6px 10px; border-bottom:1px solid #ccc;" | Ambient closer; spoken word over sparse electronic textures
|}

''Leftism'' was nominated for the [[Mercury Prize]] in 1995, losing to [[Portishead]]'s ''Dummy''. In a 1998 ''Q'' magazine reader poll it was voted the 80th greatest album of all time; by 2000 ''Q'' had placed it at number 34 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.