Critical reception Stevie Chick from
NME wrote, "Leading sociologists are calling it the '
Flat Eric Phenomenon'. Red-top tabloids print instructions for the Flat Eric window moves and White Van Man is overjoyed. Yes, helped along by his friends at the
Levi's company, Mr Oizo could soon be celebrating the inevitable outcome of such a profitable partnership, a Number One record. And that would be a fine thing, not least because 'Flat Beat' is a sleek slice of supremely filtered, speaker-busting electro that would undoubtedly be a minor specialist hit in its own right if released without the might of this high-profile campaign, but also because Flat Eric, the ice-cool yellow muppet, is one of the most fascinating creatures to have entered the crazy world of
rock'n'roll in recent memory."
Commercial reception The song was a surprise international success in Europe, On the
Eurochart Hot 100, "Flat Beat" peaked at number two and was Europe's 11th-most-successful hit of 1999. while
Mixmag included it in their "The Best Basslines in Dance Music" in 2020. The magazine added, "Disclaimer: it's likely you'll be thinking there's a bees' nest in the corner of your room after listening to it. Don't let that put you off, though. 'Flat Beat' boasts one of the best basslines of all time." In 2014, English DJ and producer
Duke Dumont ranked it number nine in his list of "The 10 Best UK Number One Singles", saying, "Probably the strangest number one to date. The
Levi's advert helped, obviously. Directing that Levi's advert and putting your own song in it also helps. But I remember this having a cult following among
garage DJs within the UK. I doubt Mr. Oizo was even aware of UK garage, but he accidentally created possibly the first
dubstep record." ==Music video==