The Chemical Brothers

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The Chemical Brothers

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Tom & Ed met in history class at Manchester University in 1988. They started off as DJs known as "The 237 Turbo Nutters" (named after the number of their house on Dickenson Road in Manchester and a reference to their Blackburn raving days). They then opted for "The Dust Brothers" which they nicked from the L.A. producers of "Pauls Boutique" (as they thought they would never be famous). In 1995 they changed their name to "The Chemical Brothers" after the real Dust Brothers threatened to sue.
Sites:
thechemicalbrothers.com, forum.thechembase.com, Facebook, instagram.com, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, Last.fm, MySpace, planet-dust.laserjay.net
Aliases:
Bonus Beats Orchestra, The Dust Brothers (2)
Members:
Ed Simons, Tom Rowlands
Variations:
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The Chemical Brothers Discography

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Albums
The Chemical Brothers Exit Planet Dust (Album) Freestyle Dust, Junior Boy's Own, Virgin UK 1995 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole (Album) Freestyle Dust, Virgin Spain 1997 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Surrender (Album) Freestyle Dust, Virgin UK & Europe 1999 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Come With Us (Album) Freestyle Dust, Virgin UK 2001 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Push The Button (Album) Freestyle Dust, Virgin, EMI UK & Europe 2004 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers We Are The Night (Album) Freestyle Dust, Virgin US 2007 Sell This Version
none Chemical Brothers* / Tracey Thorn Chemical Brothers* / Tracey Thorn - Do It Again / Raise The Roof ‎(CDr, Promo) Virgin, Freestyle Dust none Sweden 2007 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Further (Album) Parlophone, Freestyle Dust South America 2010 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Hanna (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Album) Sony Classical Australia 2011 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Don't Think (Album) Parlophone, Parlophone US 2011 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Born In The Echoes (Album) Virgin EMI Records Europe 2015 Sell This Version

Singles & EPs
The Chemical Brothers Life Is Sweet (Single, Maxi) Freestyle Dust, Virgin, Junior Boy's Own UK 1995 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Leave Home (Single, Maxi) Freestyle Dust, Virgin Europe 1995 Sell This Version
The Sabres Of Paradise Versus The Chemical Brothers & Depth Charge The Sabres Of Paradise Versus The Chemical Brothers & Depth Charge - Tow Truck Warp Records, Warp Records UK 1995 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Loops Of Fury (EP) Freestyle Dust, Freestyle Dust, Junior Boy's Own, Virgin UK 1995 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Setting Sun (Single, EP) Freestyle Dust, Virgin Japan 1996 Sell This Version
XDUSTLPDJ 2 The Chemical Brothers Electronic Battle Weapon 1 / Electronic Battle Weapon 2 ‎(12") Freestyle Dust XDUSTLPDJ 2 UK 1996 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers The Private Psychedelic Reel (EP, Single) Freestyle Dust, Virgin UK & Europe 1997 Sell This Version
Chemical Brothers* Block Rockin' Beats (Single, Maxi) Freestyle Dust, Virgin UK 1997 Sell This Version
Chemical Brothers* Elektrobank (Single, Maxi) Freestyle Dust, Virgin US 1997 Sell This Version
JBV 375 The Chemical Brothers / Simone Jay The Chemical Brothers / Simone Jay - Block Rockin' Beats / Wanna B Like A Man ‎(7", Promo) Virgin JBV 375 Italy 1997 Sell This Version
BEGINDJ 97 The Chemical Brothers Where Do I Begin ‎(CD, Single, Promo) Freestyle Dust, Virgin BEGINDJ 97 UK 1997 Sell This Version
XDUSTLPDJ 3 The Chemical Brothers Electronic Battle Weapon 3 / Electronic Battle Weapon 4 ‎(12") Freestyle Dust XDUSTLPDJ 3 UK 1998 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Let Forever Be (Single, Maxi) Freestyle Dust, Virgin Australia 1999 Sell This Version
The Chemical Brothers Out Of Control (Single, Maxi) Freestyle Dust, Virgin Italy 1999 Sell This Version

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Rich.C

Rich.C

January 5, 2017
It was a love of dance and rock music that brought Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons together at Manchester University. Tom had enrolled to be nearer to Factory Records' fabled Hacienda nightclub, and Ed wanted to spend time in the city of his heroes?ûthe Smiths and New Order. This was the early nineties, a heady time for musical change in England. Emerging DJ's like Mike Pickering and Paul Oakenfold were coming back from their Ibiza holidays and trying to re-create the anything goes playlists they had experienced at clubs on the island. This blend of hip-hop, rare house, classic rock and just about anything else provided it worked became known as Balearic (named after the group of Mediterranean islands that include Ibiza). Tom and Ed loved the Balearic blending of genres and started their own similar night at local Manchester club, Naked Under Leather, in 1991. As this extra-curricular diversion grew in popularity, they took the name The Dust Brothers in tribute to the U.S. production team responsible for the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique, and started to produce their own music. Their first effort, "Song To The Siren" immediately put them on the map. Darren Emerson, Andy Weatherall and Lionrock's Justin Robertson all took notice and they soon found themselves in-residence in London as a production and remixing duo.
It was here that they began their now-legendary Heavenly Social Sunday night parties ?û a regular hedonistic gathering that has become over time a touchstone of electronica history credibility with more people claiming to have been than there were nights available. As their notoriety grew, the "real" Dust Brothers sent in the lawyers, so a name change to The Chemical Brothers was required and a graceful departure was fashioned in the title of their debut album Exit Planet Dust (1995). By now they were approaching Underworld levels of fame and critical appreciation, so it was no surprise when Oasis's Noel Gallagher agreed to sing on their Beatle-y "Setting Sun" release, again cementing their popularity in both the rock and dance camps, something that was underscored by their opening gig for Oasis at the Knebworth music festival, a pre-cursor to several headlining global tours. Dig Your Own Hole (1997) followed, with the inescapable hit "Block Rockin' Beats," after which there was the excellent Surrender (1999) ("The Sunshine Underground" being a standout track) and Come With Us (2002). The inevitable career review Singles 93-03 (2003) started tongues wagging about a creative block, but the beats are still rockin' with their pending new effort Push The Button - while the single "Galvanize" promises great things from the brothers Chemical
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superpoison99

superpoison99

July 28, 2016
Одна из лучших непопсовых электорнных - рок команд, которые сохранили звук и стиль 90-х годов! =)
One of the best electronic pop - rock bands that have maintained sound and style of the 90s! =)
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Harbinger28567

Harbinger28567

June 1, 2016
Man, what happened to these guys? It seems that after they released 'Dig Your Own Hole', they abandoned their signature Big Beat sound and shifted more toward House and Electro with each album having a more crappy sound to it, for a lack of better words. And I hate saying it because I've been a fan of the Chemical Bothers since their inception. I remember they used to be one of the biggest names in the industry and had a cutting edge sound that no other artist could come close to touching. But then they released 'Surrender', and they've never gone back to the Big Beat sound. Now I know that the Genre has shifted and Big Beat isn't as popular as it was back in the mid to late nineties, but that is what put these guys on the map along with other artists such as 'The Prodigy' and 'The Crystal Method'. And again, I know it's not easy to put this kind of music together or to come up with it from scratch. It's just kind of sad to hear what these guys have become when it's compared to their earlier albums. Maybe they need to take some more chemicals again to get those creative juices flowing.

Hey, just throwing that idea out there!
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matthew.soden.73

matthew.soden.73

May 22, 2016
"Further" is the finest Electronic album ever.Perfect.It will not be surpassed.
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h4ndcrafted

h4ndcrafted

September 26, 2013
edited over 3 years ago
Hannah is their best work. That is all, I'm a hudge fan but Hannah is in a different league to all their other stuff. Modular heaven.
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SomeWhiteNoise

SomeWhiteNoise

December 17, 2010
edited over 6 years ago
There is no reason to not like these guys. Disagree? Read on:

These guys have traversed so many sonic styles and landscapes, there's something for everyone. They invented the amazing genre big beat with the psychedelic, ground breaking Exit Planet Dust. They came back and perfected it with the dark, powerful Dig Your Own Hole. In terms of big beat, no one can top DYOH, not even the Chems. So when Surrender came along, (personally my favorite album) it threw the genre door wide open for the Brothers, setting them free to explore any music they wanted to. Over that threshold went Tom and Ed.

The first album sent back through that gate was Come With Us. It was an experimental bird, with music of every color, shape, texture. Push The Button was in the same vein, although more commercial, exploring many styles they never touched on before, often aided by collaborations, while still managing to stay true to their roots. I don't exactly prefer either of these albums Chems-wise, but they do have some extremely great high points. After those two hiccups - small as they were - came We Are The Night, a top notch, well polished, and very detailed dance album - that has to be their most underrated work yet. "Overproduced house music". Bah!

The culmination of these exploritative exploits came in the form of Further, their latest album released about six months ago. It's a lot more raw and unrefined than their most recent releases. But it's true Chemical Brothers. They went without any collaborations this time around - Tom actually sings on the tracks that have vocals (except Snow, where Stephanie Dosen provided her ethereal voice) - and it paid off. For the first time ever, we're hearing something once only found in their live sets: pure chemicals, nothing else. It's quite awesome.

Now that they've almost done everything (except maybe a polka album), what's the next step? It looks like a movie soundtrack, as The Chemical Brothers have finished recording the score to 2011 movie Hanna. I'm really anticipating this, director Joe Wright says it's "there's lots of bass, it's very loud." Don't know about you, but that sure gets me excited. This is something totally different for The Chems, which shows that they're just as excited about making music and that they're not going to stop innovating any time soon.

The trouble is that some people have difficulty accepting innovation. I can't believe how many comments, posts, reviews I've read saying "This is crap! Where did the block rocking beats go? I want another Dig Your Own Hole!". It's not going to happen. Sadly, Big Beat is dead, it's been gone for a decade now and I doubt it'll make a comeback anytime soon, as much as I'd love it to. But even if it was still going strong, I doubt the Chems would still be making it today. Their sound evolves, like all good artists do. They're explorers and pioneers and they write their own rules. So if you want more big beats, please don't call their new stuff 'crap'. You should go back and listen to some of the singles, b-sides, and better yet remixes from that era - they won't disappoint.

Tom and Ed have been recording whatever the hell they wanted to for eighteen years now, blowing the minds of partiers and intellectuals alike. And they know what they're doing. They can make you feel, dance, sing, and experience things only music can bring. So respect the bros. It Doesn't Matter whether you can't stand anything past Dig Your Own Hole, love what they did with Push The Button and We Are The Night, jam to their entire back catalouge like I do, or are totally new to their music, you simply have to hand it to these pioneers of music. They've done it all.

Love Is All!
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northregent

northregent

November 3, 2010
they havent made good music since their kylie minogue remix, which was like 2003. nonetheless, they are still one of the greatest artists on the strength of their older tracks.
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RobForrester

RobForrester

April 11, 2010
Which just goes to show how lazy I am.
I mean, how did I mis "morning lemon"???
as soon as I heard "leave home" on RDU I RAN to echo records and got the double gatefold immediately. I don't even think it was available on cd...

It's their best track. It had me locked.

Everything after is, well, it's ok. ok... sure it's good. but...

Ah, F))k it.

Morning lemon, is what I wanted. I didn't even know it.

But I do now.

I have converted. I am reborn.

wink's as good as a nod to a blind bat.
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crazyaejay

crazyaejay

July 14, 2007
edited over 5 years ago
If there is one thing to learn from The Chemical Brothers it's that longevity in music requires a unique and evolving sound. None of their albums sound the same, yet if you were to play Exit Planet Dust to someone who only heard We Are The Night, they will probably guess it's still the Chems. It's their specific sound that sets them apart from hit single-driven producers. Even their singles are diverse; it's more common to see a b-side than a remix. After all this is said, DJs never shy away from playing classics like Hey Boy Hey Girl or Block Rockin' Beats. It just goes to show that they cover every basis; flowing yet diverse albums, club-ready singles, rockin' b-sides, whatever.

Exit Planet dust is dirty, mind-blowing stuff only to be amplified with louder drums and bass in Dig Your Own Hole, which is considered by many to be the pinnacle of their career. The Private Psychedelic Reel set the tone for their next album; Surrender. It's deep psychedelia at its prime, which at times seems reflective, and others mind blowing. Hey Boy Hey Girl will always be a great club tune, whether you heard it for the first or millionth time. Come With Us showcased all of the various styles the Chems excel at; chaos in the title track and My Elastic Eye, acidic tribal vibes from It Began In Afrika, the joyous house sound of Star Guitar, Beatles-like psychedelia in Pioneer Skies, the smooth melody of The State We're In and they really rock out in The Test. It's definitely their most varied album, which is probably why some people were disappointed with it. However, if you keep in mind how diverse it is, it's amazing how the same two guys made the whole thing. What an appropriate album to come before their greatest hits. Obviously with a duo like this, there is no way of cramming all of your best work on to one disc without chopping every track in half. It's cool that they put the tracks in chronological order, too. The two singles from the album are both very different. Get Yourself High made way for all future trippy hip-hop tunes like Galvanize, Left, Right, and The Salmon Dance. It makes one never forget that before the Chems released albums, these were the kinds of tracks they DJed with. The Golden Path made way for all of the deeper/emotional tracks found on Push The Button and We Are The Night. Also, the bonus disc for the limited edition is a great collection of some very rare tracks.

Push The Button and We Are The Night have very similar styles yet are two completely different sounding albums. The one thing that stands out for me in both albums is their ability to create purely instrumental tracks that are deep with emotion; they can make anyone feel something. Marvo Ging, a track written about a childhood friend who did magic tricks and called himself just that sounds like childhood innocence being captivated by something which isn't necessarily captivating. Surface To Air can bring a tear to anyone's eye. It slowly evolves from a mumbling intro to a beautiful display of instrumental harmonies, then abruptly ends. Although vocal, Close Your Eyes proves that they have an ear for talent as no one could have made that track amazing besides The Magic Numbers. The vocal harmonies mixed with the reflective percussion and dreamy synths can uplift anyone who listens. We Are The Night has become their go-to album for me. I can listen to it over and over without it getting repetitive. It starts with a filtered bassy vocal repeating, "There's no path to follow..." as it evolves into higher frequencies only to be cut off by a screaming synth that will stab your eardrums. As that synth slowly fades, the title track begins. We Are The Night (the track) encompasses everything amazing about The Chemical Brothers; it's like a best of album in 6 minutes. Saturate (Electronic Battle Weapon 8) is an incredible instrumental track. It starts soft, making you think it will be somewhat of a mellow house track, but it gradually intensifies, then stops, then gradually intensifies again. The second time around it stays and becomes something beautiful with desperately screaming instruments in harmony ever increasing in melodic emotion. Amazing.

2008 marked the release of their 2nd best of album, Brotherhood; 5 years after their first. This compilation features 9 of the same tracks from the first one, 4 newer tracks, and 2 completely new tracks; Keep My Composure (which can be heard albeit slightly differently on the Heroes soundtrack) and Midnight Madness (aka Electronic Battle Weapon 10). This collection makes a nice album to listen to as the tracks flow nicely from one to the other and aren't in any particular order. However, the bonus disc featuring all 10 Electronic Battle Weapon tracks makes this set awesome.

Further marks a first (and hopefully not the last) for the brothers; no featured artists. At risk of sounding ineloquent, holy shit was that ever a great idea! This album is bare-bones Chemical Brothers. It took a lot of balls to release something that has almost no pop appeal whatsoever. It is an incredible album. The fact that the special edition came with a DVD of accompanying visuals is a nice bonus as well and watching it really illustrates the cohesiveness of the album. Although inaccessible to the masses, Further is a modern underground masterpiece.

In 2011, they composed their first film score; Hanna. I watched the film at the theater and was actually quite surprised how amazing the score was even as a big fan of theirs. The tension and suspense on screen was amplified perfectly through their music. Incredible. I really hope they do more film scores. I don't care if it's for Twilight or something, I'll have to go see it. The soundtrack relase itself is a tad bit disappointing because almost every track leaves you wanting more since they seem cut short. As soon as a track starts getting awesome, it cuts into the next one. I swear they were longer in the actual film. I wish they would come out with extended versions of some of the tracks. That would be great.

No matter what syle they are currently exploring and evolving into, The Chemical Brothers always keep the same feel to all of their work. There is something about all of their tracks that sets them apart from any other musical act on the planet, yet they remain ever changing and their tracks never sound the same. It is simply indescribable how they manage to pull that off so well, but it's easy to figure out how they remained the top of their game and will keep doing so until they retire.
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anType

anType

August 10, 2004
edited over 12 years ago
It all started in 1992, when "Song To The Siren" was produced and released - it was one of the first (if not THE first) big beat tunes in the world. It sounded very fresh at that time and it blew Andy Weatherall, Hacienda and many other clubs, people and producers away. As the time was passing by, they've started to become more famous - so that even the original stateside Dust Brothers realized that their moniker was being 'abused' by some newcomers from Manchester.
"Exit Planet Dust" was the beginning of a brand new chapter in music history. It was the music the world was waiting for - something that no one has ever heard before. However, it was "Setting Sun" that got everyone talking about Chems. Not necessarily their best track, but definitely their most popular. Shortly after its release, the demand for big beat was unbelievably high. Artists like Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, Propellerheads, Junkie XL, Lunatic Calm, Midfield General, The Crystal Method...and many many others have decided to work for the big beat audience.
Released in 1997, the Chemical Brothers' second album "Dig Your Own Hole" has launched big beat to a brand new level. It was the music you could hear EVERYWHERE - on radio, on TV and in movies.
A follow-up to "Dig Your Own Hole", "Surrender", has proven that The Chemical Brothers are always expanding their limits, producing new music, and never repeating themselves. The album was more chilled and the sound was more 'polished', compared to the raw and powerful sound of "Dig Your Own Hole". Needless to say, a lot of fans were put off by the album, but Chems have also gained some new ones.
Nowadays, The Chemical Brothers may not be as influential as they were before, but their music still oozes quality and perfection.

As a summary, I just wanted to say that if it weren't for The Chemical Brothers, the big beat wouldn't have been as popular as it was. The Chemical Brothers are related to big beat just like Kraftwerk are related to electro and like The Beatles are related to rock & roll.
I'm not saying that you must like their music, I'm just saying that you should at least respect them for what they have done. Yes, big beat is now dead. But it died around year 2000 - just when Chems have changed the music route, so maybe it really was them, who was the driving force?
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