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THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS
The Chemical Brothers With Robin Turner
Paused In Cosmic Reflection - Record Store Exclusive Edition
White Rabbit
Record Store Exclusive Edition
- Housed in a bespoke slipcase
- Alternate colourway
- Ribbon marker
- Kate Gibb risograph art print
- Limited to 1500 copies
Paused in Cosmic Reflection is the definitive story of The Chemical Brothers. Told in the voices of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, with contributions from friends and collaborators, it is fully illustrated with 30 years of mind-bending visuals.
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are The Chemical Brothers. In the UK, they have had six No. 1 albums and 13 top-20 singles, including two chart-toppers. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. Robin Turner has worked with The Chems for more than twenty years.
- Housed in a bespoke slipcase
- Alternate colourway
- Ribbon marker
- Kate Gibb risograph art print
- Limited to 1500 copies
Paused in Cosmic Reflection is the definitive story of The Chemical Brothers. Told in the voices of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, with contributions from friends and collaborators, it is fully illustrated with 30 years of mind-bending visuals.
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are The Chemical Brothers. In the UK, they have had six No. 1 albums and 13 top-20 singles, including two chart-toppers. They were pioneers in bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. Robin Turner has worked with The Chems for more than twenty years.
The undisputed masters of brain-altering, transcendent electronics return with their first studio album since 2010’s "Further". Released to coincide with headline slots at Glastonbury, Sonar and Bestival, The Chemical Brothers’ eighth studio album - "Born In The Echoes" - is a magnificent 11-track collection of lean, propulsive machine driven music. From juddering robotic funk to unhinged futurist freakbeat; icy spectral psych to rhapsodic analogue synthetics; from euphoric spiritual acid to harmonic ambient distortion, the album is the sound of a reinvigorated Chemical Brothers creating some of the most mind-expanding music of their career to date. "Born In The Echoes" features a stellar cast of collaborators including previous guests Q-Tip, Ali Love (EML Ritual) as well as first time visitors to the studio - St. Vincent, Cate Le Bon and Beck (his first new music since his Grammy winning album "Morning Phase").
Following their fourth consecutive #1 album, the double Grammy winning "Push The Button", 2007 saw The Chemical Brothers return with their sixth long player "We Are The Night"; twelve tracks that cover psychedelic warehouse party acid music, electro-breakers, dreamy Balearica, 80s inspired alt-dance sounds and even a bit of new rave, euphorically melodic and as uncompromising as their retina scorching live shows. Trailed by the madcapped, cartoony future funk of "The Salmon Dance", "We Are The Night" set its psychedelic stall out from the off, sweeping through krautrock killers "A Modern Midnight Conversation". As ever Tom and Ed gathered together a stellar list of contemporary vocalists to add depth to their tracks. This time round guest appearances come from Klaxons, Willy Mason, Fat Lip, Spank Rock, Ali Love and Midlake's Tim Smith. Grooves, bleeps and beats that sound like robots brawling - plenty of fuel for your salmon dancing party!
TRACK LISTING
No Path To Follow
We Are The Night
All Rights Reversed
Saturate
Do It Again
Das Spiegel
The Salmon Dance
Burst Generator
A Modern Midnight Conversation
Battle Scars
Harpoons
The Pills Won't Help You Now
On "Further" The Chemical Brothers explore new grounds. From the first squeezed-out notes, those analogue dots and dashes that flash and spark from the speakers, "Further" sounds like a record that is trying to break out of its confines. Like an alien Morse code transmission, it pulses like an Earth bound signal that’s been bounced off the side of orbiting space debris. Snatches of voices found out in the ether cut through the machine fog, drifting across burbling analogue equipment lovingly kept working long after supposed sell-by date. By the time the click and thump of snare and bass drum arrive, the sounds are all encompassing, swirling around you with dizzying, disorientating effect. Noise is untethered by constraints of volume, seemingly leaping from left to right to middle with a life of its own. This was The Chemical Brothers' most psychedelic album to date, almost referencing Spiritualized's opus "Ladies And Gentlemen...." It shows Tom and Ed developing as they mature, veering away from the club and into the living rooms and coffee tables of the rave generation; music to lose your mind to, in the comfort of your own home! "Further" is the culmination of nearly two decades of psychedelic exploration, an immersive collection that sees The Chemical Brothers at their least-restrained and most free spirited, melodic best.
The Chemical Brothers - one of the most acclaimed and innovative electronic duo in the world - have announced details of their tenth studio album For That Beautiful Feeling.
Recorded in the band’s own studio just near the south coast, this is a record that hunts for and captures that that wild moment when sound overwhelms you and almost pulls you under yet ultimately lets you ride its wave, to destinations unknown. It’s a record that pinpoints the exact moment you lose all control, where you surrender and let the music move you as if pulled by an invisible thread.
Matt says: Rocketing into orbit with the stadium inferno that is “Live Again”, there’s little chance to touch down, as Tom and Ed hit the thrusters for one of the most stratospheric ‘Chems LPs we can remember. A rousing & rebellious message for our times, with the usual smattering of guest appearances and sampled vox articulating their uplifting insubordination with soaring, memorable hooks.
Recorded in the band’s own studio just near the south coast, this is a record that hunts for and captures that that wild moment when sound overwhelms you and almost pulls you under yet ultimately lets you ride its wave, to destinations unknown. It’s a record that pinpoints the exact moment you lose all control, where you surrender and let the music move you as if pulled by an invisible thread.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: There is absolutely no sign that The Chemical Brothers are slowing down, with 2019's incendiary 'No Geography' blowing people away and 'For That Beautiful Feeling' set to do so even more. It's a triumphant, heavy hitting marvel that is enhanced perfectly by Halo Maud's distinctive vocal talents. Classic 'chems and then some.Matt says: Rocketing into orbit with the stadium inferno that is “Live Again”, there’s little chance to touch down, as Tom and Ed hit the thrusters for one of the most stratospheric ‘Chems LPs we can remember. A rousing & rebellious message for our times, with the usual smattering of guest appearances and sampled vox articulating their uplifting insubordination with soaring, memorable hooks.
TRACK LISTING
1. Intro
2. Live Again (feat. Halo Maud)
3. No Reason
4. Goodbye
5. Fountains
6. Magic Wand
7. The Weight
8. Skipping Like A Stone (feat. Beck)
9. The Darkness That You Fear (Harvest Mix)
10. Feels Like I’m Dreaming
11. For That Beautiful Feeling (feat. Halo Maud)
Tom n Ed, possibly one of the UK's most influential and successful electronic music outfits, return with a brand new single: "No Reason". Featuring a bleak lyrical hook (provided by a vocal sample from Second Layer's "Courts Or War") - 'we have no reason to live / no reason at all / when will they kill us all' - the track's poignantly gloomy outlook is juxtaposed by one of their typically galvanized grooves - pairing up a punchy B-line with nuevo-disco drums, the odd vocal whoop and darting synth stabs. Add a lashing 303 and military snare rolls which allude to its shadowy war-mongering. It's stadium friendly, with soaring breakdowns and full fat processing; and has been going down a storm at their live shows for the past year or so.
As much as dance music is about hedonism and escapism, there's always been a political and social commentary underlining the best bits. The Chems perfectly balance energy release with wry contemplation on a track that is destined to become a global hit.
On the flip, they pop the cork off the dance tent, firing off sharp acid lines, precision beats and head-splitting reversals - layering up the incessant percussion lines for a fiery and frothy techno steam train that'll have everyone sweating and gasping for breath. Festival season better be ready!
As much as dance music is about hedonism and escapism, there's always been a political and social commentary underlining the best bits. The Chems perfectly balance energy release with wry contemplation on a track that is destined to become a global hit.
On the flip, they pop the cork off the dance tent, firing off sharp acid lines, precision beats and head-splitting reversals - layering up the incessant percussion lines for a fiery and frothy techno steam train that'll have everyone sweating and gasping for breath. Festival season better be ready!
STAFF COMMENTS
Matt says: Nihilistic in vocal content, with clever sampling of Second Layer (me neither) - The Chemical Brothers deliver a stadium slaying hit which still has summery connotations whilst biting hard at the jugular. Always the same, always different!TRACK LISTING
A. No Reason
B. All Of A Sudden
"No Geography", the Chemical Brothers tenth studio album since 1995, features singles "Free Yourself" and "MAH" ('a short & bloody ride into our modern media psychosis' - The Guardian) and the forthcoming single "Got To Keep On". Many tracks feature vocals by Norwegian singer / songwriter Aurora while Japanese rapper Nene features on "Eve of Destruction".
It's quintessentially a Chemical experience from start to finish - combining the duo's uncanny knack at sound design and break manipulation with their usual playful, stadium-slaying production. Like contemporaries Modeselektor, Tom & Ed never take themselves too seriously, yet ably compete with the world's best producers. They combine the myriad and often fractured, disparate influences and styles across the dance music spectrum into something that they can confidently declair their own. 25 years in the game and you still know when it's a Chemical Brothers beat! Unmissable stuff from two of Northern England's greatest dance music exponents.
It's quintessentially a Chemical experience from start to finish - combining the duo's uncanny knack at sound design and break manipulation with their usual playful, stadium-slaying production. Like contemporaries Modeselektor, Tom & Ed never take themselves too seriously, yet ably compete with the world's best producers. They combine the myriad and often fractured, disparate influences and styles across the dance music spectrum into something that they can confidently declair their own. 25 years in the game and you still know when it's a Chemical Brothers beat! Unmissable stuff from two of Northern England's greatest dance music exponents.
STAFF COMMENTS
Matt says: Brothers Chem return ahead of another world tour. Have they lost their magic? Definitely not. Like good wine, they get better as time goes on. Effortlessly turning their hand to whatever trend dance music throws at them; Tom and Ed ride again!TRACK LISTING
1. Eve Of Destruction
2. Bango
3. No Geography
4. Got To Keep On
5. Gravity Drops
6. The Universe Sent Me
7. We’ve Got To Try
8. Free Yourself
9. MAH
10. Catch Me I’m Falling
Ok, onto the second release of the Chemical Brothers life changing discography and it was this one that really set the world on fire. "Dig Your Own Hole" saw the pair hit the mainstream - mainly due to the extensive licensing for advertising the album saw - forcing the pair to address the issue in interviews at the time (underground dance music doesn't belong on adverts - said the critics...). But for the less elitist this didn't bother us, it actually shone a light on this incredible act OUTSIDE of the club (remember, I was only 13 years old at the time!) meaning a whole generation of teenagers suddenly started listening to dance music and reading Ministry / Mixmag - even though we were too young to go to any of the clubs! Such was the mystic power of the Chems. Tracks off this album need little introduction. "Block Rockin' Beats" - you know that one. "Where Do I Begin" - saw the return of the fragile, Elf-like beauty that is Beth Orton on vocals and became a comedown anthem of the times. "The Private Psychedelic Reel" showed that they could do epic, festival pleasing songs - earning them regular appearance at Glastonbury and the multitude of outdoor raves up and down the country. Then there's fuckin NOEL GALLAGHER (!!!) on "Setting Sun" - instantly aligning the baggy, floppy haired duo with the massive, fledging Brit Pop scene. The rest, as they say, is history - the Chems became a global act; they headlined the Pyramid Stage about 5 years on the trot, James Holroyd (Piccadilly customer and Bugged Out! resident) became their tour DJ, again, cementing their credentials with the dance music aficionados of the day. Nine more albums were to emanate from the pair, with countless remixes and singles to boot. But to me, the first trilogy of albums, with "Surrender" following in 2001, where the absolute zenith for me, and iconic slices of UK dance music heritage that should be displayed with pride at any instance. A classic.
The Chems bring us another collision of breaks and 4/4 beats, with influences taken from acid house, electro, rock and funk. Their fourth album proper, it saw Tom and Ed deploy their tough but funky brand of breakbeat driven electronics alongside more radio friendly, dare I say it, poppier moments. Chemical Bro. favourite Beth Orton makes another welcome appearance on "The State We're In", while a newly formed relationship with the Verve's Richard Ashcroft results in album closer "The Test" seeing Brothers Chem conjure up a fiery broth of rumbling breaks and epic chord changes, with Ashcroft throwing down a very "Loaded"-era vocal. "Come With Us", "It Began In Afrika" and "Star Guitar" all ensured this would be getting maximum radio play, while tracks like "Denmark" and "Pioneer Skies" ensured those headlining festival slots would have fresh material to blow the roof off with. "Hoops" and "My Elastic Eye" sealing the deal with classic Chemical Brother breaks. Another wonderful set from the duo.
As we move through the millennial years, so to The Chemical Brothers accompanied us on our musical journey. Onto album number five, and it's another winner, jam packed with breaks, hybrids, crossovers and collaborations. Opening with the monster new cut "Galvanize", featuring a killer rap by Q-Tip (and reaching no. 3 in the charts - their highest since "Hey Boy, Hey Girl"). Next came "The Boxer", featuring Tim Burgess again, but this time ditching the 'weedy' (his words) approach, for a more ballsy, anthemic chorus. "Push The Button" positioned itself at the top of the pile of heavyweight breaks-crossover LPs. While Fatboy Slim floundered and The Prodigy got all electroclash on us, The Chems stuck to what they did best; making block-rocking, chunky tracks (which have hooks!), either on a breakbeat tip, mellower moments or 4/4 electronic drivers (techno had, of course, began to take over breakbeat as the nightclub sound of choice), all of which create a proper, cohesive LP rather than a collection of singles and fillers. Other headlining colabs crop up: Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Anna-Lynne Williams (Trespassers William), The Magic Numbers, Anwar Superstar (Mos Def's bro') all stepping up to the mic to contribute. By now they were global superstars, but they still had a foot in the underground club scene, and were still a formidable force live. One of the truly great British bands.
STAFF COMMENTS
Matt says:
Continuing with celebrating 40 years of disruption of the Virgin Records label, we’re pressing a very limited number of the some of the labels land mark albums as single and double vinyl LPs.
Released in 1999 'Surrender' proved that the Chemical Brothers were always bigger and better than the one dimensional big beat genre they'd been lumped with earlier in the decade. Showcasing Tom and Ed's expansive musical tastes the album takes in motorik krautrock rhythms, 80s electro-disco ('Out Of Control' featuring Bernard Sumner), Beatlesesque psychedelic block rockers ('Let Forever Be' with Noel Gallagher), fierce technoid bangers, sun-dappled dreaminess ('Asleep From Day' featuring Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval) and mega festival smashes ('Hey Boy Hey Girl'). all given the widescreen Chemicals production feel.
Released in 1999 'Surrender' proved that the Chemical Brothers were always bigger and better than the one dimensional big beat genre they'd been lumped with earlier in the decade. Showcasing Tom and Ed's expansive musical tastes the album takes in motorik krautrock rhythms, 80s electro-disco ('Out Of Control' featuring Bernard Sumner), Beatlesesque psychedelic block rockers ('Let Forever Be' with Noel Gallagher), fierce technoid bangers, sun-dappled dreaminess ('Asleep From Day' featuring Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval) and mega festival smashes ('Hey Boy Hey Girl'). all given the widescreen Chemicals production feel.