The act with the first arena-sized sound in the ’90s electronica movement, Grammy-winning English electronic duo the Chemical Brothers united such varying influences as Public Enemy, Cabaret Voltaire, and My Bloody Valentine to create a dance-rock-rap fusion that rivaled the best old-school DJs on their own terms, keeping a crowd of people on the dancefloor by working through any number of groove-oriented styles featuring unmistakable samples from familiar guitar riffs to vocal tags to various sound effects.
“The ” in dub mix ” channels our love of dub music – where the foundation is drum and bass and the lead instrument is the mixing desk ,where a delay feeding back on itself can be as exciting as a heartfelt lyric.a lot of this music pushes the boundaries of what can be done with a multi track and an application of echo ,eq and phase . its a constant inspiration to us of what is possible in the studio and the myriad of ways you can find to interpret a song.”
And when the duo (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons) decided to supplement their DJ careers by turning their bedrooms into recording studios, they pioneered a style of music (later termed big beat) remarkable for its lack of energy loss from the dancefloor to the radio. From their seminal 1995 debut, Exit Planet Dust, Chemical Brothers albums were less collections of songs and more hour-long journeys, chock-full of deep bomb-studded beats, percussive breakdowns, and effects borrowed from a host of sources.
All in all, the duo proved one of the few exceptions to the rule that intelligent dance music could never be bombastic nor truly satisfying to the seasoned rock fan, helping them become one of the few dance acts to enjoy simultaneous success in the British and American mainstream and in critical quarters.
“We’re excited to bring you a selection of some of our favourite music – a deep dig into our record collections. Hopefully there will be something there for you whatever time of day you’re tuning in. Keep listening for exclusive DJ mixes that will explore some of our musical passions.”
