The primary creative elements of the band The Chemical Brothers, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, met in Manchester, United Kingdom. Originally formed in 1994 as The Dust Brothers, a lawsuit and a "mindblowing debut" prompted the name change. Beginning as disc jockeys, Rowlands and Simons progressed to establishing strong ties within Manchester's Naked Under Leather club and London's The Heavenly Sunday Social, to self-produced singles to landing a label.
The disc jockey and club base forms much of what makes Exit Planet Dust a solid release. "In Dust We Trust," somewhat similar to a chase sequence, creatively employs synthesized bass for a unique sound. "Three Little Birdies Down Beats," with its haunting and relentless tone, exhibits quite an intriguing beat and is one of the band's more impressive accomplishments. "Chemical Beats," while abundant with grunts, will likely otherwise grab your attention with intriguing descending and "gateway" sound effects. "Chico's Groove," with a mellow, steady bass about one-half note sharp and a semiconscious "Lathe of Heaven"-ish format will likely perk the listener's ears as an interesting contrast to the band's traditional sound. "Playground for a Wedgeless Firm" inspires symbolic images, such as that of a conception or of an animal attempting to break free from constraint: quite a unique and atypical sound. "Alive Alone," nearly crooning of the shining nature of the subject of the song, is another tangent to the typical hard-driving style of The Chemical Brothers. If you liked the somber tone of Mazzy Star's 1993 "Fade Into You", the song will also likely appeal.
A couple tracks detract from the overall aura of the album. "Leave Home" doesn't work; reminiscent of the theme of an early Seventies' action television program, it consists of rhythm in discord and six words repeated dozens of times. "Fuck Up Beats" is blandly repetitive and monotonous while "Life Is Sweet" only distracts, with weak vocals making the song a sour experience.
Exit Planet Dust provides a stimulating and talented audio array of underground style to which The Chemical Brothers can make a claim with a degree of confidence. Vocals, however, are at a marked premium, giving Exit Planet Dust the inherent originality of any advanced electronics technician with a sound card.
