REVIEW: Chemical Brothers, Brothers Gonna Work It Out
(Astralwerks)
- Simon West
Before The Chemical Brothers hit paydirt as pioneers of big-beat, they were critically lauded DJs, spinning discs around Europe's more notable dancefloors. Their third full-length release sees the Brothers return to their turntable roots with a continuous mix that includes some 23 tracks across a wide array of genres, blended to form the year's best party album.
Funk, rock, hip-hop, industrial and various flavors of what has come to be known as electronica are masterfully mixed together - the depth of the Chemical Brothers' record collection is matched by their ability to work a dancefloor. They're savvy enough to include several of their own compositions - a heavily remixed "Block Rockin' Beats" by Micronauts makes an appearance, along with "Elektrobank" b-side "Not Another Drugstore", "Morning Lemon" and more than a few familiar samples. A couple of Chemical remixes close out the party
- their masterful deconstruction of Manic Street Preachers' "Everything Must Go" leads into a swirling mix of "I Think I'm Love" by Spiritualized. Earlier, industrial mainstays Meat Beat Manifesto ("Mars Needs Women") sit alongside early electronica artists/dub terrorists Renegade Soundwave ("Thunder").You'll recognize bits here and there then, but this is no mail-order dance compilation - there's more obscurity than Top 40 in the mix. The great strength of Brothers Gonna Work It Out is apparent when turned up loud with lots of people around - this is a mix to dance to, pure and simple.
From the funk of the title track, through the hard beats of the Brothers' own work, hip-hop beats and rhymes, and several minutes of ultra-cheesy seventies funk, this disc exists purely to move the body. The usual anonymous techno found on a mix CD is conspicuous by its absence - The Chemical Brothers' popularity has always stemmed from their ability to recognize a good hook when they hear it, and this extends beyond their own compositions to their DJing selections. Immaculate taste and a mean ear for rhythm. Buy. Have a loud party.
