Electronic Composer: The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers, formerly known as The 237 Turbo Nutters and The Dust Brothers, are responsible for rebirth of electronica, and bringing both the electronica and big beat genres to the forefront of mainstream music. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons were childhood classmates that would go on to form a formidable DJ’ing twosome and eventually transition their success into becoming a highly regarded and sought-after musical duo and production team.  While DJ’ing at a star-laden nightclub, they came across artists such as Noel Gallagher from the band Oasis, James Dean Bradfield from the band Manic Street Preachers and Tim Burgess from the Charlatans; forming relationships with the individuals that would result in big breaks for the musical pair. After doing remixes for artists who were already well established, The Chemical Brothers released their debut album and it was an immediate success, going gold within the first year and eventually selling over one million copies worldwide. Their first #1 single wouldn’t be far behind as they teamed with Oasis on “Setting Sun”, the first single off of their second album. The Chemical Brother’s second single, “Block Rockin’ Beats”, earned them a Grammy and their second album, Dig Your Own Hole, reached platinum status as well. After taking a couple of years off to revisit their roots as DJs, Tom and Ed returned to the studio to make their best selling record to date. Surrender strayed from the electro/big beat sound and was directed more towards house music. The record went on to sell over two million copies, featuring collaborations with familiar faces such as Noel Gallagher from Oasis and Bobby Gillespie. The Chemical Brothers have released four more albums since 1999, exploring new sounds and techniques all while returning to the electronic foundation that had garnered them much praise. The northern England musicians’ contributions came at a time when the music charts were dominated by modern rock and grunge. The Brothers took what Kraftwerk had created and turned it into danceable party tracks with crossover appeal. Starpulse.com describes their music as, “the first arena-sized sound in the electronica movement, the Chemical Brothers united such varying influences as Public Enemy, Cabaret Voltaire, and My Bloody Valentine to create a dance-rock-rap fusion which rivaled the best old-school DJs on their own terms -- keeping a crowd of people on the floor by working through any number of groove-oriented styles featuring unmissable samples, from familiar guitar riffs to vocal tags to various sound effects.” If Kraftwerk were the fetus, then The Chemical Brothers would be the infant, crawling on its hands and knees and eventually growing strong enough to support its own weight. Thanks to Ed and Tom this genre has fully matured and is now running sprints with no finish line in sight.

The Chemical Brothers have become inspirations to musicians the way Kraftwerk had been inspirations to them. Artists such as Daft Punk, Death in Vegas, Beth Orton, Cornelius and Air have all built their careers off of the music made by The Chemical Brothers.  Amazingly, The Chemical Brothers’ creations have been far reaching, as Daft Punk are French and Cornelius is Japanese. Tom and Ed’s influences go far beyond the music of Kraftwerk; they are said to have been inspired by the works of The Velvet Underground, The Beatles, Run-D.M.C, Public Enemy and New Order. Their eclectic tastes can be heard prominently throughout their library of tracks as they join fans of all different backgrounds to partake in the enjoyment of their performances. The Chemical Brothers are innovators of this day and age, traversing so many styles and soundscapes that everyone can find something to appreciate. Poet and journalist T. Cole Rachel wrote, “Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons has morphed from simply being another pair of high profile club DJs into a stadium-selling dance act. The band’s sample-heavy electro music inspired the term “big beat,” an apt descriptor for music that typically relies heavily on epic drum sounds and songs that almost always build towards euphoric, dance-floor-friendly crescendos.” With two decades under their belt The Chemical Brothers have evolved from the students to the teachers, and their creative minds have afforded them longevity in the ever-changing music industry.

I remember being in my early teens when I first heard music by The Chemical Brothers and just being blown away. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I was a fan of theirs, but other artists such as Fatboy Slim and Prodigy, who had similar sounds and gained exposure in the US largely in part to The Chemical Brothers’ success, definitely reeled me in to this genre called electronica. I was initially drawn by their use of drum machines, turntables and synthesizers; and then I began to recognize some of the samples they used. Now that I’ve had experience crafting my own songs, I’m more familiar with the way The Chemical Brothers put together their pieces. A lot of their creations are made with MAC computers; they too use Logic Pro and Pro Tools. Just like Kraftwerk, Tom and Ed’s music includes a cocktail of synths and sequencers. They also use effect units and ultra-harmonizers to enhance their music and establish their signature sounds. After Kraftwerk’s electric sound had faded, and all the artists that imitated them in the 80’s had their 15-minutes of fame, the climate shifted and rock music dominated the charts. The Chemical Brothers re-established what Kraftwerk had set in motion and helped to officially give this sound a genre of its own. The Grammy Awards handed out its first Dance/Electronica gramophone trophy in 2005, two of which have been snagged by The Chemical Brothers since its inception. Kraftwerk was once nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1982. In 2006 their latest release Minimum-Maximum was nominated for Dance/Electronica Grammy Award, a category where it rightfully belongs. One can only imagine the hardware Kraftwerk could’ve taken home had there been a grouping that specifically fit the electric genre during their stretch of classic albums. Now artists and groups like David Guetta, Deadmau5 and Skrillex owe a debt of gratitude to The Chemical brothers for making their dreams of recognition a reality.