Like always, missed out on the entire event/fallout...
First impressions on Through Me -
what a weird track. Really on the fringes of what we've heard from The Chems or Tom himself in the past. Very tight (though that might be due to the Radio Edit structure), edgy, frisky, upfront with samples, reminds me a whole lot of the direction Orbital took with The Altogether. In fact, it's like Tom got a time machine, went back in time, and remixed some unreleased Orbital song from the Altogether era. Light, stripped down and straight forward, and surprisingly lacking in some of the trademark wild off the wall FX-like sounds typical in The Chem's music (maybe that's Ed's job). Not all that thrilled by it. Though it might grow on me.
Second/third listens -
This track is almost like Electronic Battle Weapon 9 part 2! Seriously. The bassline is an octave or two higher, but eerily similar, and the percussion is highly derived from EBW9, right down to the cowbells. Continuning the last train of thought, it's like The Altogether era Orbital travelled forward in time and remixed EBW9 while they were working on it. There's similarities, and I'm all for conspiracies, but they're really not close enough to be complementary tracks (like EBW3 = Under The Influence). In some way, they're sister tracks. Where Through Me is the dressed-up pretty bitch sister and EBW9's the sister who's smoking and putting out like crazy. And for the record, EBW9 > Through Me (but don't take that as my preference in women
). That breakdown is undeniably Chemical. The track feels a lot like the old neglected b-sides like Buzz Tracks and The Rock Drill. Still don't like this track much. I would only get this EP on the strength of Nothing But Pleasure.
Speaking of conspiracy theories:
A
2-track solo EP from Tom came out in
1993. This EP resurfaces on the forum within five months of... a new
2-track solo EP from Tom. Which is coming out in
2013. Exactly 20 years later...
Cool to hear they're starting work on a new album and always good to get new tunes, whatever they are.
/tired rant WhiteNoise off