Commercial is when a record is composed in a pop-mainstream genre. I.e. is targeted at a wider range of audience who can potentially accept and listen to the record.

Currently well-sold music is hip-hop/rap and that is why I called PTB commercial.

DYOH wasn't commercial, and neither were the previous albums, including Come With Us (Star Guitar appealed to more people and I really enjoy that track too). The Chems *we know* always appeared more underground, with music not everyone listens to. And that is what a great deal of indie musicians do.

I know nothing of the financial situation with Chemical Brothers - who knows, maybe they bought a truck of various vintage synths and had no money, so they decided to do some hip-hop stuff - I don't know. But I don't enjoy any of their rap stuff.

So, the reality is - Chems threw in a few 'commercial' tracks on PTB. I hope they just did it for the sake of the album being sold well and not because they are now into rap. Maybe the studio politely asked them to do some pop records, I don't know. We should ask them, I guess.

And yeah, it's a big problem with indie musicians who want to release their albums under a major label. Exactly the same thing is happening with the film production - if you want your film to be financed by a major studio like Warner Bros. or Columbia Tristar, you have to play by their rules, and sometimes they may want to even change your cast, script, or the way you shoot the film - the studio has full rights over the final product, and because they are paying for the production, they can change whatever they want. They don't usually, but it happens every once in a while.

@23.976 Escribi�:

Commercial is when a record is composed in a pop-mainstream genre. I.e. is targeted at a wider range of audience who can potentially accept and listen to the record.

Currently well-sold music is hip-hop/rap and that is why I called PTB commercial.

DYOH wasn't commercial, and neither were the previous albums, including Come With Us (Star Guitar appealed to more people and I really enjoy that track too). The Chems *we know* always appeared more underground, with music not everyone listens to. And that is what a great deal of indie musicians do.

I know nothing of the financial situation with Chemical Brothers - who knows, maybe they bought a truck of various vintage synths and had no money, so they decided to do some hip-hop stuff - I don't know. But I don't enjoy any of their rap stuff.

So, the reality is - Chems threw in a few 'commercial' tracks on PTB. I hope they just did it for the sake of the album being sold well and not because they are now into rap. Maybe the studio politely asked them to do some pop records, I don't know. We should ask them, I guess.

eh...EPD is charged with hip hop beats. .

Yes, because that's basically what big beat is - sped up hip hop drums, or funky 70's style drums. Acoustic mostly.

I'm talking about the BD-SHAKE-CLAP kind of hip hop. The one some refer to as "gangsta hip hop". You know what I mean?



I'm pretty sure that Chems have some sort of agreement with the label - as long as they throw in some mainstream tracks, they can fill the rest of the album with whatever they want. Sounds reasonable.



And about big beat being dead - I don't know.. I mean, there are other big beat artists out there. I myself was heavily influenced by Brothers and other 'alternative electronics' and try to compose in the big beat/funky beats genre (I don't want to post my music simply because this is not the right place, apparently the tracks are going to be compared to Brothers' work instead of being judged on its own).

I don't think any style is dead, it's just may not so popular anymore.

Take The 5.6.7.8's - we thought twist is dead.

@23.976 Escribi�:

I'm pretty sure that Chems have some sort of agreement with the label - as long as they throw in some mainstream tracks, they can fill the rest of the album with whatever they want. Sounds reasonable.

You actually believe this to be the case? Personally, I had assumed that tracks such as "Get Yourself High", "Galvanize", and "Left Right" were only confirmations of the Chemical Brothers appreciation for Hip Hop music. Despite what many seem to think, Hip Hop music isn't bad at all. Like all genres, there are good artists and bad artists. What we see from the chemical brothers is a fusion of sounds. Hip Hop just so happens to be one of them. I find it quite offensive that you would suggest they recorded these tracks out of an arrangement with a label. I seriously doubt that Tom and Ed would sink that low. Besides, this is good musix we're talking about. They collaborated with Q-Tip and Anwar Suprstarr on PTB. These are actually, well, GOOD Hip-Hop artists.

@23.976 Escribi�:

Yes, because that's basically what big beat is - sped up hip hop drums, or funky 70's style drums. Acoustic mostly.

I'm talking about the BD-SHAKE-CLAP kind of hip hop. The one some refer to as "gangsta hip hop". You know what I mean?



I'm pretty sure that Chems have some sort of agreement with the label - as long as they throw in some mainstream tracks, they can fill the rest of the album with whatever they want. Sounds reasonable.



And about big beat being dead - I don't know.. I mean, there are other big beat artists out there. I myself was heavily influenced by Brothers and other 'alternative electronics' and try to compose in the big beat/funky beats genre (I don't want to post my music simply because this is not the right place, apparently the tracks are going to be compared to Brothers' work instead of being judged on its own).

I don't think any style is dead, it's just may not so popular anymore.

Take The 5.6.7.8's - we thought twist is dead.

eh i dont think so....

That's just my guess.

Btw, it's nice that you make the sentence you're talking about bold. Because when people quote a post, sometimes it has a couple of points (all of mine usually do) and it gets confusing.

Yeah, I think you should google up a bunch of interviews, it seems, as the first album was made before they signed to virgin, they always emphasiez that they have great freedom from the label...



But i agree the structure of the songs has become more classi,c more "linear" (that's a perfect word) but, maybe it is just a natural evolution for them, I do not think it has anything to do with the brothers doign it on purpose to sell more records. CWU was quite ambitious and did not do very well, although, IMO, it was great, perhaps because some of the tracks were too surpising for your average listener. you have to take in account that the hemical generation wo grew up with electronic music and clubs is getting older and maybe is less attracted towards fucked up tracks. I do not know. the trend in electronic music these day seems to tend towards linear, unsurprinsing tracks, but that's just my opinion.



When it all started there was a whole new continent to explore, then artists went further inventing new crossovers, with electornic jazz, rock, or even tango, but now, it is hard to be as innovative, as there is not much left to be invented, so i think, maybe if PTB had ben out in 1995 everybody would think it is massive, fresh, new and innovative, but nowadays, it sounds maiinstream.



Perhaps it is just the listeners that have evolved.



Anyway, i see the point you arte trying to make, here, I recognize PTB is not as innovative as their past album, more linear, and htus maybe a bit disappointning, but when you judge it by itself, it remains a great record IMO.



People have to get over the big beat thing, I love big beat, it is not dead, it is just less a craze than it was in 1997, but stop expecting another DYOH (And I'm one of those regretting Big beat's "death"). It breaks my heart when I see @23 describing a chemical formula, a recipe ("those beats, and this kind of bass and this structure"), I mean music would be boring if you just followed recipes. it is all about innovation, isn't it?

I exected originality and experimentation, not repetition and mainstream pop music.

Generally people get more chilled out as they get older ok.



I listen to much softer stuff now than I did 10 years ago. Maybe its just where their heads are at right. Its still a really good album. All of them have been so far and they still rock big time live.

[A]



Stop charging the brothers of minimalist crimes! The new record has its moments -- as most music does -- where simplicity rules, but it is by no means an album of simplistic tracks and more reserved, linear song structures. In fact, Push The Button has some of their greatest, most complex, and bizarre chord structures, chord progressions, and melodies. (Consider: Left Right, Close Your Eyes, Surface To Air, as the most significant). It also has some of their most ambitious song structures. (Consider: Hold Tight London, Left Right, Close Your Eyes, Shake Break Bounce, as the most significant). Note that I've only included prime examples.







[B]



Since when has Chemical Brothers not been about pop music? It's what makes them in my top 5 of artists! I'm talking good pop here, of course, but, nonetheless, the Chemical Brothers experience is about great pop music. First off, I'd like to note that 'Galvanize,' 'Left Right,' and 'Get Yourself High,' are most definitely not gangster rap. 'Galvanize' and 'Get Yourself High' are electronic hip-hop explorations at the front lines of innovation. 'Left Right,' on the other hand, takes modern hip-hop, adds some electronic components, and bears heavy old school hip-hop and funk influences, all with some excellent metaphorical lyrics (even though many seem to believe they are the brothers' least metaphorical -- just dig a little deeper!). These tracks are indicative of a greater confidence in Tom and Ed, as they've surely wanted to do hip-hop from the beginning, but weren't certain how to approach it. They ought to be proud. Finally, the Chemical Brothers simply don't produce mainstream tracks for the sake of being mainstream. They happen to turn out this way.



That's all for now -- time to head to school. Just one last point, regarding 'Shake Break Bounce.' I'd like to know what is that those of you who dislike this track dislike? I don't mean to be belligerent in that question, I'm just curious, for I fell in love with it from the point those beats came on and I was hooked for life when that guitar line was introduced!

Ummm... the chems really arent pop over here, in fact im like one of the five people in my school of 1000 people that have ever heard of them

pop comes from the world popular which the chems are so there

ok so i am glad i ain't the only one here who thinks that way. thanks for comin to my rescue glako. this was what i was tryin to say.

GLAKO-FAHN Escribi�:

[A]





[B]



Since when has Chemical Brothers not been about pop music? It's what makes them in my top 5 of artists! I'm talking good pop here, of course, but, nonetheless, the Chemical Brothers experience is about great pop music. First off, I'd like to note that 'Galvanize,' 'Left Right,' and 'Get Yourself High,' are most definitely not gangster rap. 'Galvanize' and 'Get Yourself High' are electronic hip-hop explorations at the front lines of innovation. 'Left Right,' on the other hand, takes modern hip-hop, adds some electronic components, and bears heavy old school hip-hop and funk influences, all with some excellent metaphorical lyrics (even though many seem to believe they are the brothers' least metaphorical -- just dig a little deeper!). These tracks are indicative of a greater confidence in Tom and Ed, as they've surely wanted to do hip-hop from the beginning, but weren't certain how to approach it. They ought to be proud. Finally, the Chemical Brothers simply don't produce mainstream tracks for the sake of being mainstream. They happen to turn out this way.



That's all for now -- time to head to school. Just one last point, regarding 'Shake Break Bounce.' I'd like to know what is that those of you who dislike this track dislike? I don't mean to be belligerent in that question, I'm just curious, for I fell in love with it from the point those beats came on and I was hooked for life when that guitar line was introduced!

Finally someone who caught the point!

As for me this discussion thread sucks more 'n more. I respect opinions of other ones and I'm open minded but i can't resist the issue that many of them ain't really into music (?gansta rap<--> chemicals?) and/or their diversity of layers, structures and many more.

Every day when I just zap into any music channel I'm being bombarded with average, borring commercial shit, the so called music INDUSTRY, and that's what you never, if you're honest, can compare with the chems. Well i love as well the style of DYOH and EPD but I learned more than just focus on the beats (nevertheless i would appreciate more of them were used), it's so much more that features the way the chemicals are making music. I would predict to figuring out a chemcial flavoured track in almost every situation, ok maybe not, but the point is, they just have an own distinctive way of producing good and less good (if that exists indeed) songs. And that's what this thread demonstrates: if they were really mainstream almost "all" would listen to them just because they are in the media represented by a video or anything else. Thats my (one of more)interpretation of commerce and the attitude to industrial produced music.

But as it were shown here, and let alone the music itself, it isn't.

And bah wah I shit on that f****** commerce staginess........ And by the way to bid defiance I pushed the button for SHAKE BREAKE BOUNCE right now !!! X-D



Shake baah Breake baah Bounce... dadadadadad Shake breake bounce dadadadadad...

i will try to be a little more sensative towards other people's so called 'opinions'.

PTB is full of reversed crashes and explosions when they reach a climax.



Kinda seems like they are being lazy, doing what we have all heard hundreads of times before :?

I agree that with time artists get more peacful and not as agressive. That's actually what interests me the most about older performers - like, say, Kiss, Rolling Stones, and a lot of other rock bands. Do they compose rock music because they still have "it" in them, because they don't want to starve, or just for the sake of rock not being dead, or what.

A lot of times you can easily tell a band *wants* to rock but it sounds kind of fake - I'd say that about last Ozzy Osbourne's album. Who knows, maybe Chemical Brothers will start doing ambient or downtempo stuff.

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the chems have always recorded music cos they want to, not because they need to. i guess thats why we all respect them on this forum!!!