This was published in Australia's "The Age" today...





If dance music is dead, then with their excellent fifth album and consistently dazzling live shows the Chemical Brothers are living it up in the afterlife, writes Andrew Drever.



Here's a daunting scenario: you're arguably the world's best-known and most successful dance music act ever. You've been innovating, experimenting and electrifying modern dance music and electronic music for 13 years. You've sold eight million albums worldwide and had No. 1 albums and singles all over the world. Your wildly psychedelic live shows are the stuff of legend.



But everyone's saying dance music hasn't contributed much in the last few years. It's been pronounced dead by most mainstream music media. Your last album had a lukewarm response at best, and now it's time to record your fifth album. So what do you want to do? What do you want to say? What sort of statement do you need to make? Will it stand up when compared to your past glories?



Obviously, the pressure is immense - but do Brit duo the Chemical Brothers have to keep reinventing the wheel, over and over again?



"For us, it isn't about reinventing the wheel on every album. We don't have to do that," explains Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands calmly. "We don't want to throw things away that we've done before, and we don't actually feel it's necessary to change everything we feel about music every time we make a new record. We want to keep the essence of our band, but obviously, we don't want to make the same record again and again. There's a balance that's required. It's important that the albums sound different to each other, that they have a different feel, and try to do different things because that's what excites us. But we don't have to reinvent ourselves every time."



Rowlands, chatting from his record company's London office, is also quick to dismiss the popular notion that dance music "needs saving", pointing out that mass-market demands don't dictate everything.



"No, of course not," he snorts. "It's such a stupid idea, really. It doesn't need saving. You go out to clubs in England or Europe, and it's a full club and people are excited about dance music. The trouble is that dance music's such a wide term. To some people it means that Eric Prydz record (Call on Me) or something - that really insipid f---ing crap and that's how they view dance music. That's most of the dance music that's on the radio. There is exciting dance music being made, and if you want to go and find it, it's out there, but it's not on the mainstream radar so much. It doesn't mean it's disappeared. People haven't suddenly disowned this music that they grew up with or enjoyed just because a magazine tells you it's over."



For the Chemical Brothers, Rowlands, 33, and Ed Simons, 34, it most certainly isn't over.



With new LP Push the Button, they have produced their most vital album in an illustrious career stretching back to when the two pimply-faced university students began DJing together in 1992 (as the Dust Brothers) at Manchester club night Naked Under Leather, through their 1993 debut single, Song to the Siren, and seminal, wildly innovative dance singles such as Chemical Beats, Leave Home, Setting Sun, Block Rockin' Beats, The Private Psychedelic Reel, Hey Boy Hey Girl and Out of Control.



Coming to life with a record-spinning back, and a cacophony of Middle-Eastern strings heralding its arrival, Push the Button swiftly struts and grooves into action with the opening track and first single, Galvanize, a propulsive, militant call-to-arms featuring guest rapper Q-Tip from US hip-hoppers A Tribe Called Quest.



It's a fitting opening salvo for a troubled world, Q-Tip urging us that it's time to unite, to "don't hold back" and come party over here "with the people who care".



"We think Galvanize is an amazing start to the album," says Rowlands, "just because it's powerful and it's 'up', but it adds meaning as well. It's a bumping track, but it says something, which is a tricky combination. We like that it's a club record, but it's like our idea of hip-hop and acid-house, pretty much the idea that we had with the very first record we made, and maybe this is the end game of that sort of idea. Galvanize has all the influence of techno clubs and the tension that we like from techno records, but in a hip-hop record as well. It's a club record but it's got a menace about it, which I think is a good start to the record, because then it's filled with a sense of purpose and a sense of action."



Augmented by other guests including previous collaborator Tim Burgess of The Charlatans, Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke and Mos Def's rapper brother Anwar Superstar, Push the Button has many highlights, among them the gentle lullaby Close Your Eyes, the Latin guitar groove of Shake Break Bounce, the tough electro-house of Believe and an unintentionally (so says Rowlands) near-note-for-note instrumental reworking of The Strokes' The Modern Age on the stunning psychedelic final track, Surface to Air.



"We started work on the guitar idea for that track almost two years ago now," says Rowlands. "It's just a little riff that I had working, and it didn't really strike me as that (similar to The Modern Age), but someone else said it the other day too, so I'm going to have to compare them. But Surface to Air for us is just an expression of joy. The album has some heavy stuff on it, and it's quite hard and tough, but we just thought it was a brilliant way to end the album, with this rush of absolute joy. We'd been playing it live this last (UK) summer, obviously before people had heard it, and it's just a track that really connects with people. It seemed like the right way to end the album, and it's a track that we really, really love."



Despite what Rowlands feels about the album being hard and tough, to these ears Push the Button is a warm, funky and adventurous ride, especially when compared to the noisy, harder edge and lack of focus on Come with Us. Most agree that the third Chemical Brothers album, 1999's Surrender, has been their finest, studded with supremely strong tracks such as Out of Control, Hey Boy Hey Girl and Under the Influence, yet Come with Us suffered by comparison, lacking tracks of the same quality and depth. Did the Brothers feel they had something to prove with this album?



"We always feel like we've got something to prove to ourselves," says Rowlands, "and that's to excite people. We like making records that people are excited by and we're excited by. I like Come with Us. It's probably not the best album we've made, but I still like it. I think it's quite a strange record, but it was just a feeling for us that it wasn't going to be the last Chemical Brothers record we made. There was still another thing we wanted to do."



It's clear that Rowlands is ecstatic at the album they've made, and his excitement almost crackles down the phone line.



"Yeah, we think this record is a big jump from the last album," he babbles enthusiastically. "It could maybe be said that Come with Us was quite close to Surrender, and it felt like it was very connected with that, and perhaps the other albums that had gone before. But this record, we think, has got a bit of a different feel and a different sound about it. It feels fresh to us. We really worked hard to try and get a different thing going on. It's a bit tighter, the sound on this record, and there's not so much layering up. There's a lot of detail in the songs, but it's maybe not as grand as some of the other records we've made. It's a very focused record. Every sound has really found its place to live. There's been a lot of stripping away of stuff, and we just think it sounds very direct."



So what does Rowlands himself hear when he listens to Push the Button? What does he like about it? His answer indicates that, after 13 years, the high the Chemical Brothers still get is in exciting themselves, by making up-front, rocking dance music that sounds great in a club.



"I like the feeling that it feels fresh," Rowlands says proudly. "It feels like we're well aware that we're on our fifth album and we've made lots of music, but we think we've found a new lease of life, a new way of doing things. The whole thing just sounds different to us. It's still a Chemical Brothers album, but it has a different feel. We're just really excited that it's so strong. Each track is so defined, has so much in it, and is so clear what it is. One thing we wanted to do with this record was not let our band sort of fizzle out, as a lot of bands do when you make more and more records. There sort of seems to be a law of declining returns on your creativity, but we really feel that this album is so strong because all the tracks are just really, really good."



In 2003, the duo celebrated their 10th anniversary with a greatest hits set, Singles 93-03, yet Rowlands says that anniversary held little significance for them.



"It was just ... umm ... surprise, that we made it this far," he says of his reaction to the milestone. "We were just ... we still are ... making music from one thing to the next, really. Last (northern) summer, with the live shows we played, it was good for us. It was exciting to feel people are still excited and still interested to see what we were going to do after 10 or 11 years of making music ... and that was a reason to work hard to try and make this record worthy of people's attention, really."



As for playing live, after all these years and the kudos they've collected for their dazzling shows, Rowlands still wonders how he and Simons can fit in among the rockers, the hip young indie things and the increasing amount of dance-music-band set-ups he sees on the festival circuit. One thing's for certain: he has no intention of turning the Chemical Brothers into a live 'band'.



"When we play live," he muses, "it's sort of ... I don't know ... it's just old-fashioned. We use the instruments that we use to make our records. We're not into the idea of some other dance bands when they play live, where they think they have to get a session band and a drummer to almost do covers of their electronic music in a session-band style. It drives me a bit mad, really. You see a band, they release a record that uses electronic drums and things like that, but when they play live, they have some sort of f---ing uninspired session drummer trying to replicate some loop they got off a Todd Terry record. It's not what we're about. We still like the pure electronic thing.



"It's been a long time since we started doing this," he continues, "but when we play a big festival in Europe or Japan or something, we still feel markedly different from the other bands that are on the same stage as us. We played in Italy a while ago with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and they're the total opposite of what we do, but we celebrate that we haven't got guitarists or a lead singer or a drummer. We celebrate that we've just got loads of sequencers and drum machines and samplers and crazy effects. That's exciting to us. That's how we make our music and that's how we want to play it. The visual element of it all, the lights, the sound - it's a psychedelic experience for all the family (laughs). Well, maybe not for all the family. For those over 18, maybe."

wow! :o

LOL, "psychedelic experience for all the family " X-D

Nice one Tyler. ;)



"We want to keep the essence of our band, but obviously, we don't want to make the same record again and again."

I'm glad to hear that. :)



About dance music, I don't know what people call dance music where you live.

Here dance music is considered as "dance", trance or techno, and any other electronica style, well, it just seems that it doesn't exist, and that's what bothers me because I have no place to go to listen to chem bros, the prodigy, goldie, or any other electronica style other than dance, trance or techno.



Dance music is dead.

That's what some companies want, they want us to focus on Britney Spears, Ashley Simpson, etc.

We are the ones that "decide" if dance music is dead or not. ;)

It might not be so popular or so popular as it used to be, but dead? NO! :)



Surface to Air

Same comment as I did in another thread, it's a typical chem bros' song, and it's a great ending, because it leaves you full of joy and full of life.



Live & Instruments

I wonder who are they talking about, The Prodigy?

I saw one of The Prodigy's concert where they had a guy playing the guitar as well as a boy playing the drums, which I think it was great.

But it doesn't matter, with or without instruments, their concerts are great. :)

thats a cool interview. I like the bit talking about the shows.

This bit is worrying though. It could be read as a hint that PTB will be the Chems' last album...



"I like Come with Us. It's probably not the best album we've made, but I still like it. I think it's quite a strange record, but it was just a feeling for us that it wasn't going to be the last Chemical Brothers record we made. There was still another thing we wanted to do."

For me it sounds like...



We finished the album, we had all the tracks and we "closed" the album, but we still wanted to keep making new songs, so we knew there was going to be one more album for sure.

One thing that came now to my mind.



They played The Golden Path live at MTV's Europe Video Music Awards, and the singer was there, so I don't know why they fear so much having live instruments.

Now you might tell me "yes, but he sinngs, and he isn't making a loop", yes, right, but it would also be cool if the drummer had the freedom to add or take away some things.

I think that what we all look for when we go to a live concert is to listen to something new, to something that we don't listen in their albums, and it's something that sounds better when it's live.



I don't know, just imagine having 2 or more drummers playing at the same time. ;)

Skylined Escribi�:

They played The Golden Path live at MTV's Europe Video Music Awards, and the singer was there, so I don't know why they fear so much having live instruments.

But that was a one off performance and they didnt play a full set, just a bit of HBHG into Golden path. They hardly ever have guest vocalist at there shows its rare.



I think the idea is they dnt wanna use intruments and wanna use equipment making there show very different from a typical gig.

ACIDCHILDREN Escribi�:

Skylined Escribi�:

They played The Golden Path live at MTV's Europe Video Music Awards, and the singer was there, so I don't know why they fear so much having live instruments.

But that was a one off performance and they didnt play a full set, just a bit of HBHG into Golden path. They hardly ever have guest vocalist at there shows its rare.



I think the idea is they dnt wanna use intruments and wanna use equipment making there show very different from a typical gig.

i'm pretty sure that performance was driven by a backing track with live vocals. not really live

Yeah your right sneaker. it was cool but not really live or anything like a real set, for a start they had hardly any kit. Ive never seen Tom playing guitar before, ive only seen him when he does the thing then he gets a synth and holds it up whilst Ed messes about on the mixer.

This is a really good interview, he seems to confirm everything we wanted to hear.

This was published in Australia's "The Age" today...



[...]

Despite what Rowlands feels about the album being hard and tough, to these ears Push the Button is a warm, funky and adventurous ride, especially when compared to the noisy, harder edge and lack of focus on Come with Us. Most agree that the third Chemical Brothers album, 1999's Surrender, has been their finest, studded with supremely strong tracks such as Out of Control, Hey Boy Hey Girl and Under the Influence, yet Come with Us suffered by comparison, lacking tracks of the same quality and depth. Did the Brothers feel they had something to prove with this album?

[...]

What a bullshit!!!!!!!!! The one who's thinking in this way didn't listen very carefully! This was an excellent record. Quality nothing less! Just because a record don't sells million times it didn't means it's crap or non-quality! It was different a little from what they'd done before but it was and still is good. I hate this theory: it isn't quality before selling millions. What a shit. The chemicals ain't a commercial band, they (hopefully) do what they like, just good music! When i'm listening to music channels or music played on some dancefloors i'm wondering why people like these simple, on cash flow based commercial, inconsiderable songs? Do they want to be messed around? The brothers make true and honest music nothing more and nothing less. It don't means it applies generally (concerning the chemicals) because people have different tastes, feelings and expections when listening to music. That's why there are so many styles out there...



I hope the brothers don't warp up from what they like and don't becomming commercial or rather looking on sell numbers!



Qualitiy is all!

Skylined Escribi�:

Nice one Tyler. ;)



Live & Instruments

I wonder who are they talking about, The Prodigy?

I saw one of The Prodigy's concert where they had a guy playing the guitar as well as a boy playing the drums, which I think it was great.

But it doesn't matter, with or without instruments, their concerts are great. :)

I don't thin it was a direect stab at prodigy, more of a blanket vague thing. Even some rock industrial bands do this .. FC Kahuna had "live musicians.. I have seen it done by a few people ... and it does kinda look lame .. If anything it could be a stab at Underworl "who use live guitars live, " The Orb and Banco de Gaia have both tried it as well ..Electronic groups that are make albums using electronics then go out and tour with live instruments ..

nice interview, chems rule! can understand that the writer liked Surrender better than Come With Us but please, that was a great one, too. Just think of It Began In Afrika, guys!

Thanks for posting.

Basment Jaxx live shows have always dissapointed me, not that iv'e been to one but what ive seen on tv, I want to hear what's on the album and they should use the proper equiptment like normal dance artist should do,

dan_069 Escribi�:

Basment Jaxx live shows have always dissapointed me, not that iv'e been to one but what ive seen on tv, I want to hear what's on the album and they should use the proper equiptment like normal dance artist should do,

I think you can't judge until youve been. I never was a very big fan of basement jaxx and seeing them live didnt really appeal. However last year a mate really wanted to go, so we saw them at Brixton, i was very very impressed, they have lots going on in there shows, good visuals, good varied vocalists, live instruments and play great tunes of there own and live bootlegs and remixes.

I bought a Jaxx CD, Remedy, before last year's Glasto and wasn't that impressed. I had liked Where's Your Head At, but this particular album just didn't do it for me at all. They were fine at Glasto, though, and they did a very good set indeed at T in the Park's Slam Tent.

Tyler Escribi�:

This bit is worrying though. It could be read as a hint that PTB will be the Chems' last album...



"I like Come with Us. It's probably not the best album we've made, but I still like it. I think it's quite a strange record, but it was just a feeling for us that it wasn't going to be the last Chemical Brothers record we made. There was still another thing we wanted to do."

are you kidding me?! that does not hint in any way of last album nonsense....they dont live album by album...their music is built around their life...the chems will not NOT share their vision...theres so much we dont understand that went into the production of their music...and when they release a new album, they always get excited and its always kick ass, and they always say this is something different than the last one...but its the fuckin chemical brothers...they got IT!