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The Chemical Brothers

Band formed in 1989 in Manchester, England

The Chemical Brothers's Genre:

Club/Dance, Electronica, Big Beat, Funky Breaks, Electronic, House, Trip-Hop, Progressive House

Biography

The act with 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. And when the duo (Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons) decided to supplement their DJ careers by turning their bedrooms into recording studios, they pioneered a style of music (later termed big beat) remarkable for its lack of energy loss from the dancefloor to the radio. Chemical Brothers albums were less collections of songs and more hour-long journeys, chock-full of deep bomb-studded beats, percussive breakdowns, and effects borrowed from a host of sources. All in all, the duo proved one of the few exceptions to the rule that intelligent dance music could never be bombastic or truly satisfying to the seasoned rock fan; it's hardly surprising that they were one of the few dance acts to enjoy simultaneous success in the British/American mainstream and in critical quarters.

While growing up, both Rowlands and Simons grooved to an eccentric musical diet, ranging from the Smiths and Jesus and Mary Chain to Kraftwerk and Public Enemy. They met while taking the same history course at Manchester University, though neither were native Mancunians -- Rowlands enrolled because of the legendary Haçienda nightclub nearby, while Simons acknowledged the city as birthplace to the Smiths and New Order. The pair began sampling Madchester's vibrant nightclub scene together during 1989 and 1990, just at the peak of Britain's fascination with a DJing style named Balearic. Pioneered at the island hot spot of Ibiza during the mid-'80s, Balearic relied on a blend of early house music, Italian disco, rare-groove jazz and funk, Northern soul, hip-hop, and alternative dance. Original Balearic DJs like Trevor Fung, Paul Oakenfold, and Mike Pickering brought the sound back to indie clubs in London and Manchester, and the style proved very attractive to musical eclectics like Rowlands and Simons.

Though Rowlands was already performing in the alternative dance group Ariel, the pair began DJing together at the Manchester club Naked Under Leather in 1991. Hardly believing that their weekend project would progress, they took the semi-serious handle Dust Brothers (a tribute to the American production team responsible for one of their favorite albums, the Beastie Boys' Paul's Boutique). Despite their doubts, Rowlands and Simons' club night did grow more popular, thanks to the duo's Balearic mix of rare house tracks flavored with hip-hop breakdowns, independent-dance fusions, and ancient secondhand discards. After deciding to try and re-create their unique sound in their tiny bedroom studio, the Dust Brothers emerged with "Song to the Siren," an intriguing example of the new alternative dance scene including sample victims Meat Beat Manifesto and This Mortal Coil.

After the single was pressed up on a limited release of 500 copies, it began getting attention from Britain's top DJs, initially including an old friend named Justin Robertson but later including Andrew Weatherall and Darren Emerson. Weatherall licensed the single to Junior Boy's Own Records, and after the pair had finished university, they moved back to London to work on another EP (14th Century Sky) and a residency at another club. After their third release, "My Mercury Mouth," the duo began to get more high-profile clients for remixing: besides Justin Roberston's Lionrock collective, Primal Scream, the Prodigy, and the Charlatans all received treatments.

When lawyers for the original Dust Brothers came calling in 1995, though, Rowlands and Simons were forced to change to change their name to the Chemical Brothers (the proposed Dust Brothers U.K. was turned down). Word on the street and nightclub scene was so good that it hardly mattered; their new residency at the Heavenly Sunday Social quickly became one of the hottest club nights in England -- documented on the mix disc Live at the Social, Vol. 1 -- and their debut album, Exit Planet Dust, was heavily praised by critics. Another fan of the record, Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, agreed to lend his vocals to a future single named "Setting Sun," the Chemicals' tribute to one of their own favorites, the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." The single went to number one in late 1996, and the Chemical Brothers opened up for the giant Oasis concert at Knebworth besides headlining their own shows all over the world.

The Chemical Brothers' second album, Dig Your Own Hole, took charge of the top spot on the album charts upon its release in April 1997, and on the wings of America's growing electronica push, the album sailed to number 14 stateside and went gold. The duo released a mix album in 1998, Brothers Gonna Work It Out, and followed with their third studio LP, Surrender, in 1999. Rather lackluster expectations sparked a return to the underground with the white-label-only single "It Began in Afrika" and the duo's fourth album, Come with Us. It too failed to earn the high notices of the first two albums, although after another three-year gap Rowlands and Simons returned with another, 2005's Push the Button, with guest vocalists Q-Tip, Tim Burgess, Kele Okereke, and the Magic Numbers. The music celebrity parade continued on 2007's We Are the Night, this time including the Klaxons, Willy Mason, Fatlip, and Midlake. In 2010 they released Further, their first album with no vocal collaborations, and in 2011 they released Hanna, their first film soundtrack. Sticking with film, in early 2012 they released to select cinemas Don't Think, a combination of a Chemical Brothers live show and a visual document from their longtime art director Adam Smith. The film (and live show) was made available for purchase in March 2012. ~ John Bush

AOL Radio Stations The Chemical Brothers is Featured on (21)

Classic Electronic

Relive your rave glory days on Slacker Classic Electronic! Hear favorites from Daft Punk, Fatboy Slim, Moby and the Chemical Brothers, ground-breakers like DJ Shadow, Roni Size and Air, and classics from 808 State, Underworld, and more.

BPM Workout

When you really need motivation to feel the burn, BPM Workout on Slacker Radio is the prescription. All of the songs on this station have been hand selected by fitness experts for their high energy sound and they all clock in from 150-190 BPM. Perfect for the cardio portion of your workout or for your daily run. Featuring motivational dance tracks and high-BPM remixes of top hits.

Electronic

Electronic on Slacker Radio covers all the bases in electronic music. Hear the latest hits from Deadmau5, M.I.A., and Skrillex, classic favorites from Daft Punk, Moby and the Chemical Brothers, as well as new sounds from Pendulum, Crystal Castles, and Calvin Harris.

Gold Fields Showcase

This is the Gold Fields Artist Showcase station on Slacker. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Gold FIelds including music hand-picked by Mark, Vinci, Luke, Rob, and Ryan as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Alternative Workout

Even Alternative people like to work up a sweat. With this in mind, Alternative Workout serves up a continuous barrage of high energy tunes from the complete Alternative spectrum. We've got grunge, punk, and all decades of Alt-rock covered. Let's do this already.

Adam "MCA" Yauch Tribute

This is Slacker Radio's tribute to Adam Yauch, AKA MCA of the legendary Beastie Boys. Adam Yauch passed away on May 4th after a three year battle with cancer. On this station, you will be introduced to the musical DNA of MCA and the Beastie Boys. That means that you may hear some classic tracks that leave you scratching your head, but if you listen close- you'll hear the samples that made the Beastie Boys' brand of Hip Hop like no other. The music speaks to MCA's legacy more than any eulogy can. So celebrate the life and legacy of Adam Yauch here- on Slacker Radio.

Morning Parade Showcase

This is The Morning Parade Artist Showcase on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by Morning Parade including music hand-picked by the Andy, Ben, Chad, Phil and Steve, as well as commentary about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Animal Kingdom Showcase

This is the Animal Kingdom Artist Showcase station on Slacker Radio. Tune in to hear a station built entirely by the members of Animal Kingdom including music hand-picked by Richard, Hamish, and Geoff as well as commentary by each about the songs that influenced their music and their lives.

Dubstep

Turn it up with Slacker Radio Dubstep! Enjoy hits from Skrillex, Bassnectar and Nero, up-and-coming artists like Krewella, M Machine and Baauer, plus classics from Roni Size to Plump DJs. Moombahcore, trap, drum 'n' bass, breaks -- it's all here on Slacker Dubstep!

Electronic Hits

Electronic Hits on Slacker Radio brings you the biggest tracks from the ever-changing world of EDM. Check out the latest hits from Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex and Calvin Harris, favorites from Daft Punk, Deadmau5 and Tiesto, plus classics from Moby, Darude and Fatboy Slim.

Chill

This is Chill on Slacker. Whether you call this Down-Tempo, Chill-Out, Chill or any other name, it's laid-back electronic music. Often DJ inspired, Chill is melodic, peaceful, has a beat, and is easy on the ears. Expect to hear the best cuts from artists like Zero 7, DJ Shadow, Air, and many more.

UK Hits

Fancy a spot of British hit music with your tea and biscuits? UK Hits on Slacker brings you the top tunes from across the pond – Whether it's Rock, Pop, Alternative or East London Grime, you'll hear the most popular songs our British brethren are bouncing to right now. Cheerio!

Party Alternative

Party Alternative on Slacker pumps out the best alternative party tunes including classics by The Ramones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime and Jane's Addiction as well as the latest from the Foo Fighters, Green Day and many more to keep your party going day and night.

Classic Alternative

Call it "Alternative," "Modern Rock," "College Rock" - call it whatever you like. Classic Alternative on Slacker Radio is all of those things and more- from the golden age of Alternative. Spanning various decades, this is radio for people that were raised on 120 Minutes. David Bowie, The Clash, The Smiths, Erasure, Depeche Mode, New Order, INXS, Midnight Oil, R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Weezer, and many more!

UK Indie

UK Indie on Slacker Radio is your brand new point-of-contact for the best up-and-coming British artists in the world of independent music. If it's British and about-to-break, you'll hear it on UK Indie.

TV Commercials

Music placement in television commercials has become a new form of music discovery. TV Commercials on Slacker Radio is the solution for anybody that's ever said "what WAS that song?" after hearing a 15 second clip during a commercial break. This station features all of the songs that are currently featured in major advertising campaigns, and additional songs from iconic advertisements over the years.

The Current

The Current brings you the best authentic new music alongside the music that inspired it, from unique to universal, indie to influential, new to nostalgic. Broadcasting from the musical hotbed that is Minnesota, listen to The Current and you’ll see why we say, “Great Music Lives Here.” Find playlist, interviews and more at thecurrent.org.

Metropolitan Mood

Metropolitan Mood music on Slacker Radio is the provocative soundtrack to seduction and love. It’s not so much about the lyrics, as it is the sound and tempo of this mood music. It’s the sound of a big-city love affair. Featuring exotic electronica, downtempo beats and retro-futuristic sounds from the likes of Morcheeba, Portishead, and Massive Attack. Let Metropolitan Mood Music on Slacker Radio provide the uninterrupted soundtrack to a night of uninterrupted passion. Recommended for lovers of Chill and Alt-Chill on Slacker Radio.

'90s Alternative

90's Alternative on Slacker Radio highlights one of the most profound decades of Alternative Music. You'll hear the powerhouse artists of the Seattle grunge movement including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden and the Screaming Trees. You'll also get a heaping helping of non-Northwest classics like Stone Temple Pilots, The Smashing Pumpkins and Sublime as well as recalling the Punk resurgence with classics like Green Day's "Dookie" or the Offspring's "Smash" and the offbeat sounds of The Flaming Lips, Beck and Cake.

Alternative Chill

Alternative Chill on Slacker Radio is the ultimate "Easy Listening for Hipsters." The station is a hybrid of Electronic Chill artists, singer/songwriters and Indie rock songs that dip into the ethereal. You can expect to hear Jeff Buckley, Thievery Corporation, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Nada Surf, Massive Attack, Air, Nick Drake, Portishead, Everything But the Girl and even some surprises like Billie Holiday or Pink Floyd! It's the perfect station to kick back and unwind, so, open a bottle of wine, light some candles and relax.

The Chemical Brothers

This station plays the best music from and music from related artists like The Crystal Method, Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Deadmau5, Fatboy Slim, Bassnectar, Benny Benassi, Oakenfold, Skrillex, Tiësto and more.

All Stations

The Chemical Brothers's Selected Discography (48)

The Boxer

Artists Related to The Chemical Brothers (50)

	The Crystal Method	L.A.'s Crystal Method have been referred to as America's answer to the Chemical Brothers. A dance-based electronic duo with a definite rock band feel, the comparison would seem appropriate, although it tends to erase what makes the group distinct: a solid base in American hip-hop, rock, soul, and pop.
	Daft Punk	In similar company with new-school French progressive dance artists such as Motorbass, Air, Cassius, and Dimitri from Paris, Parisian duo Daft Punk quickly rose to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and hip-hop.
	The Prodigy	The Prodigy navigated the high wire, balancing artistic merit and mainstream visibility with more flair than any electronica act of the 1990s.
	Deadmau5	Born Joel Zimmerman on January 5, 1981, Deadmau5 rose to prominence when his track "Faxing Berlin" found its way onto the playlist of legendary DJ/producer Pete Tong's radio show.
	Fatboy Slim	Norman "Jack-of-All-Genres" Cook, in addition to his former occupations as bassist for the Housemartins and one-third of acid house hitmakers Pizzaman, is also the man behind one of the most popular of the new flock of English "Brit-hop" producers, Fatboy Slim.
	Bassnectar	Bassnectar is the stage name used by DJ, producer, and remixer Lorin Ashton, one of the more popular and influential figures in California's electronic music community.
	Benny Benassi	The fashionable, fun, and sometimes freaky sound of DJ/producer Benny Benassi first hit the dancefloor in 2001 with the single I Feel So Fine.
	Oakenfold	Paul Oakenfold is the DJ, remixer, and producer who did more than anyone else to break house music in Britain during the late '80s.
	Skrillex	Sonny Moore found club and mainstream stardom beginning in 2008, when he swapped his gig as post-hardcore frontman for From First to Last and created the dancefloor-oriented project Skrillex.
	Tiësto	Highly regarded by both DJ Magazine and fans of electronic dance music, DJ Tiësto launched his career as one of the world's foremost trance DJs, due in part to his legendary six-hour live sets.
	Basement Jaxx	The production duo of Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Buxton released several of Britain's most respected and enjoyable progressive house anthems of the '90s and early 2000s from their base in South London.
	Moby	Moby was one of the most controversial figures in techno music, alternately praised for bringing a face to the notoriously anonymous electronic genre and scorned by hordes of techno artists and fans for diluting and trivializing the form.
	Pendulum	One of the most popular drum'n'bass acts of the early 21st century, Pendulum are an Australian group based in the United Kingdom.
	Nero	Featuring producers Dan Stephens and Joe Ray along with vocalist Alana Watson, London's Nero were born a straight drum'n'bass act, but they steadily evolved into a more layered affair, mixing dubstep beats with classic house music melodies and vocals.
	Kaskade	Though he was born in Chicago, the DJ, A&R director, record store owner, and producer known as Kaskade found his spiritual and musical home in San Francisco by way of Salt Lake City and New York.
	Flux Pavilion	Known for his 2011 hit "Bass Cannon", English dubstep producer and DJ Joshua Steele took the name Flux Pavilion around 2008 when he released the track "Cheap Crisps" as a digital download.
	Basshunter	Swedish computer nerd Jonas Altberg (aka Basshunter) became an Internet phenomenon in the early 2000s with geek-friendly dance singles like "Boten Anna" (Anna Bot) and "Vi Sitter i Ventrilo och Spelar DotA" (We Sit in Ventrilo and Play DotA).
	Gorillaz	Conceived as the first "virtual hip-hop group," Gorillaz blended the musical talents of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura, Blur's Damon Albarn, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori, and Tom Tom Club's Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz with the arresting visuals of Jamie Hewlett, best known as the creator of the cult comic Tank Girl.
	Dirty Vegas	Following in the footsteps of crossover groups like Underworld, the South London trio Dirty Vegas took electronica up the pop charts with their hit single "Days Go By.
	Rusko	Rusko is a dubstep DJ/producer who is closely affiliated with Caspa, a fellow DJ/producer who is an influential figure within the dubstep community, not only as an artist but as the founder of several influential labels (i.
	MSTRKRFT	MSTRKRFT (pronounced "master kraft") are the Daft Punk-loving alter ego of Death from Above 1979's Jesse F.
	Swedish House Mafia	Swedish House Mafia is a house music supergroup comprised of DJ/producers Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso, each of whom is an accomplished DJ/producer and label owner in his own right.
	Paul Van Dyk	From early Berlin techno and house through to progressive trance, producer/DJ Paul van Dyk has soundtracked the German electronic dance scene ever since he moved to the city and began mixing in 1988.
	Avicii	Cleverly using dance music blogs as the platform to launch his career, Tim Berg, aka Avicii, has since become one of the most prominent producers on the burgeoning Swedish house scene.
	Infected Mushroom	Mining Israelian Goa trance of its hottest intensities, Infected Mushroom remain one of the Middle East's biggest international cult successes.
	Steve Aoki	Steve Aoki is a DJ and also the founder of Dim Mak Records, which has counted leading indie rock bands such as Gossip, Bloc Party, the Kills and the Rakes among its stable of signees.
	Freestylers	More old-school hip-hop, electro, and ragga than big-beat techno (though they're often pigeonholed that way), the Freestylers were formed by the trio of Matt Cantor, Aston Harvey, and Andrew Galea.
	Afrojack	Following the success of Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, and Fedde Le Grand, Nick Van de Wall, aka Afrojack, is the latest DJ, producer, and remixer to break through from the burgeoning Dutch dance music scene.
	DJ Shadow	DJ Shadow's Josh Davis is widely credited as a key figure in developing the experimental instrumental hip-hop style associated with the London-based Mo' Wax label.
	Sub Focus	Sub Focus is an alias of Nick Douwma, a fast-rising drum'n'bass producer/DJ affiliated with the Ram Records collective who became one of the style's leading practitioners within only two years of his recording debut.
	Flux Pavillion
	The Glitch Mob	Formed in 2006, L.A's Glitch Mob have wowed them on dancefloors around the world with a singular brand of bleepy electronica and heavy hip-hop-influenced basslines.
	ATB	ATB was the alias of DJ Andre Tanneberger, a native of Freilberg, Germany, born in 1973. In the wake of remixes for acts including the Outhere Brothers, Technotronic, and Haddaway, he scored a European club hit with 1999's "9 PM (Till I Come)," releasing the full-length Movin' Melodies later that same year.
	La Roux	Meaning "red-haired one" in French, La Roux is the synth pop project of flame-haired singer/songwriter Elly Jackson and keyboardist/producer Ben Langmaid.
	Skream	Ollie Jones had the good fortune to be working at the Big Apple record store when he first started making beats at age 15 and armed with a cracked copy of the Fruity Loops music-making software.
	Modestep	London-based crossover electronic/dubstep act Modestep formed in 2010, featuring brothers Josh (production, vocals, keyboards) and Tony Friend (production, turntables, guitar), Matthew Curtis (drums, percussion), and Nick Tsang (guitar).
	Nero
	Armin van Buuren	A progressive trance DJ and producer whose cinematic sound is influenced by synth pioneers like Klaus Schulze and Jean-Michel Jarre, Armin van Buuren enjoys worldwide recognition and a frantic schedule that takes him all over the globe.
	Darude	Finnish DJ/Producer Darude (born Ville Virtanen) started experimenting with music and DJing while still attending school, adopting the nickname of "the Rude" (later Darude) after Swedish rap star Leila K.
	Noisia	Noisia, an acclaimed drum'n'bass trio from the Netherlands, occasionally produce other styles as well, including breaks and house.
	DJ Fresh	Born in 1977, Dan Stein, aka DJ Fresh, is one of the most influential figures on the U.K. drum'n'bass scene.
	Borgore	A dubstep producer and vocalist irreverent enough to pen a tune called “Act Like a Ho” (“but first do the dishes”), Asaf Borger, aka Borgore, debuted in 2010 with three EPs that were crude both lyrically and sonically.
	Feed Me	Until he debuted his alias Feed Me in 2008, Hertfordshire, England native Jon Gooch was known for his aggressive, hard-edged drum'n'bass productions as Spor.
	Pantyraid
	Gemini
	Benassi Bros.
	Calvin Harris	Favoring a naughty schoolboy look that makes him seem even younger than his already tender years (22 when his first major-label album was released), Scottish artist, producer, and remixer Calvin Harris has a similarly youthful and forward-looking approach to his music.
	Chase & Status	Chase & Status -- consisting of drum'n'bass DJs Saul Milton and Will Kennard -- earned their stripes after remixing the rather questionable Capleton track "Duppy Man" to success in 2005.
	BT	His concept of epic house inspired by the classical training he received from an early age, Brian Transeau revitalized the British dance community in the mid-'90s and provided a point of entry for later dream house merchants like Robert Miles, Sash!, and BBE (though Transeau had, for the most part, left the style behind by the time of its pop success during 1997-1998).
	DJ Icey	DJ Icey's breakbeat funk helped jump-start the increasingly fertile dance scene in and around Orlando, FL, during the '90s.