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The Chemical Brothers are an English
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in
Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
in 1989. They were pioneers (along with
the Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
,
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...
,
the Crystal Method The Crystal Method is an American electronic music act formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. They were pioneers of the big beat genre and their music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video gam ...
, and other acts) in bringing the
big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as ...
genre to the forefront of
pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * Pop (Gas al ...
. After attracting
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
, the duo achieved further success with second album ''
Dig Your Own Hole ''Dig Your Own Hole'' is the second studio album by the English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. It w ...
'' (1997), which topped the UK charts. In the UK, they have had six No. 1 albums and 13 top-20 singles, including two chart-toppers. Their name came about in 1995 after they dropped their original moniker the Dust Brothers due to the existence of a different band with the same name. In the United States, they have won six
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s including Best Rock Instrumental Performance,
Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
and
Best Dance/Electronic Album The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards — a ceremony that was established in 1958 — to recording artists for quality albums in the dance music and electronica genres. Honors in several categ ...
of the year as recently as 2020.


History


1984–1995: Formation and early incarnations

Ed Simons was born the son of a
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and ...
mother and a father he has described as "absent". After finishing an "expensive"
public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...
with 11 O levels and three
A level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
s, he continued on to study history, especially late medieval history, at the
University of Manchester , mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity , established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univer ...
. Tom Rowlands was raised in
Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buc ...
. He met Simons at the University of Manchester in 1989; they shared an interest in raves and club-going. Rowlands chose Manchester primarily to immerse himself in its music scene in general and the Fac 51 Hacienda in particular. Rowlands was also in a band called Ariel prior to meeting up with Simons. He formed Ariel in London with friends Brendan Melck and Mathew Berry. Their first single was "Sea of Beats", which was essentially a
white label A white label record is a vinyl record with white labels attached. There are several variations each with a different purpose. Variations include test pressings, white label promos, and plain white labels. Test pressings Test pressings, usua ...
. Before Philip Brown set up Echo Logik Records, their first promo was "Bokadilo". Other songs, released on
12-inch The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...
, included "Mustn't Grumble" and their best-known, "Rollercoaster". After a year on Echo Logik they signed to the
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
deConstruction The term deconstruction refers to approaches to understanding the relationship between text and meaning. It was introduced by the philosopher Jacques Derrida, who defined it as a turn away from Platonism's ideas of "true" forms and essences w ...
. They insisted on a female singer and they recruited former Xpansions frontwoman
Sally Ann Marsh Sally Anne Marsh (born 14 October 1972) is a British actress and singer. She was a member of Faith Hope & Charity (British band), Faith Hope & Charity, later becoming the vocalist for a number of groups, including Xpansions, Ariel and Hysterix. ...
, and after some disappointing songs such as "Let It Slide" (Rowlands would later describe it as "a stinker"), the band fell apart. One of the last things Ariel did was the song "T Baby", which was remixed by the pair. Rowlands and Simons started to DJ at a club called Naked Under Leather in the back of a pub in 1992, under the alias, the 237 Turbo Nutters (named after the number of their house on Dickenson Road in Manchester and a reference to their Blackburn
raving Raving may refer to: * Rave, a party *Raving, Iran, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran *Official Monster Raving Loony Party, a single-issue, parodical political party in the United Kingdom * ''Raving'' (film), a film *''Rayman Raving Rabbids ...
days). The pair would play hip hop,
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
, and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
. The two called themselves the Dust Brothers after the US production duo, famous for their work with the
Beastie Boys Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
. After a while, Rowlands and Simons began to run out of suitable
instrumental hip hop Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "s ...
tracks to use, so they started to make their own. Using a
Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...
hi-fi system, an
Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...
, a sampler, and a keyboard, they recorded "Song to the Siren", which sampled
This Mortal Coil This Mortal Coil were a British music collective led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating ...
. "Song to the Siren" was released on their own record label, which they called Diamond Records (after Ed's nickname). At this point the Dust Brothers were the first-ever backroom DJs in the Sumptuous Locarno Lounge at The Job Club in Gossips night club in Dean Street, Soho from April 1992 till April 1993. In October 1992, they pressed 500 white-label copies and took them to dance-record shops around London, but all refused to play it, saying it was too slow (the track played at 111 BPM). They sent a copy to London DJ
Andrew Weatherall Andrew James Weatherall (6 April 1963 – 17 February 2020) was an English musician, DJ, songwriter, producer and remixer. His career took him from being one of the key DJs in the acid house movement of the late 1980s to being a remixer of trac ...
, who made it a permanent fixture in his DJ sets. In May 1993, Junior Boy's Own released "Song to the Siren". Around June 1993, the Dust Brothers recorded their first
remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es. The first was "Packet of Peace" for
Justin Robertson Justin Robertson is an English electronic musician, DJ, author, artist and record producer. Discography DJ Mix albums *Journeys by DJs *Journeys by DJs Select Tape *Cream Live *Bugged Out *Imprint *Art of Acid Lionrock Albums *An Instinc ...
's
Lionrock Lionrock was a British big beat group, comprising record producer Justin Robertson, MC Buzz B, and producer, engineer, programmer and synthesist Roger Lyons. Lyons replaced recording engineer Mark Stagg in 1995. Their biggest chart success cam ...
group, followed by songs from
Leftfield Leftfield are a British electronic music duo formed in 1989 as the duo of Neil Barnes and Paul Daley (the latter formerly of the Rivals and A Man Called Adam). The duo was very influential in the evolution of electronic music in the 1990s, wi ...
,
Republica Republica are an English alternative rock band formed in 1994. The height of their popularity spanned from 1996 to 1999. The current line-up consists of Saffron (vocals), Tim Dorney (keyboards), Johnny Male (guitar), Conor Lawrence (drums). T ...
, and
the Sandals The Sandals, also known as The Sandells, were an early, influential surf rock band formed in 1962. They are most famous for scoring the surfing documentary ''The Endless Summer''. History The Sandals began in 1962, when Danny Brawner, a drumm ...
. Later in 1993, Rowlands and Simons completed work on their '' Fourteenth Century Sky'' EP, released in January 1994. It contained the groundbreaking "Chemical Beats", which epitomised the duo's genre-defining
big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as ...
sound. The EP also contained "One Too Many Mornings", which for the first time showed their less intense, more chilled-out side. Both "One Too Many Mornings" and "Chemical Beats" would later appear on their debut album. ''Fourteenth Century Sky'' was followed later in 1994 by the '' My Mercury Mouth EP''. "Chemical Beats" was also part of the soundtrack for the first edition of the '' Wipeout'' video game series, having been featured in ''Wipeout'' for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
in 1995. In October 1994, the Dust Brothers became resident DJs at the small but influential Heavenly Sunday Social Club at the Albany pub in London's
Great Portland Street Great Portland Street in the West End of London links Oxford Street with Albany Street and the A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. A commercial street including some embassies, it divides Fitzrovia, to the east, from Marylebone to the west. ...
.
Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...
,
Paul Weller Paul John Weller (born John William Weller; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the punk rock/ new wave/mod revival band the Jam (1972–1982). He had further success with the blue-eyed soul m ...
,
James Dean Bradfield James Dean Bradfield (born 21 February 1969) is a Welsh singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. He is known for being the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. Biography Early life B ...
, and Tim Burgess were regular visitors. The Dust Brothers were subsequently asked to remix tracks by
Manic Street Preachers Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
and the Charlatans, plus
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
's "Jailbird" and
the Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
's " Voodoo People". These two remixes received television exposure, being playlisted by
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
Europe's "The Party Zone" in 1995. Early in 1994, the Dust Brothers were approached in the club one Sunday by Gallagher from
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.” The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
, who were becoming one of the most prominent guitar bands in Britain. Gallagher told the duo that he had a Balearic-inspired track he had written that he would like them to remix. However, over time, Gallagher changed his mind, and in the end the Brothers did not remix it. In March 1995, the Dust Brothers began their first international tour, which included the United States – where they played with Orbital and
Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...
– then a series of European festivals. Also around this time, objections were filed by the original Dust Brothers over the use of their name, and so Rowlands and Simons had to decide on a new name. They decided to call themselves the Chemical Brothers after "Chemical Beats". In June 1995, they released their fourth single, the first under their new identity. "Leave Home" was released on Junior Boy's Own, as a preview of the imminent debut album and became the band's first chart hit, peaking at No. 17.


1995–1998: ''Exit Planet Dust'' and ''Dig Your Own Hole''

In July 1995, the Chemical Brothers released their debut album ''
Exit Planet Dust ''Exit Planet Dust'' is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers. It was first released on 26 June 1995 in the United Kingdom by Junior Boy's Own, Freestyle Dust, and Virgin Records, and on 15 August 1995 in t ...
'' (the title inspired by their name change) on Freestyle Dust/Junior Boy's Own. It entered the UK charts at No. 9 and featured guest vocalist
Beth Orton Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician, known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall, ...
on the song "Alive Alone". It eventually went on to sell over a million copies worldwide, and was used on the soundtrack of the
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
TV series pilot ''
Virtuality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video g ...
''. Shortly after its release, the Chemical Brothers signed to
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
, to which they took their own offshoot label, Freestyle Dust. For their next single, " Life Is Sweet", released in September 1995, they again used a guest vocalist, featuring their friend Tim Burgess, singer of the Charlatans. It reached No. 25 in the UK Singles Chart. The single was also ''Select'' magazine's "Single of the Month" for October. The release included a
Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
remix of "Life Is Sweet". In October 1995, the duo returned to the Heavenly Sunday Social for a second and final run of DJ dates. They then became residents of Heavenly Social on Saturdays at Turnmills and also in Liquid Rooms in Tokyo. In November, the Chemical Brothers played the
Astoria Theatre The London Astoria was a music venue at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. Originally a warehouse during the 1920s, the building became a cinema and ballroom. It was converted for use as a theatre in the 1970s. After further developme ...
in London. The duo also supported
The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
in December on dates at
Brixton Academy Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Wes ...
and in Blackpool. In January 1996, ''Exit Planet Dust'' was certified gold. The Chemical Brothers released their first new material in six months on Virgin, the ''Loops of Fury'' EP. The four-track release was limited to 20,000 copies, but is now available for digital download. It entered the UK charts at No. 13. ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' described the lead track as "splashing waves of synths across hard-hitting beats". The EP also contained a Dave Clarke remix of "Chemical Beats", and two other new tracks, "Get Up on It Like This" and "(The Best Part Of) Breaking Up". In February 1996, ''Select'' magazine published a list of the 100 best albums of the 1990s thus far. ''Exit Planet Dust'' was listed at Number 39. In August 1996, the Chemical Brothers supported Oasis at
Knebworth Knebworth is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Hert ...
, where 125,000 people attended each of the two shows. During the 1995
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, Rowlands and Simons had another conversation with
Noel Gallagher Noel Thomas David Gallagher (born 29 May 1967) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the chief songwriter, lead guitarist, and co-lead vocalist of the rock band Oasis until their split in 2009. After leaving Oasis, he formed ...
. Gallagher told them how much he liked ''Exit Planet Dust'', and asked if he could sing on a future track, similar to the way Tim Burgess had worked on "Life Is Sweet". They did not think much of the offer at the time, given how busy Gallagher would be with the release of Oasis' ''
(What's the Story) Morning Glory? ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is the second studio album by English rock band Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's guitarist and main songwriter Noel Gallagher. The struc ...
'', plus the complexities of dealing with each other's record companies. However, the duo later worked on a track they thought would benefit from a vocal. They sent Gallagher a tape of what they had done so far. He worked on it overnight, and left a message early next morning that he was ready to record it. The track was called " Setting Sun" and was finally released in October 1996. It entered the UK charts at the top, giving the duo their first ever Number One single. "Setting Sun" was backed by a longer instrumental version, and also a new track "Buzz Tracks", which was not much more than a DJ tool. The three remaining members of the Beatles' lawyers later wrote to the Chemical Brothers, mistakenly claiming they had sampled "
Tomorrow Never Knows "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in August 1966 as the final track on their album ''Revolver'', although it was the firs ...
". Virgin Records hired a
musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...
to prove they did not sample the song. In 1996, '' Live at the Social Volume 1'' was released by
Heavenly Records Heavenly Recordings is a London-based independent record label founded by Jeff Barrett in 1990. Heavenly released the first albums from Saint Etienne, Beth Orton and Doves, and early singles by Manic Street Preachers. Current Heavenly artists ...
, which became the Chemical Brothers' first mix CD (excluding ''Xmas Dust Up'', a free album that came in a 1994 issue of ''NME''). It was also the duo's first live album (excluding the EP ''
Live 05 British big beat duo The Chemical Brothers have released nine studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, two remix albums, five mix albums, one soundtrack album, two video albums, six extended plays, thirty-seven singles, fifte ...
''). In March 1997, the Chemical Brothers released the second track from their forthcoming album. "
Block Rockin' Beats "Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. Released in March 1997 as the second single and opening track from their second studio album, ''Dig Your Own Hole'' (1997), it topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked ...
" went straight to No. 1 in the UK, possibly thanks, this time, to its
Schoolly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...
vocal sample and re-working of the bass-line from 23 Skidoo's single "Coup". The ''NME'' named it "Single of the Week" and said: "It throbs like your head might if you had just done a length underwater in a swimming pool full of
amyl Amyl may refer to: * Amylum or starch, a carbohydrate ** Amylopectin, a polymer of glucose found in plants; one of two components of starch ** Amylose, a helical polymer made of α-D-glucose units; one of two components of starch * Pentyl, a five- ...
." It later won them a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. In the US at this time, "Setting Sun" was sitting at Number 80 in the Billboard Top 100, after selling around 80,000 copies, an uncommon achievement for a European "dance" act. Sales from ''Exit Planet Dust'' were also around 150,000. On 7 April 1997, the Chemical Brothers released their second album, ''
Dig Your Own Hole ''Dig Your Own Hole'' is the second studio album by the English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. It w ...
''. It was recorded at the band's own south London studio, with the title taken from graffiti on the wall outside. The album was well received, with ''Mixmag'' rating it 10/10 and calling it "mad enough to be thrilling, slick enough for not even remotely trendy coffee tables". During the summer of 1997, the Chemical Brothers toured extensively, particularly in the United States. In August, the Chemical Brothers achieved a rapprochement with the US Dust Brothers, and asked them to remix the forthcoming single "
Elektrobank "Elektrobank" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released as a single from their second album, ''Dig Your Own Hole'' (1997), in September 1997. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Singles Chart. Spike Jonze dir ...
". They themselves also became highly sought-after for remixes for other artists. In September, the next single from ''Dig Your Own Hole'', "Elektrobank" was released. In November, the pair played at Dublin's Point Theatre, with support from
Carl Cox Carl Cox (born 29 July 1962) is a British house and techno club DJ, as well as radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Hove, Sussex, England. Cox has won and been nominated for numerous awards. He has performed at numerous clubs and ele ...
. They also began a US tour in Detroit. At the end of the year, ''Dig Your Own Hole''s final track, the nine-minute-long "The Private Psychedelic Reel", gave rise to a limited-edition mini-EP of the same name. The
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
consisted of a live version of "Setting Sun", recorded at the
Lowlands Festival A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise (commonly called Lowlands or Lowlands Festival), is an annual three-day music and performing arts festival, held in the Netherlands. The festival is held east of Amsterdam in Biddinghuizen, at Spijk en Brem ...
, Netherlands on 24 August 1997. Also in December, following four sold-out US shows, the Chemical Brothers toured the UK, concluding in a sold-out show at Brixton Academy, London. In 1998, they concentrated more on DJing, although some remixes did see the light of day, including "I Think I'm in Love" from
Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centered on Pierc ...
. Both a vocal remix and an instrumental remix were included in the single release. Each clocked in at over seven-and-a-half minutes. Another remix completed by the Chemical Brothers was "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp" by
Mercury Rev Mercury Rev is an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York.
Original personnel were Brothers Gonna Work It Out'', was released. It contains some of their own tracks and remixes, as well as songs from artists who have influenced their sound, such as
Renegade Soundwave Renegade Soundwave (sometimes shortened to RSW) was an electronic music group. Formed in London in 1986, the group originally consisted of Gary Asquith, Carl Bonnie and Danny Briottet. Their debut LP '' Soundclash'' was released in 1990 on Mu ...
,
Meat Beat Manifesto Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened as Meat Beat, Manifesto or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens that was formed in 1987 in Swindon, United Kingdom. The band, fronted by Dangers (the only ...
, Carlos "After Dark" Berrios, and
Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez (born July 5, 1970), also sometimes known as K-Dope, is an American record producer and disc jockey. He is one half of the classic house music Masters at Work musical production team with Little Louie Vega; and also releas ...
.


1999–2002: ''Surrender'' and ''Come with Us''

In May 1999, the Chemical Brothers played three UK dates, their first since December 1997. Also that month, they released their first new original material in two years, a track called "
Hey Boy Hey Girl "Hey Boy Hey Girl" is a song by the British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. The song contains a sample from " The Roof Is on Fire" by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three. "Hey Boy Hey Girl" was released as the first single from the Chemic ...
". This was more
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
-influenced than big beat. In interviews at the time, Rowlands and Simons indicated that the track was inspired by nights out at Sheffield club Gatecrasher. The track was also one of their more commercially accessible tracks and went to number 3 in the UK charts. Their third album, ''
Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
'', was released in June 1999. It featured vocals from Noel Gallagher, Mercury Rev's
Jonathan Donahue Jonathan Daniel Donahue (born May 6, 1966) is an American rock musician. He is best known as the frontman and a founding member of Mercury Rev, with whom he has released nine studio albums since 1991. He is also a former member of The Flaming Lips ...
, and
Mazzy Star Mazzy Star is an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 in Santa Monica, California, from remnants of the group Opal. Founding member David Roback's friend Hope Sandoval became the group's vocalist when Kendra Smith left Opal. Mazzy Star ...
's
Hope Sandoval Hope Sandoval (born June 24, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter who is the lead singer of Mazzy Star and Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions. Sandoval has toured and collaborated with other artists, including Massive Attack, for whom she san ...
. As "Hey Boy Hey Girl" had suggested, the album was more house-oriented than the previous two. On one of the album's stand out tracks, "Out of Control", New Order's
Bernard Sumner Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is a founding member of the bands Joy Division, New Order, and Electronic. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the post ...
supported by
Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...
's
Bobby Gillespie Robert "Bobby" Gillespie (born 22 June 1961) is a Scottish musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the lead singer, founding member, and primary lyricist of the alternative rock band Primal Scream. He was also ...
provided vocals. It reached No. 1 in the UK album charts. The
Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...
-directed
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "
Let Forever Be "Let Forever Be" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the second single from their third studio album, ''Surrender'' (1999), on 2 August 1999. It contains uncredited vocals from Noel Gallagher of Britpop b ...
", which utilised ground-breaking video and film effects in its depiction of a young woman's nightmares, also received a lot of attention. Later that summer, the Chemical Brothers performed at the
Woodstock '99 Woodstock '99 (also called Woodstock 1999) was a music festival held from July 22 to July 25, 1999, in Rome, New York. After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock fe ...
concert on 24 July, with positive reception. They later headlined the
Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
dance tent on the Friday night, followed by a UK tour which ended in December and included
Homelands Homelands may refer to: * Homeland, native lands * Homelands (festival), British dance music festival. * Homelands (Fables), mythical lands in the comic book series Fables. * Homelands (Magic: The Gathering), MTG expansion set. * Bantustan, part ...
Scotland on 4 September. In November, "Out of Control", featuring Sumner and Gillespie on vocals, was released as a single. The release also contained the Sasha remix. The final single from ''Surrender'', in February 2000, was the five track "Music: Response" EP, containing the title track and two remixes, plus
Electronic Battle Weapon "Electronic Battle Weapon" is a series of promotional records by The Chemical Brothers made for DJs to test in clubs. The songs have been used as tracks in several albums as well as B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phon ...
4, named "Freak of the Week", and a track called "Enjoyed", which was essentially a remix of "Out of Control" by the Chemical Brothers themselves. A CD copy of ''Surrender'' was placed in the third ''
Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC Tel ...
''
time capsule A time capsule is a historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a deliberate method of communication with future people, and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians. The preservation of holy relics dates ba ...
, buried in January 2000. That same month, they appeared on Primal Scream's album '' Xtrmntr'' at track 11 with a remix. In June 2000, they played the Pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival. In August 2000 they played to a large crowd at the main stage at
Creamfields Creamfields is an electronic dance music festival series founded and organised by British club promoter Cream, with its UK edition taking place on August Bank Holiday weekend, with a number of international editions held across various territ ...
festival, Ireland. In December 2000, the Chemical Brothers aired one of their new tracks, "It Began in Afrika" at their New York DJ gigs, supporting U2. In 2001, they were active with releases and live performances. Early in the year, they began working on a fourth album, provisionally titled ''Chemical Four''. The first track which fans got a taste of was "It Began in Afrika", as previously played in their DJ set in New York. The track would make its live debut in California in April 2001, at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...
. Another new track, "Galaxy Bounce", also got its public debut at Coachella. As had become customary for their releases and experiments, "It Began in Afrika" was first pressed as a promo, as part of the "
Electronic Battle Weapon "Electronic Battle Weapon" is a series of promotional records by The Chemical Brothers made for DJs to test in clubs. The songs have been used as tracks in several albums as well as B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phon ...
" series. It received much airplay on dance music radio shows in the UK, and became more and more popular in clubs over the course of the summer. It also became one of the "anthems" in Ibiza as the summer progressed. It was given a full commercial single release in September, reaching No. 8 in the UK singles chart, even though no promotional video was made for the track. Rowlands and Simons also remixed a track from
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...
's ''
Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars ''Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars'' is the third studio album by English electronic music producer Fatboy Slim. It was first released on 6 November 2000 in the United Kingdom by Skint Records and a day later in the United States by Astr ...
'', entitled "Song for Shelter". This remix was released as a single on 3 September 2001 (one week before "It Began in Afrika") as the CD2 single for " Song for Shelter / Ya Mama". It reached No. 30 in the UK Singles Charts (sales were combined with the CD1 single). The Chemical Brothers finished work on another album, ''
Come with Us ''Come with Us'' is the fourth studio album by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released in January 2002 by record labels Virgin and Freestyle Dust in the UK and Astralwerks and Ultra in the US. It features Richard Ashcroft ( ...
'', in October 2001. It featured collaborations with
Richard Ashcroft Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their original split in 1999. So ...
of
the Verve The Verve were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones (musician), Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Simo ...
("The Test"), and long-time collaborator
Beth Orton Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician, known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall, ...
("The State We're In"). The album was released in January 2002, preceded by a single, "Star Guitar", a melodic
Balearic beat Balearic beat, also known as Balearic house, Balearic, Ibiza house or Ibizan chillout, is an eclectic blend of DJ-led dance music that emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance music that wa ...
number, with a promotional video by
Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...
that featured passing scenery synchronised to the beat viewed through a train window. What would be the second track on the album, "It Began in Afrika", was released 10 September 2001 to be circulated around the clubbing scene where it was a popular hit. "Star Guitar" was also released as a
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
single, the pair's first. ''Come with Us'', was less well received than their previous albums, but nonetheless went straight to No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart in the first week of its release, selling 100,000 copies. In April, the title track from the album was released as a single with remixes by
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...
as part of a double A-sided release with "The Test". During the summer of 2002, the Chemical Brothers travelled the festival circuit to promote the album. Later in 2002, they released two EPs, one specifically aimed at Japan and the other the US (entitled ''
AmericanEP ''AmericanEP'' is an extended play by English electronica duo The Chemical Brothers, released in 2002 following the release of their successful fourth studio album ''Come with Us''. Track listing # " Star Guitar (Trisco La Funk dub)" – 7: ...
''). Both contained remixes, live versions and B-sides. Additionally, the band produced New Order's " Here to Stay", written for the film '' 24 Hour Party People'' and released as a single to promote the soundtrack, and remixed the song as well. One of their other major songs from this album was "Galaxy Bounce", which was popular and featured as the main title music for the
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
game ''
Project Gotham Racing ''Project Gotham Racing'' (''PGR'') is a series of racing video games developed by Bizarre Creations and published by Microsoft Studios (Xbox and Xbox 360) and Sega (Dreamcast). The series appeared on the Dreamcast, Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles, ...
''. It was also included on the soundtrack for the movie '' Lara Croft: Tomb Raider''. "Star Guitar" was featured as a song on the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
's ''
Lumines II is a 2006 puzzle video game developed by Q Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). It was released in November 2006 in Europe and North America by Buena Vista Games, and in February 2007 in Japan by Bandai Namco Games. The objective o ...
''. Two other songs, "Come with Us (Introduction)" and " Star Guitar (Title Screen)", were featured on a
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
racing game titled ''WRC II: Extreme''. Both songs are instrumental. The song "My Elastic Eye" from the album ''Come with Us'' was played in the 2004 film ''
The Butterfly Effect ''The Butterfly Effect'' is a 2004 American science fiction thriller film written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber. It stars Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart, Eric Stoltz, William Lee Scott, Elden Henson, Logan Lerman, Ethan Suplee, and ...
'' starring
Ashton Kutcher Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a S ...
and
Amy Smart Amy Lysle Smart (born March 26, 1976) is an American actress. A native of Los Angeles, Smart began her career modelling in Italy and subsequently enrolled in acting school. Her first role in film was in director Martin Kunert's anthology horror ...
.


2003–2006: ''Push the Button''

Early 2003 saw Rowlands and Simons back in the studio working on new material, including "The Golden Path", a collaboration with
Wayne Coyne Wayne Michael Coyne (born January 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the lead singer, guitarist, keyboardist, theremin player and songwriter for the band the Flaming Lips. Early life Coyne was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United Stat ...
of
the Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals), Derek Brown (keyb ...
. This was released in September 2003, at the same time as a "best of" album, entitled ''
Singles 93–03 ''Singles 93–03'' is a compilation album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 22 September 2003. It is a collection of singles from the duo between 1993 and 2003 (though not all the singles are included), plus t ...
'', marking ten years of the Chemical Brothers' releases. ''Singles 93–03'' included most, but not all, of their singles. A second new track, in addition to "The Golden Path", was included on the album, called "Get Yourself High". ''Singles 93–03'' was also released on DVD, with extra features including selected live performances and interviews with Rowlands, Simons, and many of their collaborators from throughout the period. "Get Yourself High", which featured Canadian rapper
k-os Kevin Brereton (born February 20, 1972), better known by his stage name k-os (; "chaos"), is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later adopted. The alias "k ...
on vocals, was released as a single in November 2003. In late 2003 and 2004, the Chemical Brothers continued to work in the studio on new material and a remix of "
Slow In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude (mathematics), magnitude of the change of its Position (vector), position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per ...
" by
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
. After being released on rare white label vinyl, it was subsequently given a commercial release in March on CD (on her next single "Red Blooded Woman") and on 12-inch vinyl picture disc (containing two other Minogue remixes). In Summer 2004 they returned to the festival circuit, including appearances at the
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...
, Tokyo, Scotland, and Ireland. They also visited South America for the second time (the first time being in 1999), arriving at Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. It was during these sets that they played new material, including "Acid Children", which proved to be one of the most popular new tracks. In September 2004, the Chemical Brothers released the seventh "Electronic Battle Weapon". "Electronic Battle Weapon 7" was being released as a one-sided promo-only 12-inch, containing "Acid Children". A marked departure from the Chemical Brothers' previous musical endeavours, it featured a screeching 303 bassline and a distinctive vocal sample; a pitch-altered vocal sample proclaiming "You Are All My Children Now!", which is lifted from the horror film '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge''. It was coupled with the projection of a sinister clown mouthing these same words at their live gigs. The "Electronic Battle Weapon" series of promo releases have typically been newly recorded Chemical Brothers tracks, released on promo to allow DJs to test them in a club environment, and to gauge their popularity. In 2004, the Chemical Brothers began work on '' Push the Button'', their fifth studio album, which features collaborations with Tim Burgess,
Kele Okereke Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known mononymously as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party. Early life Okere ...
, and
Anwar Superstar Anwar Superstar, born Anwar Khalil Prescott, is an American hip hop artist. He began rapping at the age of 14 on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Anwar has battled MCs from across the US and abroad. Anwar’s skills have been compare ...
, amongst others. The album was released on 24 January 2005. " Galvanize", which features rapper Q-Tip on vocals, was the first single to be taken from ''Push the Button'', and premiered on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
. The single was released on 17 January 2005, and entered the UK chart at No. 3. The second single, " Believe" (featuring
Kele Okereke Rowland Kelechukwu Okereke (born 13 October 1981), also known mononymously as Kele, is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the indie rock band Bloc Party. Early life Okere ...
from
Bloc Party Bloc Party are an English Rock music, rock band, composed of Kele Okereke (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, sampler), Russell Lissack (lead guitar, keyboards), Justin Harris (bass guitar, keyboards, saxophones, backing vocals) and Loui ...
), failed to crack the top 10, but still made it into the top 20, peaking at No. 18. "The Boxer", featuring Tim Burgess, became the duo's first single to fail to crack the top 40. The album and single "Galvanize" won a Grammy at the
Grammy Awards of 2006 The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
. The track "Surface to Air" features a pulsing chord progression and bassline reminiscent of the intro to
the Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...
song "The Modern Age". An unofficial, remixed version of the album entitled ''Flip the Switch'' was released as a free download, along with the ''Believe'' EP, featuring six further remixes of "Believe". In September 2006, the Chemical Brothers were revealed as the first musicians to be involved in Tate Tracks.
Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery located in London. It houses the United Kingdom's national collection of international modern and contemporary art, and forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is ...
invited various groups and songwriters to choose a work that inspired them from the gallery's collection of modern art and then write a track about it. The Chemical Brothers' submission, ''Rock Drill'', was inspired by the
Jacob Epstein Sir Jacob Epstein (10 November 1880 – 21 August 1959) was an American-British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British subject in 1911. He often produc ...
sculpture '' Torso in Metal from the Rock Drill'', and could be heard on headphones in front of the work in the gallery. From October 2006, it also became available to hear online at the Tate Tracks website.


2007–2009: ''We Are the Night''

The Brothers announced in June 2006 on their official web forum that the duo had been working on new material, specifically an album, code-named "Chemical 6". Simons also wrote that the band would be playing select venues in the Summer 2007 season, specifying Rome, and also
Fabric Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
in London. Simons was also quoted as saying that the duo were "hoping to put a battle weapon out for the summer", possibly referring to the Electronic Battle Weapon series, the somewhat experimental tracks the band occasionally released on
white label A white label record is a vinyl record with white labels attached. There are several variations each with a different purpose. Variations include test pressings, white label promos, and plain white labels. Test pressings Test pressings, usua ...
. "Electronic Battle Weapon 8" and "9" were debuted on
Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong, (born 30 July 1960) is an English disc jockey who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as ''Essential Mix'' and ''Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio stre ...
's
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
show on 8 December 2006. The double-sided vinyl was finally released just before the Chemical Brothers' much anticipated New Year's Eve gig at the famous
Turnmills The Turnmills building was a warehouse originally on the corner of Turnmill Street and Clerkenwell Road in the London Borough of Islington. It became a bar in the 1980s, then a nightclub. The club closed in 2008 and the building was later demol ...
in London. The vinyl had a limited edition release worldwide and was received well by fans, DJs, and critics alike. "Electronic Battle Weapon 8", at about six and a half minutes, was very distinct from the "big acid" style that the earlier "Electronic Battle Weapons" adhered to. It was characterised by 'thundering' drums with a rising synth line. A version of this track featured on the ''We Are the Night'' album and was entitled "Saturate". "Electronic Battle Weapon 9" was a typical Chemicals dancefloor track with their trademark
vocoder A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''voice'' and ''encoder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation. The vocoder was ...
vocals coupled with sirens and a basic 'tribal' melody. At the same
Turnmills The Turnmills building was a warehouse originally on the corner of Turnmill Street and Clerkenwell Road in the London Borough of Islington. It became a bar in the 1980s, then a nightclub. The club closed in 2008 and the building was later demol ...
gig, the Brothers also played a previously unreleased song at midnight to welcome 2007, which went down well with the crowd. This track eventually emerged as "Burst Generator", found on the forthcoming album ''We Are the Night''. Many were left wondering if the latest in the Electronic Battle Weapon series were simply one-off experiments or signalled a new direction they could take with the new album, perhaps swaying from their genre defining big beat albums of the past. The song was also the band's 100th released song. On 21 March 2007, the Chemical Brothers officially announced their forthcoming album on MySpace. The new album, entitled '' We Are the Night'', was released on 2 July 2007 in the United Kingdom and 17 July 2007 in the United States. The Chemical Brothers cited a delay in the production of artwork for this delay. EMI subsequently released an online Chemical Brothers computer game as an apology. The track listing was released on the official mailing list on 10 April. Collaborations featured heavily on the album, including
Klaxons Klaxons were an English rock band, based in London. Following the release of several 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles " Magick" and " Golden Skans", the band released their debu ...
("All Rights Reversed"),
Midlake Midlake is an American folk rock band from Denton, Texas, formed in 1999. The band consists of Eric Pulido, McKenzie Smith, Scott Lee, Eric Nichelson, Jesse Chandler, and Joey McClellan. In 2012, vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter Tim ...
("The Pills Won't Help You Now"),
Ali Love Ali Love (born Alexander Williams, 1979) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Previously signed to Columbia Records as a solo artist, he is now a member of the house music band Hot Natured and the duo Infinity Ink. ...
(" Do It Again"), and
Willy Mason Willy Mason (born November 21, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter. Early life Mason was born in White Plains, New York, the son of Jemima James and Michael Mason, both songwriters. Mason is a direct descendant of the 19th-century phi ...
("Battle Scars"). On 12 April 2007, "Do It Again" aired on
Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong, (born 30 July 1960) is an English disc jockey who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as ''Essential Mix'' and ''Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio stre ...
's "In New Music We Trust" show on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
. The official release of the single was 4 June (digital download) and 14 June (12-inch, 7-inch and CD). The album went on general release in the UK on 2 July 2007. The Chemical Brothers supplied a new track for the ''
Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'' soundtrack, titled "Keep My Composure". An alternate version of this track was released on ''
Brotherhood Brotherhood or The Brotherhood may refer to: Family, relationships, and organizations * Fraternity (philosophy) or brotherhood, an ethical relationship between people, which is based on love and solidarity * Fraternity or brotherhood, a mal ...
'', the duo's second singles compilation, which also featured the new single " Midnight Madness" and a second disc of every Electronic Battle Weapon released to date. The Chemical Brothers continued to tour into 2008 to promote the collection, including a landmark date at
Olympia London Olympia London, sometimes referred to as the Olympia Exhibition Centre, is an exhibition centre, event space and conference centre in West Kensington, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, England. A range of internation ...
.


2010–2012: ''Further'', ''Hanna'' and ''Don't Think''

On 30 March 2010, the band announced on their website that their seventh studio album, titled ''
Further Further or Furthur may refer to: * ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus * Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band * Furthur (band), a band formed in 2009 by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh * ''Further'' (The Chemical Brothers a ...
'', would be released on 22 June and would be "the band's first to be released with corresponding films made specifically to match each of the 8 audio tracks." The films were made with long-time visuals collaborators
Adam Smith Adam Smith (baptized 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the thinking of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Seen by some as "The Father of Economics"——— ...
and Marcus Lyall. Before the release of the album, the band played four shows in May at the London Roundhouse where they played the album and its accompanying films in their entirety. The films were released on a special edition DVD and on the iTunes LP edition. Most reviews were positive, with
BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
declaring that "... synths are brutally manhandled and pushed to their limits across the eight tracks". ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' reported that "This is a very impressive collection that is carried along with a stirring sense of velocity and momentum". However, praise was not unanimous for the album, with the American rock magazine ''Spin'' giving it a rating of three out of five stars. At the
New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a f ...
, on 10 October 2010, film director
Joe Wright Joseph Wright (born 25 August 1972) is an English film director residing in Somerset, England. His motion pictures include the literary adaptations '' Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), ''Atonement'' (2007), ''Anna Karenina'' (2012), and ''Cyrano'' ( ...
announced that the Chemical Brothers would be scoring the soundtrack to his forthcoming film, '' Hanna''. Wright, who had worked with the Chemical Brothers in the past as a member of the visual company Vegetable Vision, stated that he was "very excited to finally ... work with a more modern beat. There's a lot of bass, it's very loud." The
soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
was released on iTunes on 15 March 2011 and on CD on 4 July 2011. The duo also contributed a new version of the song " Don't Think" titled "Nina Frequency", as well as two new songs "Electric Hands" and "Danka Jane", to the soundtrack of the 2010 film ''
Black Swan The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon c ...
'' directed by
Darren Aronofsky Darren Aronofsky (born February 12, 1969) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. His films are noted for their surrealistic, melodramatic, and sometimes disturbing elements, often in the form of psychological fiction. Aronof ...
. All three songs have not been released. The Chemical Brothers released their first concert film, '' Don't Think'', in 2012, documenting their performance at
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan. ...
in Japan in 2011. The film debuted in February in theaters around the world, including a premiere in London where attendees – including
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...
,
Karen Gillan Karen Sheila Gillan (; born 28 November 1987) is a Scottish actress. She gained recognition for her work in British film and television, particularly for playing Amy Pond, a primary companion to the Eleventh Doctor in the science fiction seri ...
and
Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...
 – were seen dancing in aisles and seats, leading one reviewer to remark "at times it was impossible to tell which 'hands in the air' were on screen and which were in the room." The film was the first concert film to be mixed in 7.1 surround sound, and was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and CD on 26 March 2012. On 7 March 2012, it was announced that the Chemical Brothers would be scoring their second film soundtrack, for the bank heist film '' Now You See Me'', but the band had to pull out of the project in the early stages due to scheduling conflicts.


2012–2017: Rowlands' solo work and ''Born in the Echoes''

After ''Hanna'' and ''Don't Think'', Tom Rowlands worked on a number of solo projects. He remixed and produced music for
Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...
, the Klaxons,
I Break Horses I Break Horses are a Swedish indie rock band made up of Maria Lindén and Fredrik Balck. The band took its name from a song of the same name by Bill Callahan. History I Break Horses' debut studio album '' Hearts'' was released on 22 August 2011 ...
, and New Order, scored the film '' Trespass Against Us'' starring
Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender (born 2 April 1977) is an Irish actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Award ...
and
Brendan Gleeson Brendan Gleeson (born 29 March 1955) is an Irish actor and film director. He is the recipient of three IFTA Awards, two British Independent Film Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award and has been nominated twice for a BAFTA Award and four times for ...
and directed by longtime visual collaborator and film and television director Adam Smith, and the theatrical production of ''
Life of Galileo ''Life of Galileo'' (), also known as ''Galileo'', is a play by the 20th century German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and collaborator Margarete Steffin with incidental music by Hanns Eisler. The play was written in 1938 and received its first theatri ...
'' directed by Joe Wright performed at the
Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 201 ...
, and released 12-inch single ''Through Me / Nothing but Pleasure'' on
Erol Alkan Erol Alkan (born 30 May 1974) is an English DJ and producer of Turkish Cypriot descent. He grew up in Archway in North London. Career DJ and club promoter In 1993, Erol Alkan started DJing in various indie nightclubs in London. His fir ...
's label Phantasy in May 2013. On 21 October 2014, the Chemical Brothers released a single "
This Is Not a Game Walter Jon Williams (born October 28, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of science fiction. Previously he wrote nautical adventure fiction under the name Jon Williams, in particular, ''Privateers and Gentlemen'' (1981–1984), a series of hi ...
", which was created for '' The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1'', featuring Miguel and
Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...
. In December 2014, they announced an appearance at the 2015
Sónar Sónar is a festival dedicated to music, creativity and technology, founded in Barcelona in 1994 by Ricard Robles, Enric Palau, and Sergi Caballero. The festival has been divided into two parts since its inception: Sónar by Day and Sónar b ...
festival and a new album, scheduled for release in 2015. In April 2015, videos containing animation and audio loops appeared on the official Chemical Brothers
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page and website, thechemicalbrothers.com, ahead of the imminent release of new music. On 23 April, their new song "Sometimes I Feel so Deserted" premiered on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
. On 17 July, the duo released ''
Born in the Echoes ''Born in the Echoes'' is the eighth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 17 July 2015 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Astralwerks in the United States. It was their first studio album s ...
'', their eighth album. Singles from this album included "Go"; an up-beat reunion with guest vocalist Q-Tip and director
Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...
and "Wide Open" in collaboration with
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
.
St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia * Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305) ...
,
Ali Love Ali Love (born Alexander Williams, 1979) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Previously signed to Columbia Records as a solo artist, he is now a member of the house music band Hot Natured and the duo Infinity Ink. ...
, and
Cate Le Bon Cate Le Bon (born Cate Timothy on 4 March 1983) is a Welsh musician and record producer. She sings in both English and Welsh. She has released six solo studio albums, three EPs and a number of singles. Le Bon has toured with artists such as St. ...
also feature on the album. Along with the new album announcement, it was revealed that Simons would "take a break" from touring to focus on unspecified
academic work An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...
. Adam Smith filled in for him on stage during the 2015 tour. During the tour, Simons attended a few shows as an audience member, and both he and Rowlands expressed concern in interviews that this could mark a permanent retirement. The first concert without Simons was performed at Siemens Arena in Lithuania. Smith continued to fill in through the end of 2015, most notably at
Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
and the
Apple Music Festival The Apple Music Festival (formerly known as the iTunes Festival) was a concert series held by Apple, Inc. and inaugurated in 2007. Free tickets were given to Apple Music, iTunes and DICE FM, DICE users who lived in the United Kingdom, through loc ...
, and uniquely controlled both lights and music from the stage. Simons returned to live performances in 2016, performing at the Parklife Festival in Manchester, which included a new setlist and a cover of New Order's "
Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...
" with Sumner's recorded vocals. In November 2016, the duo released the non-album single "C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L", which premiered on BBC Radio 1. The song originally debuted as a demo in 2012, created to open the duo's DJ sets from 2012 to 2015.


2018–present: ''No Geography''

On 10 January 2018, the Chemical Brothers confirmed production of their ninth album, ''
No Geography ''No Geography'' is the ninth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 12 April 2019 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Astralwerks in the United States. It is the duo's first album in four y ...
'', via
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
and other social media platforms. They released their first song in three years on 28 September 2018, titled "Free Yourself", from the forthcoming album. On 7 March 2019,
Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
announced a collaboration with the Chemical Brothers, which was released the next day in the form of the song "We've Got To Try". The Chemical Brothers' ninth studio album, ''
No Geography ''No Geography'' is the ninth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 12 April 2019 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Astralwerks in the United States. It is the duo's first album in four y ...
'', was released on 12 April 2019 to positive reviews. In 2020, the album won three
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
including Best Dance/Electronic Album, Best Dance Recording, and Best Music Video. In 2019, the
Berlin Music Video Awards The Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVA) is a festival and networking event for filmmakers, directors, artists, musicians, and music video fans held annually in Berlin, Germany. The four-day event consists of music video marathons, live performances, ...
elected "We've Got to Try" the winner of the Best Director category and also as the overall winner - Best Music Video. The Chemical Brothers' music video "Eve of Destruction", directed by Ollie Tong, took the 2nd place at the
Berlin Music Video Awards The Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVA) is a festival and networking event for filmmakers, directors, artists, musicians, and music video fans held annually in Berlin, Germany. The four-day event consists of music video marathons, live performances, ...
2020 in the Best Art Director category.


Live

The Brothers have also played at major festivals, including
Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury ...
,
Fuji Rock is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The three-day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan ...
,
Vive Latino Vive Latino - Festival Iberoamericano de Cultura Musical is an annual music festival held in Mexico City. It is one of the most important music festivals in Mexico, featuring a great variety of groups of many genres. The event takes place in Foro ...
, HFStival and the
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
and
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
festivals. In addition to performing their own music, they also hold regular DJ nights where they mix other artists' tracks (in the style of ''Brothers Gonna Work It Out'').


Discography

Studio albums * ''
Exit Planet Dust ''Exit Planet Dust'' is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers. It was first released on 26 June 1995 in the United Kingdom by Junior Boy's Own, Freestyle Dust, and Virgin Records, and on 15 August 1995 in t ...
'' (1995) * ''
Dig Your Own Hole ''Dig Your Own Hole'' is the second studio album by the English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. It w ...
'' (1997) * ''
Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
'' (1999) * ''
Come with Us ''Come with Us'' is the fourth studio album by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released in January 2002 by record labels Virgin and Freestyle Dust in the UK and Astralwerks and Ultra in the US. It features Richard Ashcroft ( ...
'' (2002) * '' Push the Button'' (2005) * '' We Are the Night'' (2007) * ''
Further Further or Furthur may refer to: * ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus * Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band * Furthur (band), a band formed in 2009 by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh * ''Further'' (The Chemical Brothers a ...
'' (2010) * ''
Born in the Echoes ''Born in the Echoes'' is the eighth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 17 July 2015 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Astralwerks in the United States. It was their first studio album s ...
'' (2015) * ''
No Geography ''No Geography'' is the ninth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 12 April 2019 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Astralwerks in the United States. It is the duo's first album in four y ...
'' (2019)


Awards and nominations

;List of awards and nominations received by the Chemical Brothers: Brit Awards , - , rowspan="2" ,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, The Chemical Brothers , British Dance Act , , - , "Setting Sun" , British Video of the Year , , - , rowspan="2" ,
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, The Chemical Brothers , British Dance Act , , - , "Block Rockin' Beats" , British Video of the Year , , - , rowspan="4" ,
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, The Chemical Brothers , British Dance Act , , - , ''Surrender'' , British Album of the Year , , - , "Hey Boy Hey Girl" , British Single of the Year , , - , "Let Forever Be" , British Video of the Year , , - ,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, The Chemical Brothers , British Dance Act , Chicago Film Critics Association , - ,
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, '' Hanna'' , Best Original Score , Grammy Awards , - , rowspan="2" ,
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, "
Block Rockin' Beats "Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. Released in March 1997 as the second single and opening track from their second studio album, ''Dig Your Own Hole'' (1997), it topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked ...
" , Best Rock Instrumental Performance , , - , ''
Dig Your Own Hole ''Dig Your Own Hole'' is the second studio album by the English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. It w ...
'' ,
Best Alternative Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Ho ...
, , - ,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, " Get Yourself High" , rowspan="2" , Best Dance/Electronic Recording , , - , rowspan="2" ,
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, " Galvanize" , , - , '' Push the Button'' , rowspan="2" ,
Best Dance/Electronic Album The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards — a ceremony that was established in 1958 — to recording artists for quality albums in the dance music and electronica genres. Honors in several categ ...
, , - , rowspan="2" ,
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, '' We Are the Night'' , , - , " Do It Again" , Best Dance/Electronic Recording , , - ,
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, ''
Further Further or Furthur may refer to: * ''Furthur'' (bus), the Merry Pranksters' psychedelic bus * Further (band), a 1990s American indie rock band * Furthur (band), a band formed in 2009 by Bob Weir and Phil Lesh * ''Further'' (The Chemical Brothers a ...
'' , rowspan="3" , Best Dance/Electronic Album , , - ,
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, '' Don't Think'' , , - , rowspan="2" ,
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, ''
Born in the Echoes ''Born in the Echoes'' is the eighth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 17 July 2015 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Astralwerks in the United States. It was their first studio album s ...
'' , , - , " Go" , Best Dance/Electronic Recording , , - , rowspan="3" ,
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
, "We've Got to Try" ,
Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...
, , - , "Got to Keep On" , Best Dance/Electronic Recording , , - , ''
No Geography ''No Geography'' is the ninth studio album by English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers, released on 12 April 2019 by Virgin EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Astralwerks in the United States. It is the duo's first album in four y ...
'' , Best Dance/Electronic Album , Los Angeles Film Critics Association , - ,
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, '' Hanna'' ,
Best Music Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporatio ...
, Mercury Prize , - , 1997 , ''Dig Your Own Hole'' , rowspan="2" , Mercury Prize , , - , 1999 , ''Surrender , MTV Europe Music Awards , - , rowspan="2" ,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, "
Block Rockin' Beats "Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. Released in March 1997 as the second single and opening track from their second studio album, ''Dig Your Own Hole'' (1997), it topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked ...
" , Best Video , , - , rowspan="3" , The Chemical Brothers , rowspan="3" , Best Electronic , , - ,
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, , - ,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, , - , rowspan="2" ,
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, " Galvanize" , Best Song , , - , " Believe" , rowspan="2" , Best Video , , - ,
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, "
The Salmon Dance "The Salmon Dance" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers and is the seventh track on their 2007 studio album '' We Are the Night''. It features vocals by Fatlip and was released as the second single from the album on 1 ...
" , MTV Video Music Awards , - , rowspan="2" ,
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, "
Block Rockin' Beats "Block Rockin' Beats" is a song by British big beat duo the Chemical Brothers. Released in March 1997 as the second single and opening track from their second studio album, ''Dig Your Own Hole'' (1997), it topped the UK Singles Chart and peaked ...
" ,
Best Dance Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out ...
, , - , " Setting Sun" , rowspan="2" , Breakthrough Video , , - ,
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, "
Let Forever Be "Let Forever Be" is a song by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers, released as the second single from their third studio album, ''Surrender'' (1999), on 2 August 1999. It contains uncredited vocals from Noel Gallagher of Britpop b ...
" , , - ,
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, " Go" , Best Art Direction , MTV Video Music Awards Japan , - , 2002 , The Chemical Brothers , Best Dance , , - , 2004 , Get Yourself High , Best Special Effects , , - , 2008 , "Do It Again" ,
Best Dance Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video was first awarded in 1989, and it was one of the original four genre categories that were added to the MTV Video Music Awards that year. With a revamp of the awards in 2007, the category was cut out ...
, , - , 2015 , "Go" ,
Best Group Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Group (also known as the MTV Video Music Award for Best Group Video) is given to recording artists at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). The award was introduced at the inaugural ceremony in 1984 by vocalis ...
, MVPA Awards The MVPA Awards are annually presented by a Los Angeles-based music trade organisation to honour the year's best music videos. , - , 2002 , " Star Guitar" , rowspan="3" , Best Electronic Video , , - , 2006 , " Believe" , , - , rowspan="4" , 2008 , rowspan="2" , " Salmon Dance" , , - , Best Animated Video , , - , rowspan="2" , " Do It Again" , Best Electronic Video , , - , Best Cinematography , Q Awards , - , 1999 , ''Surrender'' , Best Album , , - , 2000 , rowspan="2" , The Chemical Brothers , Best Live Act , , - , 2010 , Hero Award , UK Music Video Awards , - , rowspan="3" , 2008 , "The Salmon Dance" , rowspan="2" , Best Dance Video , rowspan="3" , - , rowspan="2" , "Midnight Madness" , - , Best Visual Effects in a Video Berlin Music Video Awards ''For the Berlin music video award show, see''
Berlin Music Video Awards The Berlin Music Video Awards (BMVA) is a festival and networking event for filmmakers, directors, artists, musicians, and music video fans held annually in Berlin, Germany. The four-day event consists of music video marathons, live performances, ...
.


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chemical Brothers, The Astralwerks artists Big beat groups Breakbeat music groups Brit Award winners Club DJs English electronic music duos English electronic rock musical groups Electronic dance music duos English house music groups MTV Europe Music Award winners Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music Musical groups established in 1991 Musical groups from Manchester NME Awards winners People educated at Alleyn's School Remixers Trip hop groups Ultra Records artists Virgin Records artists Virgin EMI Records artists 1991 establishments in England DJs from Manchester BT Digital Music Awards winners