For the past few weeks everyone has been getting themselves into a bit of a frothy lather amid vapour like rumours that Daft Punk are about to announce a 2017 tour. As with every year, since their unforgettable 2007 ‘Alive’ performance, those rumours have continually proved to be unfounded. A disappointing if somewhat predictable scenario, yet amid all this wild speculation there IS another legendary 90’s electronic act who are touring and have just released a new single – Chemical. An act who are perhaps as equally significant and influential, and in our opinion, should be more regularly mentioned in the same breath as Daft Punk… they are of course ‘The Chemical Brothers‘.
As great as Daft Punk are, and they are great, Chemical Brothers bang it just as hard – trust us we’ve seen them both live; one more than the other for obvious reasons. That said some will argue that even though The Chemical Brothers legacy is of undoubted significance to club/dance culture, they do not have the same far reaching impact as Daft Punk do. Which, when you look at the unarguable impact both Homework and Discovery had on a generation of producers, is a fair point. However have you considered that when you compare Daft Punks determined anonymity to the Chems regular output and propensity to tour, that in the 20 odd years that both acts have been with us that it is actually The Chemical Brothers who have had the greater influence, by virtue of continued visibility? Not only have they written classic records such as Block Rockin Beats, Hey Boy Hey Girl and Galvanise, but their live shows have always been a visual feast, long before the infamous pyramid appeared in 2006.
Forget Daft Punk, for now at least, and get yourself a ticket to see the Chemical Brothers. We’re seeing them December 11th and having heard their latest single ‘C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L’ we’re confident it’s going to be a block rockin party, pardon the intentional pun.
Chemical Brothers – C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L [Out Now]