Interviews & Articles

Interesting story, nice to get some context to the artwork. I would love to see the original Thomson and Sons art.

Hingston Studio also did the art direction for Don't Think cover and Further cover.

https://www.mixcloud.com/xmasevet/the-chemical-brothers-born-in-the-echoes-tour-setlist-encore/     

https://www.mixcloud.com/xmasevet/the-chemical-brothers-born-in-the-echoes-tour-setlist-encore/     

woo haa

but it shows that the brothers hove lost a lot of their quality transitions skills, i mentioned it before on the old forums related to the further tour

^ I haven't listened to it extremely closely, but that Mixcloud link is just a slightly modified version of the Glasto soundboard recording, with studio versions of Reflexion and The Reel added to the end.

And for the most part I totally disagree about the transitions! When you're there they're smooth as fuck, especially when you don't know what's coming. Star Guitar into SIFSD sounds like the SG synthline just transforms into the SIFSD synthline, no crossfade.

Then again I do disagree with the synth sliding up in pitch twice in a row for transitions... and as great of an idea TSU -> EV is, it does sound kind of funny...

I hear don't think album audio in there too.

woo haa

but it shows that the brothers hove lost a lot of their quality transitions skills, i mentioned it before on the old forums related to the further tour

I haven't listened to this mix on Soundcloud but I do have listened (and am now as I type) to the live recording from the Aplle music festival and IMO the live transitions are great. Do it again into Go, SG into SIFSD, I'll see you there into Believe, Snow.Surface into EV into UTI into Galvanize. I think they are all good.
When I first saw them live at Werchter I thought the show was a bit messy. I'll see you there was just a whole bunch of noise. But it was the 3rd (edit: not 3rd but early) set in the tour. They evolved the show so much. And Snow/Surface fits in the set so much better than TSSU. I love this set so much more than the Don't Think set.

on topic:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/25/chemical-brothers-roundhouse-camden-live-review

I have to agree on the transitions between songs being a bit messy. I fairly dislike how the first five songs are being played. They doesn't go so well altogether. The begining of the show feels a bit forced to me. It gets way better as soon as chemical beats kicks in.
Really love how  snow/surface to air goes into EV and then into UTI. Pure madness.

The review is interesting in so far as the author, who speaks so highly of their Roundhouse gig, totally trashed the chems' Glasto performance and received a heavy beating from Guardian commentators for it. Oh the irony

I have to agree on the transitions between songs being a bit messy. I fairly dislike how the first five songs are being played. They doesn't go so well altogether. The begining of the show feels a bit forced to me. It gets way better as soon as chemical beats kicks in.
Really love how  snow/surface to air goes into EV and then into UTI. Pure madness.

Okay but Do It Again -> Go is genius.

http://www.elektronauts.com/talk/view/77

http://www.elektronauts.com/talk/view/77

Talking about the "Go"-Video:

Will any of the seven, properly dressed women be joining you on stage tonight?
Tom: If only!


I Like that part

In this interview: http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/ocio-y-cultura/the-chemical-brothers-poble-espanyol-entrevista-simons-5589049 Ed says they will return to the studio in December, and he is doing a therapeutic charity in a NGO two days a week.

Official acknowledgement of what he's been up to.

10 minute version of Go.

Enjoying playing live to make up for lost time in 2015.

Intent to experiment in smaller live shows.

Suggestion of "sketches" of new ideas in live shows.

Re-entering studio in December.

Felt uncomfortable taking so long of a gap between Further and BITE.

Never know when the last album will be.

That interview is pure wish fulfillment!

After a season away from the stage by subjects of studies, Ed Simons returns to the bosom of The Chemical Brothers

Thanks Google Translate. I'm not sure if I sausage on this.

Thanks Google Translate. I'm not sure if I sausage on this.

Not being flippant, what would be a better translation? It's a legit expression in my part of the world (bosom not sausage obvs!).

In this interview: http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/ocio-y-cultura/the-chemical-brothers-poble-espanyol-entrevista-simons-5589049 Ed says they will return to the studio in December, and he is doing a therapeutic charity in a NGO two days a week.

Ha, I was also just about to post this 

Re-entering studio in December.

Let the hype for CHEM9 begin

Not being flippant, what would be a better translation? It's a legit expression in my part of the world (bosom not sausage obvs!).

To me bosom is pretty exclusively an archaic way of referencing a female's chest. Never heard the idiom. So it was a very odd image, played up because I assumed it was a bad translation.

I'm not sure if I sausage on this.

How did you remember and dig this up? 

I've been meaning to translate a German interview they'd done for a local newspaper before the Gelsenkirchen show in which Ed really sounded promising too regarding the band's future. Probably going to do that on the weekend.

Alright, one week late on this but anyways:

The Chemical Brothers are regarded as the band that reconciled alternative rock fans with electronic music. The duo, consisting of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, are currently touring Europe. The one and only stop in Germany is going to be on the 9th of September at the Amphitheatre Gelsenkirchen.

For more than 20 years, the band has essentially helped shaping the dance scene with the BigBeat sound; the most recent album “Born In the Echoes” is being  acclaimed by both fans and critics. However, Ed Simons doesn’t like it to be called a comeback album.

“We aren’t that young anymore to release a new album each or every other year but we have been musically active all this time”

, according to the Chemical Brother. Also, Simons doesn’t believe in the pressure of bands having to continuously reinvent themselves.

“Musicians should of course evolve but they automatically do so if they take their job seriously.”

Looked up on Google

Concerts by the Chemical Brothers have a reputation for being  a unique amalgamation of music and light show. The ambience of this exemplary venue, the Amphitheatre, will contribute to it making it an extraordinary concert experience.

“When we got the request to play there, we immediately looked this place up on Google and were instantly excited because of its location by the canal. It’s going to be a real psychedelic and emotional show and the audience will not forget it in a hurry”.

Simons promises.
He wasn’t aware of the fact, though, that Gelsenkirchen is not that far away from Düsseldorf, the home of Kraftwerk. Their musical influence [on their shows] qualifies Simons with a more differentiated view.

“There’s no doubt, we love Kraftwerk. But in comparison to our music which aims at emotions with its so-called BigBeat [I somehow doubt he said this], Kraftwerk focuses more on rather cold precision. However, we also have songs like Scale where you could easily claim they might be inspired by Kraftwerk.”

During the band’s history, the Chemical Brothers were able to witness how dance music progressed from small clubs to stadium-sized mega events. Yet, Ed Simons refuses to verify a decline in quality that might go along with it.

“First and foremost, the size of venues is an indicator of an increased acceptance. But after all it must be clear that with increasing numbers of musicians involved, the number of those who are lesser skilled increases as well.”

Music is part of it

With amusement reacts Simons to the question where he might see himself with the Chemical Brothers in 10 years time.

“I for one see myself on a beautiful island, my girlfriend and a Piña Colada next to me and music on my iPod. Nah, kidding aside, that sounds tempting but you’re a musician for all your life: as long as it can be and anyone still wants to hear us, I want to keep making music.”

Nah, kidding aside, that sounds tempting but you’re a musician for all your life: as long as it can be and anyone still wants to hear us, I want to keep making music.”