For That Beautiful Feeling (XDUST12)

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

Still waiting for the preorders to pop up in polish stores.
Meanwhile I heard those transitions between Live Again, No Reason and Goodbye and here are my thoughts:

Spoiler

No Reason into Goodbye is really, really nice, but Live Again into No Reason could work better if they'll do a little fade in of that drum roll instead of it suddenly appearing from nowhere.
Meanwhile the bonus transition beats from the No Reason to Goodbye are really nice, reminds me of all of those transition beats from the live show!

[;]

First of all i'm waiting for one or two b-sides to Live Again, then maybe 3 remixes. And boom, it's September. After that we'll get Skipping Like A Stone and Fountains as singles, both with b-sides and remixes. Meanwhile the japanese get 3 bonus tracks for That Beautiful Feeling => Live Again (instrumental), Feels Like I'm Dreaming (feat. Ellie Rowsell) and Intro (EBW Version).

First of all i'm waiting for one or two b-sides to Live Again, then maybe 3 remixes. And boom, it's September. After that we'll get Skipping Like A Stone and Fountains as singles, both with b-sides and remixes. Meanwhile the japanese get 3 bonus tracks for That Beautiful Feeling => Live Again (instrumental), Feels Like I'm Dreaming (feat. Ellie Rowsell) and Intro (EBW Version).

It looks like perhaps they'll be skipping a physical release for Live Again? We haven't seen any evidence of it so far (whereas we knew No Reason was coming months in advance) and it feels if there was going to be, they would have announced it by now. I don't have an issue with that, except that it means one less B-side. The more B-sides, the better!

Perhaps "Goodbye" (which is absolutely BBSG) could be the next single? We were all expecting it to be the closer or at least close to the end of the album, but it's actually the fourth (third, not counting Intro) track. I wouldn't see them releasing an albums closer as a single, but now that it's a relatively early track, I wouldn't be surprised.

On the topic of sequencing, what a surprise this is. Goodbye being so early seems a strange choice, but perhaps it will make more sense when we actually get the album on our hands. It coming after no reason also feels strange, but at least they made a KILLER transition with some bonus beats that I have had on loop recently.

TDTYF being close to the end makes sense (which, as someone else pointed out, marks the longest time between a single release and album release, not counting Song To The Siren and Exit Planet Dust!), but perhaps the most shocking placement to me was Feels Like I'm Dreaming being second to last. I can't imagine it being too different from everything we've heard of it so far, and based on that, I wouldn't imagine it so close to the end. But again, we'll have to see how it plays out when we get the album!

I could also see Dreaming being a single before release. I'm still somewhat confident in my prediction/hope from 2021 that Dreaming is EBW 13 and will be released as such, but if so, they have to do it quick!

I'm very interested at the prospect of one of the tracks we haven't heard anything from yet being a single. I would imagine they would keep singles to songs they have tested live to see audience reactions, but I could very much see Skipping Like A Stone being one as it features an artist they had on a single in the past and seem to be advertising that fact pretty heavily. Part of me hopes we only get things we've heard before as singles, so there is more mystery and surprise as to what these unknown tracks hold when the album releases, but part of me hopes we get something unheard of before ASAP as we've heard Dreaming quite a bit (not to say the studio release wouldn't be a huge difference from shoddy recordings) and Goodbye doesn't seem to have the Jesse Jackson vocal from the DJ sets, which diminishes my excitement for it a considerable amount.

As for my favorite of the tracks we have yet to see a release for, Rock Witchu, I REALLY hope it's a B-side for an upcoming single or even a Japan exclusive. If they shelve this one as they have with an unfortunate amount of previous tracks, I might just sue. I just really hope we get at least one other non-album track, as the obscure and insane stuff the Chems come up with but keep off the album is often my favorite.

As for the cover, I'm still mixed on it. On one hand, it feels completely different from any other Chems album cover, but on the other hand, their covers have never had a consistent theme or style to them, which I love. As other members pointed out, it feels rather happy, which I love and think is great, but also, my favorite Chems songs are the downbeat, dirty ones (hence why Dig Your Own Hole is my favorite album. This cover feels almost like the opposite of that one; DYOH is black and white, simple, and harsh. FTBF is colorful, neat, curvy, and fun), and this cover doesn't seem to be indicating there will be many of those.

Nor does the title, which I am also mixed on for the same reasons (this also similarly contrasts DYOH in an interesting way; something dark and pessimistic, almost threatening, vs something uplifting, hopeful). It also doesn't feel like a very Chems title, but for more reason just than the optimism: the sentence fragment itself.

Many previous Chems albums have had titles that are, in and of themselves, full sentences (Exit Planet Dust, Dig Your Own Hole, Surrender, Come With Us, Push The Button, We Are The Night) and all but two of those are commands. Born In The Echoes and No Geography are both qualities, describing something. Further is a rare single word title. FTBF, though, is a weird sentence fragment we haven't seen before from the Chems; it's the fourth four-word-title from them, but the first one to start with a preposition, which is an interesting and uncommon choice. It could have been "That Beautiful Feeling," but they added the For in front. Not sure which of those two I would prefer, as the first word being a preposition makes it sound a little awkward, but "That Beautiful Feeling" doesn't feel complete either. Maybe "Feel That Beautiful Feeling" would have been better, as it matches the common theme of the titles being commands. That's getting really nitpicky, though; despite my complaints, I absolutely love the cover and title. When I look at them, it still takes me a second to process, "woah, that is the new album!" but that could be because this is the first album release during the time I have been a fan. I can't wait to see it in my music listening app.

Also, something I noticed reading the song titles was this seemingly fantasy-like vibe I got from them, especially the tracks in the middle we haven't heard from. "Fountains," "Magic Wand," and "Skipping Like A Stone" especially. I wonder if and how the music will reflect that feeling, and how those titles came about.

Well, that's probably enough rambling and speculating for one forum post I've been on vacation and quite busy so I haven't gotten a chance to check the forum and share any thoughts here until now, so I couldn't help but let out all of my thoughts and feelings in this post. I hope it wasn't a pain to read!

[shakermaker]

physical singles and b-sides seem to be becoming more rare on the whole. I've noticed on streaming platforms a lot of singles will be backed by the previous single, and after a few singles it sort of becomes a mini EP. I dont like it but I guess they are trying to rack up listens.

all that said I can see the chems sticking to more old school methods 

[;]

physical singles and b-sides seem to be becoming more rare on the whole.

I'm quite glad the Chems seem to have returned to B-sides with All Of A Sudden and Work Energy Principle. They had stopped for a while, not doing it since We Are The Night, but it seems they are bringing it back with FTBF and I couldn't be happier.

[ThePumisher]

They had stopped for a while, not doing it since We Are The Night, but it seems they are bringing it back with FTBF and I couldn't be happier.

This


Remember during the Surrender-era there where a whooping 6 b-sides making a total of 23min and 34sec of bonus beats? Or if you include Enjoyed it's 7 b-sides or 31:42min of bonus flavour? THOSE where the days my friends.

[Bosco]

Remember during the Surrender-era there where a whooping 6 b-sides making a total of 23min and 34sec of bonus beats? Or if you include Enjoyed it's 7 b-sides or 31:42min of bonus flavour? THOSE where the days my friends.

Surrender era, had a bunch of support, marketing, and certain financial thresholds to hit. There was a certain "obligation" beyond artistic expression that forced a plentiful amount of b-sides.

Check this Billboard article from June 1999: 

(Page 10 and Page 15)
https://books.google.com/books?id=uw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15&lpg=PA15&dq=errol+kolosine+surrender+campaign+chemical+brothers&source=bl&ots=kZDi3tcHLx&sig=ACfU3U0-ie2_l35G7Fg014k7IXuy4vS4yw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjsydXKzKOAAxW_AzQIHYM2B0w4ChDoAXoECAIQAw#v=onepage&q=errol%20kolosine%20surrender%20campaign%20chemical%20brothers&f=false


so beyond Tom and Ed, you can thank Errol for all the Surrender b-sides

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

It also doesn't feel like a very Chems title, but for more reason just than the optimism: the sentence fragment itself.

I think it's the nowadays Chems as hell, especially when you'll take a look at titles as: We've got to try, Free Yourself, The Universe Sent Me, Catch Me I'm Falling, or The Darkness That You Fear. 
It's pretty much like one family

[hstn]

How many singles do you think we'll get before the release? One or two?

I need Dreaming RIGHT NOWWWWWWW

Tho legit looked at SACEM, none of the other album songs are listed but Dreaming's been there for a while, would be surprised if it wasn't the next song to be released

[Stefan]

Patience. But yea I also need Dreaming noooooooowwwww!

I'm not sure if Sacem is a good indicator of release time, No Reason and Dreaming have been listed there for months while Live Again only appeared on release day.

[neorev]

Patience. But yea I also need Dreaming noooooooowwwww!

I'm not sure if Sacem is a good indicator of release time, No Reason and Dreaming have been listed there for months while Live Again only appeared on release day.

I'm pretty sure No Reason and Dreaming have been listed because they were actually broadcasted on official channels like Coachella as well as other festival channels. This is to make sure Chems get their cut of the broadcast. Since Live Again was never actually broadcasted live in any official capacity, it only showed up when it was released as a single. 

[Stefan]

Hm, that might be the case, but as far as I remember All Of A Sudden also appeared pretty early on and that was also never broadcasted.

[Bosco]

I'm pretty sure No Reason and Dreaming have been listed because they were actually broadcasted on official channels like Coachella as well as other festival channels. This is to make sure Chems get their cut of the broadcast. Since Live Again was never actually broadcasted live in any official capacity, it only showed up when it was released as a single.

That's a forward thinking point, and probably close, if not the right answer.


I was starting an outside theory that maybe there is an alternative version of "Dreaming "(w/Ellie, or at least emphasized an appearance on the track) and Chems were appointed to put something together as part of a soundtrack for a future movie/tv show. It was about this time last year when I found out that "Dreaming" was on the registry... so possibly a delay in Movie/TV show release? Eh, maybe not.

... I think I like your theory.

[shakermaker]

Remember during the Surrender-era there where a whooping 6 b-sides making a total of 23min and 34sec of bonus beats? Or if you include Enjoyed it's 7 b-sides or 31:42min of bonus flavour? THOSE where the days my friends.

the world is so different now. during the Surrender era it was normal to buy physical singles. nowadays, outside of a niche / collectors market, when people like a song they use it in a TikTok video.

I suspect that the bonus tracks we see on modern deluxe editions are the songs that would have become b-sides back in the day.

[Csar]

As for the cover, I'm still mixed on it.
 [...]
Nor does the title, which I am also mixed on

I can relate but I didn't want to say anything. Both, title and cover/artwork, feel a bit awkward, indeed. 

[𝒥𝑅𝒮𝒵]

I need Dreaming RIGHT NOWWWWWWW

Tho legit looked at SACEM, none of the other album songs are listed but Dreaming's been there for a while, would be surprised if it wasn't the next song to be released

I would be surprised if it won't be the next one considering the all the fan community hype around it

[Joslyn]

Has anyone from the UK ordered the album from the Chemical Brothers website/Universal music store? If so, what are the shipping costs? 

Has anyone from outside the UK but in the Eurozone tried to order a music/merch bundle and succeeded? 

Something really fishy is happening on my end...

[neorev]

I can relate but I didn't want to say anything. Both, title and cover/artwork, feel a bit awkward, indeed. 

I feel the same. The album title is a bit meh. I am just not feeling the cover art at all.

[Wolkenkrabber]

I can relate but I didn't want to say anything. Both, title and cover/artwork, feel a bit awkward, indeed. 

We've gone from Not Final Artwork (i.e. nothing) to "Oh that's loud!".

Have they decided to permanently move away from Kate Gibb for new stuff, I wonder?
None of the artwork from TDTYF onwards has been Kate Gibb stuff. In fact the artwork for No Geography and BITE was created or curated by Tom Hingston studios wasn't it? I guess the OOC/Avalanches re-work was the last time she was used.

Obviously KG did/does have her own style which made it easy to recognise a lot of Chems releases. But this new one? If you didn't know it was Chems, you wouldn't know. And I don't think we know who has done the 'arty' artwork do we?

[Stefan]

Kate Gibb did artwork for their upcoming book, so they certainly haven't moved away from collaborating with her.

I think the album title is perfectly fine. I feel pretty indifferent about the artwork. It's not bad, but I also wouldn't hang it up as a poster on my wall. It's wat they choose to go with and it means that new music is coming, and that alone makes me happy anytime I see it.

[ThePumisher]

Has anyone from outside the UK but in the Eurozone tried to order a music/merch bundle and succeeded?

Me ordered the white vinyl, the cd and the NR single (no merch unfortunately) - worked pretty flawlessly


Newest post from the Brothers on Instagram is saying that FTBF will be released Sep 9th 🤔

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