Astralwerks Beat: The Chemical Brothers

A Monthly Check-in on Sounds Coming From Music Spectrum Supporter, Astralwerks


Dance beat records have grabbed more and more of my attention as they have rocked out with hooks and riffs. On the Astralwerks Beat, this means a label who has developed DJs and electronicists into artists that garner a following among rock fans. The early 2005 release, Push the Button, by the Chemical Brothers is no exception.

The opening track, “Galvanize,” with its album title chorus, comes like a dance mix of something from The The’s Mind Bomb. Middle Eastern-influenced violin pushes the button on this groove. The song urges the listener saying, “Don’t hold back,” like an encouragement to dance and party. However, with the world rhythms, guest Q-Tip raps, “World, the time has come to galvanize,” which seems like a call to join together, solidifying our relationships with all cultures, which goes beyond just a dance party. “My finger is on the button” launches the next sample, but it could also launch a nuclear attack, but let’s hope we can galvanize before the latter happens.

“The Boxer” is for those who secretly like to groove on Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall R&B with a healthy dose of 80’s dance mix and a little Lenny Kravitz—a sound that comes especially from the vocals of Tim Burgess. With the Michael Jackson comparison in mind, “The Boxer” leads to the opening beats of “Believe,” where you can almost hear the bass line of “Billie Jean” entering. However, the track takes a much harder-edged driving line than anything Jacko could ever do outside of prison.

“Hold Tight London” sounds like a psychedelic jazz breakdown from Led Zeppelin’s II, but it yields a melodic pop line and hints of Britrock. “Come Inside” has a percussion emphasis like a marching band funk, although the sexual innuendo is a bit cheesy. “The Big Jump” sounds like the vocal was sampled from Mark E. Smith (the Fall).

While Push the Button does not fail to rock as a dance beat record, it still is difficult in my AOR (album-oriented rock) mentality. While I enjoy many of the grooves, it is not necessarily an album I would always listen to straight through. That’s still a bit of divide between dance tracks and rock albums, but as those lines get blurred, it’s time to galvanize and see how much strength that dance and rock can find in one another.

Thanks to The Chemical Brothers and Katie @ Astralwerks for the review CD.