10 iconic The Chemical Brothers moments

By 1997 The Chemical Brothers already had the foundation of their sound that was dominating rave culture. Following the release of the critically acclaimed album 'Dig Your Own Hole', the world was begging for a live show, so Rowlands and Simons obliged. Having already performed at Glastonbury in years past, in 1997 they took to The Other Stage while acts like Daft Punk, Aphex Twin, Armand Van Helden and The Orb held it down in the Dance Tent. This was the 'Year of the Mud' and the major slot proved to be ideal for The Chemical Brothers’ live show. The reception was electric, prompting the duo to put out the mix CD ‘Glastonbury '97’ featuring the recording from their epic performance.

In 2004 Tom and Simon released ‘Electronic Battle Weapon 7’, a single-sided record featuring a track titled ‘Acid Children’. It was a new trip down the rabbit hole for the duo, with a heady 303 arrangement giving the track immense energy. It’s still a proper rave tune to this day, but what made this moment important for The Chemical Bros. was that it was paired with the image of a clown saying "you are all my children now”, sampled from A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. This became their calling card during live performances and was a moment fans feasted on with excitement. Now there’s no escaping the clown, as it’s forever a part of their distinct brand having expanded on its presence by using it throughout their live shows.

There are noteworthy accolades and then there are certain releases or defining moments that showcase The Chemical Brothers’ unique approach. ‘Star Guitar’ is perhaps one of the band’s most popular tracks, not only for it’s dreamy and euphoric motif, but in part because of the creative music video that accompanies it. In similar fashion to the music videos for ‘Wide Open’, ‘Escape Velocity’, ‘C-h-e-m-i-c-a-l’ and ‘Go’, ‘Star Guitar’ presents a surreal visual display. What simply seems to be a view looking out of a train car turns into a mesmerising scene as the landscape syncs with the music. Of course, director Michel Gondry’s brilliance shines through as well, but this was a prime example of the duo’s aesthetic.

Many things might come to mind when looking back on the duo’s illustrious career, but their captivating and creative collaborations helped cement their reputation as respected artists. Beginning with Noel Gallagher of Oasis, who sang on their first number one single ‘Setting Sun’, to linking with Q-Tip on ‘Galvanize’ (above) in 2006 and winning a Grammy for Best Dance Recording. That track was released on the album ‘Push The Button’, which won them another Grammy for Electronic/Dance Album that same year, also featuring Kele Okereke of Bloc Party along with long-time collaborators Beth Orton and Tim Burgess.

Other noteworthy collaborators include New Order’s Bernard Sumner and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie on the album ‘Surrender’, plus Ali Love, Mercury Rev, Richard Ashcroft of The Verve, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips and more.

When The Chemical Brothers lent their talents to the film industry to craft the soundtrack for Joe Wright’s film Hanna, the producers took a big step into the spotlight and perhaps out of their comfort zone. That said, the result was successful with the release peaking at number seven on Billboard’s Top Electronic Albums chart. Although its reception was mainly positive, it seems the pair might not have enjoyed working on the soundtrack format. During the promotion of their most recent album, ‘Born in the Echoes’, Tom Rowlands expressed his sentiment to the Guardian following Hanna’s release: “It seems simple but it’s hard to do the things that you’re into. There’s always people with different agendas wanting you to do things that you’re not into.” Nevertheless, the Hanna soundtrack delivered a side to them that the public had not heard before and allowed them to stand out as brilliant musicians and composers.

With ‘Push the Button’ already established as a hit album and an instant classic due to a pair of Grammy nods, the next release needed to make a splash and The Chemical Brothers delivered with yet another critically-praised masterpiece. 2007’s ‘We Are the Night’ featured collaborations with Willie Mason, Klaxons and Ali Love, also debuting at number one on the UK Albums chart and earning the duo their fourth Grammy with the Best Dance/Electronic Album. Back to back albums earning the award in the same category is not something easily achieved, but The Chemical Brothers were the first to do so and only Skrillex has done the same since.

By the time ‘Don’t Think’ was released in 2012, The Chemical Brothers had come a long way. From the music scene in Manchester to winning Grammys, scoring films and working with some of the industry’s top musicians, they gave their fans an intimate look at their persona with the live album and DVD release. ‘Don’t Think’ provoked the audience to feel nostalgic, due to the combination of new and old material, and also proud of the duo that helped shape how electronic music was received on a global scale.

Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here