10 iconic The Chemical Brothers moments

20 years ago on April 7, The Chemical Brothers released 'Dig Your Own Hole', the duo’s second album and their first to reach number one on the UK Albums chart. After receiving rave reviews from various media outlets, including Mixmag who described it as "mad enough to be thrilling, slick enough for not even remotely trendy coffee tables", the album proved to be a critical moment in The Chemical Brothers’ career and one that set them on the path to holding the world-class status they have today.

In honour of this momentous anniversary, Mixmag compiled The Chemical Brothers’ most iconic moments, from their early name change to the various collaborations with artists as diverse as Bernard Sumner and Q-Tip.

Read about the moments that made The Chemical Brothers one of the most influential acts in electronic music below.

Having gained a slice of early success under the alias The Dust Brothers, few could have endured a name change as swiftly and strongly as these guys. The original guise was inspired by a pair of producers in LA of the same name, so Tom and Ed were forced to make a change. Following in the path of one of their earlier tracks called ‘Chemical Beats’, The Chemical Brothers arose inspired and would release their debut album in 1995. ‘Exit Planet Dust’ was clearly a pivotal moment, as it allowed their sound to reach more people than ever before, shooting up the UK Albums chart to peak at number nine. It was the first of their eight studio albums and helped establish the duo’s distinct sound profile, which under their new name would become the essence of their future material.

Where would Tom and Ed be without Manchester, the city they both were drawn to during their youth? At a time when the Haçienda was revolutionizing dance music in the UK, the two likely fed off the music scene’s energy, deciding to immerse themselves in the community and DJ together. Their first gig took place at the Owens Park BOP, a party put on by University of Manchester students. It was a prime time for the pair, who were not even called The Dust Brothers at the time, instead going playing as The 237 Turbo Nutters. Soon they would hold down a weekly residency at a club called Naked Under Leather.

After achieving little success commercially at the start of their career, a record by The Chems found its way to one Andrew Weatherall (pictured above), a DJ in London who also had a label called Junior Boy's Own. For many other DJs at the time, ‘Song To The Siren’ (above) was a bit too slow for their sets, but Weatherall found a place and relentlessly rinsed it. He signed the track and released it on his label in 1993. This led to the release of their debut album ‘Exit Planet Dust’ in '95 on the same label, but soon there was a chemical buzz in the industry and Tom and Simon were quickly snatched up by Virgin Records. Sometimes all it takes is the support of one tastemaker to help launch a career.

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