Reviews (page 2 of 9)
Really good but gets kinda samey by the end. Never gets boring and One Too Many Mornings is great - manages to be ethereal and edgy at once. Hilarious that they just thought they could also be named The Dust Brothers in honor of the existing group The Dust Brothers??
for me, 90s EDM can be a bit fatiguing between all the guitar-esque riffs and ringtone style samples. but luckily the chem bros pull it off pretty nicely. 1st half of this album is like, 'uptempo warehouse Matrix bank heist' while the 2nd slowly simmers down the energy to 'edgy alternative hacker lounge'. 3.75/5
This one is pretty good, but, the next couple of chemical brothers records are my favourites. Still, this one is good too
I feel like this would be more enjoyable if a couple of these was put into a set and mixed in. That’s the issue I have with quite a lot of electronic albums. That being said, this is still an enjoyable listen
Good album
Quality from the Chemical Brothers, always liked them
This is the 200th album of the project, so for my own geeky pleasure, here is a small statistical overview. (In parentheses, the situation after 100 albums.) 5 star albums: 8 % (9%) 4 star albums: 42,5 % (39 %) (including Exit Planet Dust) 3 star albums: 32,5 % (35 %) 2 star albums: 14,5 % (15 %) 1 star albums: 2,5 % (2 %).
Chemical Brothers all over. beats, repetition, high tempo, though a little 'thin' at times
This didn’t really do much for me. They have a few decent tunes but I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan
This has actually aged slightly better than I expected it to!
3.5 stars
I had been putting off listening to “Dig your own hole” until I got this one a week later, so I decided to listen to both twice and do a double review. It is definitely not made for a concentrated listening experience, so I did a bunch of work while I listened. The more I heard, the more I started to enjoy it actually - buuut, I think it’s because I just started to not expect anything. I get how this might have sounded somewhat revolutionary once, but their sound is just so dated in my opinion. The harder stuff just sound like the soundtrack to a mediocre action film, and every time there’s an interesting sound or a lead of any sort, it’s mixed way in the back. I do enjoy the samples though, and the softer and more psychedelic stuff is better on these albums. I have the third album a try to, and generally enjoyed it more. But this is not really for me. It’s just fine, occasionally interesting, but never really moving. I guess if I heard this really loudly in the middle of a bad dj set, I would really dig it, but eh. The second is slightly better I guess 4/10
Not all tracks aged well
This was great! Dirty house beats, minging synth work! Fucking loved it!
Absolute magnificence from the brothers, it's amazing that this is their debut album. It paints surreal pictures in your mind when you listen to it, it feels like you're running in a trance with lights surrounding.
As a big fan of electronic music, this is why I love doing this project. I was vaguely aware of the Chemical Brothers before today, and this debut album is right up my alley. Super groovy electronic/techno beats, a total vibe.
Just an awesome electronic record. Had a lot of fun listening to this one
2,5
Not my thing, but I tried- listened twice.
It’s a really good translation of a rave DJ set, for good (great energy, they have their beat building down on the debut, blends well from beat to beat and track to track) and bad (they haven’t really got good songwriting construction down yet, lack of hooks and variety in that sense, so it doesn’t excel as an album). A solid debut but I know it builds to more within one or two albums so I can’t be too thrilled with it.
Favorite songs: Leave Home, Chico's Groove, One Too Many Mornings, Life Is Sweet, Alive Alone
(7.6) Major Fatboy Slim vibes
Not for me I found it very boring, 1 out of 10
Not my thing. I definitely get what’s going on here. And I didn’t find it unlistenable but it’s not my cup of tea. And that’s okay! I gave it a second chance, also, but just wasn’t feeling it
Electronica that somehow works for me, which is rare. I think it’s because they mix it up more as far as beat and added sounds.
Pas archi fan…
This actually slapped really hard
fine electronic album
I felt like a main character of some kind of movie about hackers while listening to this album ( especially in the beginning) 3.5+
Showing it's age now.
It has beats and things, so I guess it qualifies as music. I was a chemistry major, and these chemical brothers just gave me a test I just couldn't take, even if I wanted to. ⭐⭐
Repetitive noise. DNF.
10/10
no me gusto la verdad no es mi estilo, muy electrico
Great album! Love the chemical bros and this was a great one very smooth vibes and very mellow!
Høres ut som filmmusikken til Blade eller Matrix. 'One Too Many Mornings' var fin.
Viktig band, viktig plate. Lyden av Tje Chemical Brothers er distinkt, så man hører liksom at det er dem uten å ha hørt låta før. Deilig å ha både i bakgrunnen og på løpetur.
Everything here sounds like the anti piracy ad. And honestly it’s a fucking vibe… for 4 songs and then I feel like it needs a break up. This is one of those where all the songs on its own sound good, but together sounds samey.
Well done, but doesn't do much for me
(4/7) it's like the background music for a futuristic racing video game
3.5
3.0
2 out of 5. This album was ok background music.
By the time they became The Chemical Brothers, they were already the figureheads in the big beat scene known as The Dust Brothers, a name that was changed to avoid a lawsuit from their american namesakes. They already learned how to properly evolve their tracks and craft them into something consistently interesting. While they didn't exactly master this skill on their debut LP, they came close. It's definitely a level below Dig Your Own Hole and especially Surrender, but Exit Planet Dust is an incredibly important and influental album in the genre. It just slightly lacks the variety and the depth that turned their subsequent releases into something truly special and unforgettable. Favourite track: Leave Home
Gets the job done. Overall not impressive and nowhere near as good as The Prodigy were at this same time but still quite good 90s dance music.
would give absolutely anything to go to a club and hear this kind of music today. LOVE the chemical brothers. beyond energizing, inventive, fresh.
These chemical dust trails are fun to follow! ★★★★
Roh, laut, voll Big‑Beat‑Eifer, aber heute eher ein stilistischer Entwurf als ein starkes Album. Viel Druck, wenig Feinheit.
Need to listen again
Solid but they have better
I feel like this sort of music is meant to be played 1 song at a time in an appropriate venue... a club, a sporting event, etc. Not as a full album listen. A bit of a headache honestly.
If you like house, you should like The Chemical Brothers. It’s well-produced and sounds fresh, but I think a lot blends together toward the end. 3.5/5
icreadibly focused on the instruments and i dont ind it honestly, pretty chill and yea. production is cool, cover is misleading i thought i was in it for a country album lmao. very cool, beats but like nice beats?
2/5
Get ready to be transported back to the roots of modern electronic music. The sound on this album is acutely 90s but still holds up well. At the lowest points, the album is a touch repetitive/ambient, but most of this record soars high. If the studio versions of these cuts are great, I can only imagine what a live performance would be like. Overall, there's a few skips here, and the album isn't perfect, but there's a lot to like and revere as a debut and inspirational record.
good album
This style of music has never really been my thing. Despite that, though, I think this is one of the better albums in this genre. There were quite a few songs I liked. The opening track especially is great. Will I regularly return to this in full? No, probably not. But I still really respect it. 3.5/5
Great 90s electronic album. Feels simple and unique. Flows pretty effortlessly. 3.8/5.0
I really enjoyed this, reminded me of the music from racing games in the late 90s. The first half of the album was definitely stronger than the second which was a bit of a shame. Overall a great listen though, 3.75* rounded up to 4*
This was really cool, experimental, and unique. It wasn't just different; I also heard a lot of psychedelic beats that made me feel like I was in a different plane for a while. It's definitely something I would put on in the background while working. It was kind of therapeutic as well.
This album was also funky.
no es lo mío
emmmmmm bien como soundtrack pero lo mismo que siempre, no te diferencio las canciones, se me hacen un poco todas iguales, y un poco flop overall 5/10
I guess man
It was annoying, repetitive, and I was glad when it ended
No. Just no. This is utterly unappealing.
Nice! It's funky and tight and pulsating. It's also full of cymbal rush type effects to make me feel amped, and it's kind of loud and short on dynamic range, but I feel like it owns those things pretty well. More sincere feeling than the later chemical brothers I've spent more time with.
I enjoy The Chemical Brothers. The beats just feel like something different to anything else. This album wouldn't be a top one of theirs but I enjoyed it.
Wrong timing for me. 3.3
5/10
concept album (i like), with old school hiphop beats and vibes. electronic sounds and acid and techno like sounds.
Excellent
This was one of the first electronic albums I ever heard and it still holds up. Favorite tracks: Chico's Groove, Alive Alone
They used to believe that radio stations on Mars would sound like this, y’know. And then they Killed the fun and now Mars will probably be broadcasting Amazon ads 24/7
The Chemical Brothers - Exist Planet Dust (1995) I'm going to be honest…looking at the album cover, I thought it was going to be rock. I was NOT expecting to to be EDM/house music. If I'm going to be honest, it just wasn't for me. Not the worst of all time, but I don't plan on listening to them anymore. Album Rank: 2.4 Favorite Song: One Too Many Mornings
Repetitive, boring, I really hate this type of music... 🤷🏻♀️
6/10 I only really know the Chemical Brothers through their singles. They were always one of those acts that were able to bring dance music production techniques to a wider audience through their great ear for a hook, and while I enjoy their work for what it is, I've never necessarily felt the need to dive much deeper. This record, while being perhaps a little broader than I was expecting, by and large validates that opinion. They are obviously skilled producers, able to summon engaging hooks regularly throughout the album, and create a tasty blend of different dance music styles, while also throwing in some elements of rock music here and there, but it often felt like tracks could get a little stale as they progressed. While that's less of a problem (and is sometimes a positive) in a live situation, or when sticking music on in the background, I found that there were times during a more focused listen, that some of the overly repetitive beats or bass lines started to tire, and my interest began to wane. That wasn't a consistent issue over the record though, and when they spent a bit more time creating longer cycles, more varied sections, and spent a little more time on sound design and ear candy, things were a lot better. What I quite liked about this record was that they were able to quite coherently move from more dancefloor oriented tracks to ones that were far more chilled, with elements of ambience, psychedelia and harmonic depth. While I enjoyed a few of the more uptempo efforts, the things that stood out to me more were actually some of the more considered pieces. That being said, as someone experienced with synthesis and production, there were times when some of their synth patches, 303 lines and sonic tomfoolery really spoke to me and, as previously mentioned, I did enjoy this quite a lot as a background listen, but ultimately, it felt like on this record they didn't reach the standard of hook that they would reach with later works, and they did resort a little too much to dancefloor structures that can become a little bland and uninteresting when listened to in a home listening environment. Good, not great, but possibly enough for me to dig into a bit of their later work. Leave Home - This is a fairly interesting blend of hip-hop beats, almost heavy rock tones and a dance music structure, with clearly defined sections and drops. It’s pretty good, and there are some quality hooks and pieces of sound design in there. The technique of tweaking the arrangement between each section, dropping parts in and out, is fairly typical of dance music, but they manage to largely maintain interest and groove as they go. It’s not blown my socks off, but is still decent. In Dust We Trust - Again, we get some decent riffs, and the pace of this has ramped up a bit, but it does feel more repetitive than the opener. Some of the sequences seem just that bit shorter, so the repetition is more obvious. It also sounds like there has been less focus on sound design and ear candy to keep this as interesting and varied as the opener. I’d no doubt enjoy this in a live environment, and it’s good as background music too, but on a more focused listen, it’s not quite got the variety. Song To The Siren - The pace drops back again now and unfortunately, this falls further into the repetitive trap. There are some cool bits of ear candy here and there, and they spend a bit of time tweaking filters to add more movement to the tone, but ultimately, this is a fairly draining listen and doesn’t really have any of the hooks of the first couple of tracks to hang its hat on. Three Little Birdies Down Beats - We get some solid rave synth vibes now, with screaming, overdriven acid synth tones. The sound is really good, but I ended up gagging for changes to come way, way earlier than they eventually did. It’s another that’s not a bad background or night out listen, but for something to sit down and listen to, it’s quite draining. Fuck Up Beats - The distorted, overdriven beat here is great. They throw in enough bits of tweaking and breaks from the beat to keep things from getting too stale, and with it being over in a minute and a half, it doesn’t really have the chance to get boring, which is a win, I guess. Tonally, I thought this was great, but there wasn’t a vast amount of musical content to it. Chemical Beats - We’re definitely leaning more into the techno school of production now, and there’s a lot more effects and synth parameter tweaking through each section to keep things from getting too flat and repetitive. Obviously the main motifs are heavily repeated, but there’s enough going on around them that it becomes less draining. There are some great grooves in this and the 303 line, while the most repetitive part of it, is so squelchy and fun. The sound design and ear candy really elevates this one. Solid stuff. Chico's Groove - And now, the boys take towards a more chill-out coded groove. They play around with the arrangement nicely and throw in some cool sound effects and other ear candy to keep things fresh. The bass line is a touch too repetitive, which is a shame, because the chord structure and other elements have a long enough cycle to move away from being overly repetitive. It’s a great vibe, though and another enjoyable track. One Too Many Mornings - Another chill-out track. This reminds me of the kind of thing Lemon Jelly were doing a few years later than this. Because it’s slower and has subtle evolutions and a more floaty vibe, it manages to deliver a slightly hypnotic groove that makes light work of sucking you into the track. In a track that’s all about building a vibe and a groove, they completely nail this, and while it’s not necessarily the most musically interesting of compositions, the production makes up for it. Lovely stuff. Life Is Sweet - This manages to sit nicely between the more up-beat, dance vibe of the early tracks and the more chilled, vibe-heavy work of the last couple of tracks. There’s decent range to the beats they use through various sections and, while there are repetitive elements, the fact that it’s swathed in amore atmospheric, floaty vibe does help to give this more of an interesting feel. It’s another that I quite like, but don’t completely love, despite the quality of the vibe. Playground For A Wedgeless Firm - What a tasty intro this is. That high resonance filter is dirty, with a quality, crisp reverb on it to give it depth. The breakbeat is pretty groovy too, and the rhythm of the sample and its subsequent manipulation are very cool too. This is a bit of an interlude track really, but it’s sonically interesting and does what it needs to before getting out of the way. I liked this one. Alive Alone - And we close out with another almost chill-out track, featuring some great vocals from Beth Orton. It’s got more great vibe and leans quite heavily towards a trip-hop sound, and has quite a spacey, hypnotic feel to it. The bass line is perhaps a bit too repetitive in places, but they do throw in the odd fill to keep things fresh. The groove is subtle, but engaging and there’s a pretty interesting blend of instrumentation to give this it’s own unique flavour, while still fitting in well with the aesthetic of the album.
The start of the Chemical Brothers journey. Gets into a groove and just stays there. The vocal tracks towards the end provide a bit of a break from the nonstop beats and samples, but otherwise it just burns its way into your brain. Not something I'd come back to a lot, but I wouldn't turn it off if you put it on the stereo.
Musica elettronica abbastanza figa. Non mi sbilancerei.
Not my favourite Chemical Brothers album but still has some great tracks on it. Quite a lot of people saying this doesn’t deserve to be on here. Bollocks! Electronic music was in a state in the 90s. It had all gone a bit Pete Tong with a strong focus on trance/ibiza club music. This took electronic music in a different direction and it was welcome for doing so. I’d rather listen to this than yet another pissing Elvis Costello album.
Intense workflow/study music. Maybe exercise. I don’t have much of a use case for it. Kind of sounds like The Prodigy, but without all the fun singing.
Pretty fun, but gets a bit stale by the end
Nice background music for working. I saw their later work a lot on music television so I was surprised those albums didn't make the list, but this did. My feeling was those were their biggest hits (galvanize, do it again, the salmon dance etc) but apparently I am wrong
It's techno and it's heavy on beats and is extremely monotonous. By ~half way into the album I found myself wishing it was over. There were occasional tracks that were more song-like and that were a welcome break (e.g. Life is Sweet) but on the whole it's not my thing.
It lags in the later half, but still few do big, dumb beats that make the world seem like an action movie the way the Chemical Brothers do. That said, I’ll save the 5 star for one of their other albums.
Good tunes
Exit Planet Dust is often praised as a groundbreaking electronic album, but it didn't click with me. While I can appreciate its influence and the way it helped shape the big beat genre, I found the listening experience repetitive and lacking memorable moments. The production is solid, with heavy beats and layered samples, but many of the tracks blur together instead of standing out on their own. Rather than building excitement, the album started to feel monotonous after a while. I was also hoping for stronger melodies or more dynamic song structures, but much of it stayed in the same groove without enough variation to keep me engaged. There are flashes of creativity throughout the record, and it's easy to understand why it has such a strong reputation among fans of electronic music. Still, influence doesn't always translate into enjoyment. For me, Exit Planet Dust felt more historically important than genuinely entertaining, and I finished it appreciating its legacy more than the music itself. Overall, I'd give it 1.5/5. I respect what it accomplished, but it's not an album I see myself revisiting.
Decent album. Better than some other techno style albums. This seems like more actual instruments bring samples instead of just 'sounds'. Also has a heavier sound than some others.
I got on board with the Chemical Brothers on Dig Your Own Hole, but this is still a pretty amazing piece of work. High 3s
Great working music!
Brings me back to my 90s techno faze.
6/10… big beat / alternative dance / *1995
As a soundtrack for a racing video game: 5 stars As an album in itself: 2 stars.
WOW
Album 253. Exit Planet Dust (https://open.spotify.com/album/1Bmuyq89rXZJNK1w8pauEg?si=m8baBq6wQv-ge3z9ymlJow) — The Chemical Brothers (1995) It's okay, but nothing much 2/5 No liked songs
Good for the right mood
I find this kind of music to be too irritating. It's not necessarily bad, it just kind of drives me nuts.
If I was young again, tripping alone on a train with this as my soundtrack, it would be the perfect album. But I’m not. Really enjoyed some of the more atmospheric songs towards the end. Throw on a half stat.
This flip flopped between kinda cool and incredibly annoying. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood. 4/10
Like the other Chemical Brothers album I heard a while back, this one sounds exciting at first but can't really keep it up. Maybe if I were at the club instead of at work...
I can see why people love this so much but it's not really my bag.
I really liked this album. Just a really solid electronic album.
this is outrageoussss this is contagiousssss
Phew! The nineties were pretty exhausting. The Chemical Brothers' debut album, "Exit Planet Dust", is quite monotonous. While it's certainly hypnotic and exhilarating in a club, at home on the couch 30 years after its release, it's just tiring synthetic minimalist rhythms. It's not bad — I understand why this sound became so important — but looking back, it simply reflects the hustle and bustle, excitement and hedonism of the time.
Really enjoyed this one. They must have put Adderall or something in this album, I highly recommend listening to it while doing chores/work. I was just doing my normal morning chores and felt so locked in with this album blasting.
very good first half, but after a while, it gets a bit boring
Compared to their other albums, these are some pretty tame and boring beats. And why is a live track on this album? This sht is all electronic anyways. Why not just rerecord it?
Listening to this I felt nothing.
this album is fuckin great. 50 minutes of solid big beat with a strong taste of acid. the brothers gonna work it out............ i love this album cover to cover. the first half has this forceful darkness and grit, giving it a sound which honestly feels like it could've been the score of the matrix in an alternate reality where the movie was made 5 years earlier. in our reality, the prodigy featured on the soundtrack instead, and tracks like "song to the siren" and "chemical beats" with their pounding rhythms, choppy samples and acid synth lines do pull up pretty close to the early prodigy sound, so maybe that's what's giving me that feeling....? but then the back half calms down and takes a tone that makes me think more of early primal scream, especially in the final track, "alive alone", where they throw in a full vocal and load it up with reverb. it's a little odd how hard the split is, but i fuck w/ both sides of it, and i'm not one to complain about variety. easiest 5 we've rolled in a while. it was needed badly.
thumpy club beats of course i love it !!!
3 British electronica albums in a row. I preferred it slightly to the 808 state and Talvin Singh, but it's still just fine. More the style of beats I like, but at the end of the day, not the sort of thing I'd usually seek out to listen to at home. Album was def stronger at the start for me, "Leave Home" and "In Dust We Trust" were the standouts for me
Not as good as they're next too records, but as a debut this serves as a nearly perfect introduction to the band. Favorite track: Alive Alone 3.5/5
I probably like this a little more than Dig Your Own Hole. Exit is edgier, sonically. And the vocals are (somewhat?) more appealing. I gave Dig two stars, but it’s probably closer to two-and-a-half stars. I’m giving this three stars. But it might be closer to two-and-a-half stars, too. Math, eh?
This type of music is really not my cup of tea but no denying their talent.
Electronic big beat GOLD, maybe even a classic for the genre
Lovely album, represents a lot of Brazilian Bossa Nova vibe.
two albums in a row from 95, electronic music influenced by hip hop, interesting production moments and sound palette, with glitchy touches contrasting with the drums and their organic beats, really good sequencing it plays with textures, dynamism, and repetition, prioritizing atmosphere and ambience over substance and depth, which can make the songs feel static while i cant say it sounds bad or that i dislike it, i dont feel much connection to the music. i feel its purpose is more utilitarian than emotional, which isnt a problem, but it is not what i usually look for
I don't really like electronic music. There are a few exceptions, like girl talk, so I'm interested to give this album a listen. Nope, 3 songs in and I am already developing a headache. Ooof I made it 4 songs. This is so repetitive and annoying, I'm done, 0 stars.
Checked back on getting this album to see what I wrote about their other album on the list, Dig You Own Hole. Turns out by sheer coincidence that it was exactly one year and one day since that occurred. But the same applies to this latest album and there’s little I can add to this selection. To save myself time I copy and paste last years comments to today as that tells you all you need to know how I view this record:- By chance (or not?) it’s Glastonbury weekend (2026 edit - well not quite as it’s a fallow year but would have been if not) and my only experience of the Chemical Brothers is seeing them there on the TV. Image that sticks out are those goggles they wear projecting beam on light from their eyes. Looks good and suits the music. Glastonbury all well and good but in the cold light of day and playing this album I do not get the same vibe. From what I can gather the music is just one part of the Chemical Brothers experience. Live there is lots of artistic visions and movement going on to accompany the music. Take that away and rather like the Riverdance album without the dancing you only get half what you paid for. 2/5 28/6/25 (2026 edit - 29/6/26)
Difficult to relax while the repetitive music beat me into submission. 2.5/5
I LOVE BIG BEAT RAAAHHHHH
Some songs were really cool. Others annoyed me enough to where I had to skip halfway through. I simply can’t give a high rating to this album because of that, unfortunately
This album gave me a bit of trouble and I'm not even sure why! On paper it's supposed to be right up my alley. I hear elements of other electronic music I adore, such as some Homework-type harsh beats and even some trippy hoppy rhythms. Despite all of that, I found this listen pretty tedious by the end of it. Not big on the big beat unfortunately! Standout: One Too Many Mornings
Another exceptionally strong 4, the only reason this is not a 5 is because I don't see myself playing it again frequently. But I might.....they try so many different things and they almost all work. A few slow parts in the second half but it comes roaring back with Alive Alone.
Rockin beats
Has a party electronic vibe to it feels long but it’s only 50ish minutes good for backround music to keep energy up but boring when just listening to it. Personally not for me but many people would appreciate what was put into this album.
i've started to listen to electronic music much more for a few months and there are a couple of songs of the chemical brothers that i saved but i guess i'm still not much into this genre... or maybe this album is really boring.
Funny that I listen to the Chemical Brothers a day after watching Sonic 3, which uses them in their soundtrack. I enjoyed it
Hell yeah, right up my alley!
Great background music and a really fun, non-repetitive electronica album
Innovative, great sounding drums and cool sound design. Electronica can tend towards the overly repetitive, especially with dance fans as a target audience, but this manages to keep things interesting.
Veryyyyy goood!!!! always liked the chemical brothers!!!
Good for background music. A bit odd. Nothing jumped out of the speakers at me. Not sure if I’d want to listen again. Plus, I’d likely say that there are arguments to replace this album on the list with a multitude of others.
Classic 90s techno- good energy but a little repetitive. Good background music for working.
O.k. it is trip hop but within the "Song To The Siren" I was done with this album.
200. ok
not something I would ever choose to listen to but good for what it was. Glad they didnt add random nothing vocals
Do like the chemical brothers, searching for their name it appears we've had one other album but I've used them to describe other artists loads of times. Was some of the heaviest electronic music I'd hear on the radio I think so stood out against the house music blandness. Always interesting to hear a debut but frequently they aren't the same standard as later stuff, I'd say they weren't completely into their groove yet. Knew chemical beats but nothing else, though a lot of the tracks sounded like ideas that would go on to be more famous tracks. Not their best but still a good listen, 3.5.
Still a little too repetitive and noisy for my tastes. Couldn't really discern many differences between the tracks. I quite like the album with Galvanize on it. Kind of cool that they formed in Manchester, but I prefer Elbow.
Absolutely fine for what it is, just not really my thing and doesn't have any of their big hits on. Repetitive electronic music 2.5
Was very into this! Super vibey and electronic, upbeat.
Nah
Love that Stuff
Not sure half the time where one song finishes and the next starts. A bit too repetitive for a sit down listen, better live or club I guess
This is well made, but I found it pretty tedious.
really cool album with really cool sounds, I am surprised I enjoyed it as much as i did. The distorted guitars, the beats, the everything. This album surprised me completely and is honestly one of my favorites I have listened to on this website so far.
358/1001 The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ Whilst I don't mind this type of music as a one off song here and there, it becomes a bit of chore for a full length album. I think because to me, it all bleeds into one another. It's fine I guess...
I enjoyed the second half better than the first. Overall not bad.
Once again not a fan of electronica music. Made a sandwich while making this and felt like an extra for Breaking Bad. A more positive experience than 90 by 808 state, 2.5 (2) stars
It's a bunch of pounding electronic beats and it all sounds kind of the same, but I like it. It's easy to listen to while I'm working or doing something else, which is when I listen to music most of the time. I wouldn't actively listen to it so much but I have a lot of time and space for music like this. Different situations and different times need different soundtracks. I might have been a bit generous with four stars, but it was a summery, warm, breezy day when I listened, I was feeling nostalgic and I was in a good mood.
I haven't listened to much electronic music before besides a few stuff by Aphex Twin so being able to listen to new albums in the genre is exciting, and I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Very different from the kind of electronic music you here in the club but this is more my cup of tea. Really fun to listen to while doing stuff. Fav Songs One Too Many Mornings Leave Home Alive Alone Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? Probably yes, good album in the electronic genre, can take your time to get to this but it is worth the listen if you want.
Big Beat Bastards. Yeah sure this has aged and it doesn't feel quite as important as it should, but this shit still holds up and you should be very grateful.
Nice, not super special but nice beats
Great edm
One reviewer described this album as walking down the aisle of the supermarket that has dog food and baby food and I can't stop thinking about how true that is except I'm a judgmental cunt about it
B̴̢̝̙͚̼̖͓̞̓̋̐̄̿͋́͑́̀͜͝r̸͚͈̖̺̙̅̆̍̍̈́͌̈́̀͂̾̌͝u̸̧̮͎̗̥̣͔̤̳͇͍͛͜ͅv̸͎͕͈̠͔̾̅̿̂̆̾͂̍̑͐͒̔…
First time listening to Exit Planet Dust, and this thing rips. It’s grimy, psychedelic, repetitive in the right way, and constantly moving. The energy and production still feel really alive. Really enjoyed this and can see it growing on me. 4/5.
Not my favorite genre, but a decent listen nonetheless. I really liked the last song.
First Listen: NA OVERALL: I LOVE BIG BEAT GON. GON I LOVE BIG BEAT. GOOOOON I LOVE BIG BEAT. BIG BEAT HAAAAAAAA I love the seamless transitions making this feel as though you're listening to a Chemical Brothers' set. Just plain fun. 8.5/10 T3: In Dust We Trust, Playground For A Wedgeless Firm, Three Little Birdies Down Beats
First time listening to The Chemical Brothers. The album starts really good but I couldn't really tell you what song was what. Quite the opposite to other albums like Justice and The XX which are similar sounding albums but have tracks that don't almost completely blend together. This album is fine. It's good. I can put it on in the background. Do some LSD and watch The Matrix. This is good electronic psychedelic music but I just need a little more with this type of music. Great DJ music I bet but my arse is sitting down at a desk. Highlight of the album, could be any of the tracks really. Chico's Groove, if I had to choose a favourite. Alive Alone, because it has vocals. Overall, good but not great for my tastes. I'd much prefer something along the lines of Justice. T3: Leave Home, Alive Alone, Chico's Groove
A bunch of noise like this cannot be in the category of good music.
Fun electronic music album with the typical sounds and instrumentation with the addition of acoustic instruments and very noticeable audio effects that really fit in well with the music.
This passed me by back in the day, more of a Oasis, Blur etc kinda chap back in 95. So was delighted to discover that this is a pretty decent album. An extra star for Beth Orton's cameo at the end!
Loved this when it first came out and its the soundtrack for a lot of my 6th form days so very high nostalgia score. Listening again it is a little dated and they have gone on to make more interesting music however for a debut that was so influential it has to be a 5.
Exit Planet Dust I loved this album back in the day, and while it probably doesn’t quite match Dig Your Own Hole or Surrender’s sense of polished eclecticism there are some superb tracks on here; Leave Home, Song to the Siren, Three Little Birdies Down Beats, Chico’s Groove, One Too Many Mornings, Alive Alone and one of my enduring favourites, Life is Sweet. Although it doesn’t have that widescreen feeling of subsequent albums I think it benefits in contrast from a more focused, singular feel. The pace rarely lets up and many of the beats and samples are excellent. Leave Home’s relentless bass and guitar lead into the very 90s techno sounding In Dust We Trust, and Song to the Siren shows more evidence of their continuing fascination with mid 60’s Ringo. Three Little Birdie’s down has an echo in Naryan from Fat of the Land and a bit of Josh Wink thrown in making a belter of a track. Fuck Up Beats is a neat bit of filler before Chemical Beats leads us into the fantastic Chico’s Groove, bringing in some 60s psychedelia, and it pushed Life is Sweet for my favourite track. One Too Many Mornings has a nice dubby feel before Life is Sweet, another song that puts me right back in the summer 1995. Playground is probably the weakest track for me, one of those mid 90s imagined soundtrack style songs that don’t always work, and while Alive Alone is great, I think they would go on to better collaborations with Beth Orton on Where Do I Begin and The State We’re In. I was thinking that this would be a 4, with a big dollop of nostalgia attached, and while some of it really does take me back I think it still stands up as a fantastic album. 5. 🪐🪐🪐🪐🪐 Playlist submission: Life is Sweet
Big beats, hip hop sampling, rock guitar. In particular they love the indie legend crossover (Tim Burgess here, although 'Life is Sweet' is one of the weaker tracks). It also has a Beastie Boys coolness to it given the cross-genre sampling (the BB's also sampled on this album). The cover feels iconically American, and the music does feel like a US/UK crossover - some hip hop beats, expansive tunes (like 'Alive Alone' with Beth Orton), but married to UK dance. This album combines it all into something commercial, opening the door for Fatboy Slim and Death in Vegas. It sounds looser than Dig Your Own Hole, but as a result more enjoyable, much like Beck's 'Odelay'. The second half moves into a bit of chill which works well, especially 'One Too Many Mornings', and the horizontal 'Chico's Groove'. Latterly they made bigger tracks - but as an album this may be their best.
Such a great album to have as background for focus work
3.5 - Good
Very good
The sound of the late 90s (even though this was 95). Pretty sick, honestly. I probably only want to listen to it once a decade but it made me feel like a computer hacker in coke in a Michael Bay movie.
2.9 Liked this better that Dig your own hole
Terrible electronic
# Exit Planet Dust: The Chemical Brothers' Blueprint for Big Beat Released in 1995, *Exit Planet Dust* wasn't just a debut album; it was a detonation. At a time when British dance music was splintering into increasingly niche subgenres, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons—newly renamed from the Dust Brothers due to legal pressure—created a record that smashed the glass between rock's swagger and the rave's relentless energy . It is the sound of two crate-diggers throwing a psychedelic, funk-laced grenade onto the dancefloor. Here is an in-depth review of the album that made electronic music cool for the indie kids. --- ## The Alchemy of Sound: Music & Production If *Definitely Maybe* was the sound of rock'n'roll arrogance in 1995, *Exit Planet Dust* was its chemical equivalent . The production is visceral, raw, and intentionally abrasive. Unlike the polished, futuristic techno of the era, Rowlands and Simons opted for an "organic" approach, relying on the warmth of distortion and the swing of vintage gear . The duo reportedly constructed the album using an MPC sampler, a Juno-106 synth, and a relentless barrage of guitar pedals . The result is a "controlled chaos" of loops . They employed **breakbeats** that were heavily compressed—often running them through analog filters to achieve that signature fat, "abseil-off-them" bass weight . Tracks like *Chemical Beats* and *Three Little Birdies Down Beats* utilize looped, squelchy TB-303 basslines run through distortion devices, avoiding typical filter sweeps for a more raw, rock-like texture . Structurally, the album flows like a DJ set. The first six tracks are linked in a continuous mix, showcasing their residency at the legendary *Heavenly Sunday Social Club* . The dynamics are key: it starts fast and furious (*Leave Home*), dips into the hypnotic, downtempo psychedelia of *Chico's Groove*, and rises again for the anthemic finale. As Ed Simons noted, the juxtaposition of "moments of stillness and beauty with something exhilarating" has always been their hallmark . ## Themes: Hedonism and the Sound of the Underground Lyrically, *Exit Planet Dust* is sparse but effective. Vocals are treated as another texture, often looping nonsensical chants or hype-man calls. The opening line—*"The brothers gonna work it out"*—serves as both a mantra and a mission statement . The album captures a specific cultural moment: post-acid house Britain where the optimism of the late 80s had faded into a harder, messier reality . The title itself is a double entendre: a farewell to their original name (Dust Brothers) and a nod to the drug-fueled, "battered every weekend" ethos of the 90s raver . Ed Simons famously questioned why only rock bands like Oasis were writing anthems for young people going out to get wrecked; *Exit Planet Dust* was their answer . It is an album about sweaty basements, amyl fumes, and the physical act of losing control on a packed dancefloor . ## The Human Element: Guest Vocals One of the album's most influential decisions was the inclusion of "proper" vocalists, bridging the gap between the indie club and the rave. - **"Life Is Sweet" (feat. Tim Burgess)**: The Charlatans frontman delivers a weary, melodic drawl that contrasts beautifully with the chugging, distorted beat. It proved that a dance track could have the heart of a rock song . - **"Alive Alone" (feat. Beth Orton)**: The closer is a masterclass in comedown tension. Orton’s ethereal, folk-tinged vocals float over a dark, shuffling beat and melancholic synth pads, offering a haunting resolution to the album's fury . ## Influence: Forging the "Big Beat" Blueprint *Exit Planet Dust* effectively invented the rulebook for Big Beat. It paved the way for acts like Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy (for their *Fat of the Land* era), The Crystal Method, and even The Avalanches . Its influence is directly cited on landmark albums like *Better Living Through Chemistry* and Daft Punk's *Homework* . By treating the studio like a punk band and the sampler like a guitar, The Chemical Brothers opened the door for electronic music to headline stadiums and appear on rock magazine covers. --- ## Pros and Cons of the Album ### ✅ The Pros - **Groundbreaking Fusion:** Successfully merges rock attitude, psychedelic samples, funk basslines, and dance music's relentless drive . - **Raw Energy:** The "three weeks awake" intensity is palpable. It has a manic, unrestrained feel that their later, more polished work lacks . - **Dynamic Range:** Unlike monotonous club records, it takes you on a journey—from the peak-time chaos of *In Dust We Trust* to the comedown beauty of *Alive Alone* . - **Influence:** As a "genesis document" for Big Beat, its historical importance is massive . ### ❌ The Cons - **"Shonky" Edits:** Some critics and listeners have noted that the vinyl pressings contain hurried fade-outs and edits that feel slightly "unfinished" or abrupt compared to the seamless flow of the original mixes . - **Less Polished:** Fans of the Chemical Brothers' later pop-savvy hits (like *Galvanize* or *Hey Boy Hey Girl*) might find the rawer, dirtier production here a bit harder to access . - **Sampler's Charm:** While the cut-and-paste aesthetic is part of its charm, modern listeners accustomed to pristine DAW production might notice the loop repetitions feeling slightly repetitive on a few deep cuts. ## The Verdict *Exit Planet Dust* is not an album of refinement; it is an album of **invention**. It bursts at the seams with the excitement of two music nerds realizing they can combine everything they love at once. While *Dig Your Own Hole* might be the blockbuster, *Exit Planet Dust* remains the raw, sweaty, blue-collar masterpiece that set the floor on fire. It is essential listening not just for electronic fans, but for anyone interested in how music evolves in basements before it fills arenas.
Definitely a sound you won’t mistake but i quite enjoyed it
Rock music peak
7/10 Best songs: Alive Alone In a lot of ways this album is peak 90s music. Like, when I think of music in the 90s, snare drums against synthesizers with a very distinct electronic tone immediately comes to mind. That's not to say I think this is a fantastic album - because it isn't. Listening to each track in a vacuum works well because they each burst with energy and embrace a non-stop, forever pushing-onward sound, but listening to them all in a row is a bit exhausting. I think the album could use a few more valleys to match its non-stop peaks. But it is interesting, and very much deserving of its place on this list, so there's that.
Pas mal du tout. J'ai essayé d'être aigri au début de l'écoute parce que j'ai toujours pas mis de 1* mais impossible ici. Vraiment bon album. Les breakbeats sont violents et les samples bien poussiéreux. J'adore les sonorités des synthés aussi. Le début de l'album est brut et puissant mais la fin douce et mélancolique c'est plus mon style. On dirait vraiment qu'une histoire est racontée au long de l'album: j'imagine bien une nuit avec le début en soirée/club, puis la montée psychédélique et enfin la redescente. Impressionant pour un premier album. C'est apparemment loin d'être leur meilleur projet donc je vais aller m'intéresser au reste de leur discographie. 1) one too many mornings 2) alive alone 3) life is sweet
Tres bon
Rock, E-Beats, 1995 -> 2-3
Banger after banger after banger. Love this album, though I typically prefer some of their later, more psychedelic stuff. I've had the pleasure of seeing Chemical Brothers live a couple times, and they're always transcendent. I'm going 4/5 on this, Further would be a 5/5 but I don't think it's on the list.
Groovy EDM, I like they constructed songs IMO, wouldn't turn it off. None stood out to add to playlist though
I was expecting so much more
2 Didn't have high hopes after the last one of theirs and if anything i enjoyed this even less
Much better than I was expecting after all the other electronica albums on this list.
497/1089 - This is definitely electronic rave music.
This is good mindless music to me, but once I started listening too close I couldn’t stand it. I definitely could have its place for me but I think overall it’s an uphill battle between me and this album
Earlier dnb, feel very spoiled by what I’ve seen live
This was really cool - yet another one that I would never have had a chance to hear but for this project. Had it on in the background during work and, weirdly, was absolutely awesome for that purpose.
Not bad music, but not my jam.
At least it is better than Haunted Dancehall.
Dit is wel helemaal een plaatje voor mij! Hiphop met een beetje R&B en het belangrijkste moderne Jazzzzzzzzzzz. Wat een heerlijkheid! Tekstueel niet heel sterk, maar boeie. Deze plaat voel je gewoon in je ziel, lekker dansen en jezelf op het ritme laten meevoeren naar een plek hier ver vandaan. Puur en ongegeneerd genieten.
Surprisingly enjoyed this. When I see a 90s album from a pioneering electronic artist, I am prepared to be let down. This time it actually resembled dance music and was fun
Not a big fan...
Sometimes, you wonder just how random this machine is, because this is the second consecutive day I've generated a British Electronica album that was released in the mid 1990s. With that being said, this one is much better than yesterday's. This is definitely catchy club music, and it ends on a high note as well. Favorite Track: "Alive Alone".
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Unknown band for me. It is so typical for electronic music to be repetitive and after a while it got on my nerve. Hard to listen to. A bad album.
I've heard some songs in isolation, but never a full album of theirs. I loved how it flowed into one superset.
Had to be a bit patient with this one, on first listen I was a bit distracted and found it all kind of bled together. Gave it some more time to appreciate the nuances. Starts really strong with the opening track ultimately being one of the standouts on the album but I really enjoyed its transition into In Dust We Trust. The album has a breezy vibe to it but not so chill that you won’t be encouraged to bop along to it. I really appreciated Playground of a Wedgeless Firm at the back end of the album, it has a bit of a spooky feel to it and had me thinking of DJ Shadow. This was a good listen. 4 stars
full instrumental, musica de fondo 1/5
I'll say it, toss it on the list of great debut albums. I gotta give it to them, this is great to listen to while you do something that takes focus. Cool one to listen to. Didn't change my life and the genre isn't the most skillful but it makes sense to be here. More enjoyment vs appreciation.
They are one of the best at what they do. A good example of a style. It started off pretty good but got lost along the way. Fell off after Track 6. Not convinced that more than one album is required by them
Debut album from the Chemical Brothers was another enjoyable album I hadn't listened to in a long time. Combined good beats and dancy numbers like Leave Home and Chemical Beats with some chilled numbers like Chicos Groove and One Too Many Mornings. 4 stars
90s electronica, trip hop. Debut. Action-Movie electronica.
Like most of the electronic music on this list, I think this would be cool at a club, rave or maybe if you’re on drugs. I don't know. It's not my jam otherwise.
Enjoyable.
Ikke lige så godt som det sidste vi havde med dem men virkelig fedt. Elsker når vi får et godt elektronisk album
Lyder stort! Fedt lyt, men også virkelig en af de der "den her Chemical Brothers plade blev valgt fordi det er deres debut" situationer
No huge bangers, just pretty decent throughout
Not my kind of msiic
It just don't really hit for me Will I listen to again: 0%
Electronic, industrial techno is not my thing. I didn't dislike this as much as The Prodigy, but it was not all that much more enjoyable. Sort of interesting mix of sounds - techno with record scratches and what I can only describe as variations on a dial up modem.
Pretty solid electronic album start to finish. Couldn't really tell where one song ended and another began, but together it seemed great
I'm kind of torn on this because this is like, from start-to-finish the soundtrack for diving through the air with two berettas in a 90's action movie. Depending on how I'm feeling at that moment that can either be cheesy, awesome or both. It's not my favorite but it goes really hard the whole time. I almost wanted to do a begrudging 5 star because it is probably worth hearing and it is a distinct era in music history.
This just went on and on. Jeez....most of these songs just went nowhere. I liked the beats sometimes and then nothing happened. This wasn't good. Liked Songs: "Three Little Birdies Down Beats" and "Chemical Beats"
not my kind of stuff
Preferisco altri album e brani dei chemical brothers però comunque si merita tre stelle
Still not a fan of electronic music intended for dancing, it just sometimes get so repetitive. Other genres that are repetitive tend to have more singing which helps break up the monotony. This still was better than most electronic dance music albums I've heard, but overall it's not the strongest collection of music. Highlight Song/s: "Song to the Siren" and "One Too Many Morning"
Good as far as techno goes, would be fun in the right situation but still not engaging enough on its own
I get why it's here I guess, but didn't enjoy it
i was not in the right setting or (dare i say, even) mental space for this. i totalllly get it though like totally
“In Dust We Trust” slams. “Chico’s Groove” is great. Lovely, actually. “Alive Alone” is sad and groovy and just cool. A very solid chem bros album
fine
Man I was relieved when that was over. Realised I'd been listening to a whole song with the radio also playing and had no idea. Shares very little of the melody or good vocal hooks that their later music has. Alive Alone a decent example of things to come for them though.
One of the best to do it from the Dust Brothers, the best Big Beat-ers to ever do it outside of The Prog'. Some real understanding of bass-y funk mixed in with a confident command of electronic noise for an eminently danceable tracklist. Highlights include In Dust We Trust which rocks, and Alive Alone starts of like a remix of a track off Kid A until it's hijacked by some acid DJ with a taste for raga. Fav tracks: In Dust We Trust, Song To The Siren, Chemical Beats, Life Is Sweet, Alive Alone
Best Song: Leave Home This would fall under, "one song is plenty." As someone around in 1995, when this came out, I didn't know anyone who ever listened to them but my neighbor in college. And, he did because he liked to test out his sound system. Sit down children, grandpa has a story to tell you about the 90s. It was a glorious time when, if you wanted a nice sound system, you need to have huge speakers and a subwoofer with an EQ and a receiver. We didn't have sound bars blu-tooth speakers, we had things that would rattle walls and make the neighbors wish for your death. Anyway, maybe if I were on molly at a rave this would be ok but, since I am 51, the likelihood of this happening is very slim. I'm sure many a meth head were conceived to this repetitive, annoying music. 2/5.
Electro, really not my thing
Were we wrong about early electronica? Was it always this boring?
Now for my 4th electronica album in a row, Exit Planet Dust has easily got to be the best of them. That electronic style of music that groups like The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers do are always my favorite kind of electronic music (mainly because i am a metalhead and it sounds most like that). The entire album was just a really fun trip of some energetic beats, cool melodies and all sorts of little things that made me wanna keep moving along throughout this album. It did get a little repetitive sometimes but the songs never went on for longer than they should so it was never a huge issue for me. Nothing left i can say, its just a fantastic album that's easily among my top favorites in the genre. Best Song: In Dust We Trust Worst Song: Song To The Siren
Didn’t get through it pretty weird not in a way that pulled me in
I want my 49 minutes back
It's always kind of hard to review electronic albums that doesn't just boil down to simply, "I like the way that the bleeps bloop on this album." But at the very least, the vibes on this debut are just simply immaculate. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. If you listened to “Dig Your Own Hole”, you’ll find that this is much of the same, but to my ears, it just clicked a little better. The danceability still isn’t quite there compared to a Fatboy Slim or Prodigy album, but it felt a little closer. These are more industrially driven big-beat tracks, so it just boils down to enjoyment of a little more of a tinny / metallic sound. As with “Dig Your Own Hole”, this does have a number of little things that kinda pile up over the course of the album; a few sections of each track taking a bit too long to transition from point A to point B, & occasionally really harping on a repetition in a way that left me unsatisfied until the drops/transitions occurred. This album’s strength over “Dig Your Own Hole” is the lack of ‘monopolization’ I mentioned; it still happens at times, but it’s usually to service the transitions between tracks, so it feels seamless comparatively. It’s also a much better paced album, in part due to the shorter runtime & the transitions. Granted, I still think this album could’ve been tightened up a bit more, particularly on some outros & a couple of tracks where the progression felt stagnant, but I chalk part of that up to being an early big beat album. This does feel like it’s trying to do stuff in the genre that wouldn’t be perfected for another 3 or 4 years, so I can’t fault the progression for feeling more stagnant. The pulse of how to really master the science of lingering tension & a good beat drop just wasn’t there yet, and while The Chemical Brothers didn’t totally figure it out by “Dig Your Own Hole”, they set the stage for other acts of the era to do so brilliantly. You certainly don’t get to something like “The Fat of the Land” without this album setting a strong base with some strong bass. Ultimately, it just clicked well to my ears. The floor is a 3 if the stagnancy is a bigger issue, or if the techno-y pulse to it all just feels too overused throughout the album (for what it’s worth, I do think this could’ve used a little more traditional instrumentation), but I just found myself in a much better groove here. When this thing is rolling, it just feels really good, and especially so for 1995. Hence, a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5.
This album is a lot of fun! I really adore the first half, the second half isn’t bad, it just doesn’t hit like first half. The best tracks in no order is “leave home” “in dust we trust” “three little birdies down beats” and “chemical beats”. It’s so original and creative, and it’s just exploding with personality and energy. This is another artist I’m totally sold on now and it’s entirely because of this list. Just a great album.
Dope album!
Tråkigt som satan
Un peu un mood de the Alan person project
Music to commit heists to, or at the very least music to hack computers to. Edgy and illegal situations is the vibe I’m getting for the first half of the album at least. We chill a bit after that.
The beginnings of a movement
It seems the beginning of electronic music mixed with rock n' roll. The sound is great!
Banger.
Radiohead is to Chemical Brothers as recreational hallucinogens in a field is to crank and molly in a mud puddle. In the BEST possible way. Great music to crank out 6+ miles on a treadmill and act as you are the driving cog.
some good tunes but most didn’t catch my attention so much
As mentioned in my review of The Prodigy's 1994 album, "Music for the Jilted Generation", electronic music is a difficult genre to properly rate. This is an electronic music record from that same era with a similar style. Unlike the Prodigy, there is little palpable emotion here; it's techno for the masses. A lot of it is surprisingly hooky, and there's some definite efforts at songwriting. However, electronic music isn't really my thing, and this album isn't particularly great even within the boundaries of the genre as a whole. It works to set a vibe or as party music, but it isn't good to just listen to on a casual basis. Overall, it's an admirable but not stellar effort in a genre that is far from easy to properly listen to and rate.
3.5 Okay, obviously this is better than most of the other British electronica albums I’ve gotten. But it is hard to genuinely enjoy this on its own when I’ve gotten twenty shitty albums wishing they were the Chemical Brothers over the past three years. A shame I got this so late, a shame this list is full of horrible British electronica that’s not the Chemical Brothers.
Not my vibe
This was probably groundbreaking at the time, but I feel like electronic music has come a long way since then so this doesn’t really do a whole lot for me. Likes: Life is Sweet
The perfect soundtrack for mindless, repetitive work tasks on a Wednesday morning. (Sorry, I copied this review and just changed the day of the week. But it fits!)
Not really my cup of tea but some tracks were listenable.
Very funky!
I listened to this album after coming back from a lunch break spent laying down in my car, feeling a little rested and a little subdued. I was immediately intrigued by how funky this album was, blending industrial electronic sounds with catchy drum grooves. In Exit Planet Dust, I was hearing the bones of what would go on to become the electronic music I grew up on, though this project exhibits less of a focus on drops and payoffs then my usual taste in electronic music leans towards. The Chemical Brothers craft more of a consistent energetic vibe, which I respect, I just had a hard time getting into its groove; I love how smoothly this album moves from one song to the next, serving as one continuous mix from beginning to end, but many of its songs just wash over me. There are lots of scratches and lasers throughout as well, futuristic sounds which will feature prominently in much electronic music going forward, but which have never done much for me. The songs here which incorporated human voices or were a little more chilled out grabbed my attention more, probably because the changing dynamics draw me further into the songs, as opposed to those which kept a consistent, rarely changing pace. I have heard later songs from The Chemical Brothers which are more in my wheelhouse, but I know there are many for whom Exit Planet Dust is an electronic classic. Highlights: Leave Home, Song To The Siren (Live From Sabresonic Nightclub, United Kingdom / 1994), Fuck Up Beats, Chemical Beats, One Too Many Mornings, Alive Alone
Not a lot here for me. Background electronic music. Blase
No words. Good instrumental but just not my type. Too grungy
Sounds like the music that Spy shows in the late 90s, early 2000s would have used. Like, I could see this being the music they play over a montage of a spy breaking into the high-tech vault that is inexplicably behind an active night club.
Very cool, I liked it! Stand-outs - Leave Home - Chico's Groove - Alive Alone
I've loved this album forever but I don't know why it took me so long to really grasp what Rowlands and Simons have been after all along, which is to make modern dance music that recreates and cultivates the communal, centeredness-seeking, even holy spirit of the Sixties. And yeah, that's a tall order in a culture in which "the Sixties" as an idea has been chopped up and packaged and sold to us in a million different ways for more than a half century now. But these guys succeed in that endeavor here, from the promise that the brothers gonna work it out on the opener "Leave Home" to the wistful Eastern vibes of the closer "Alive Alone," and every point in between. The beats will shake you (*did not our hearts burn within us?*) and the rhythms will move you (*praise Him with the timbrel and dance*). It's easy to make fun of people who seek transcendence while standing in a field but we've been doing it successfully as a species since at least the shepherds in Bethlehem, through to the hippies at Woodstock, and here once again at a rave somewhere outside of Manchester.
Not their best but ok.
Remember those “You Wouldn’t Download a Car” anti-piracy ads? This sounds just like that except it’s 49 minutes longer.
2.7 Always found the Chemical Brothers to be the worst out of the Prodigy/Fatboy slim trio, with them lacking the formers punk energy and the latters pop sensibility, falling through the cavern in the middle. Also, listening to this is kind of frustrating, given the plethora of other 90s electronica that could have made it on here, Squarepusher, Autechre, etc. Even Drukqs would have been a much more interesting inclusion than this.
Exquisito. No tanto como Dig pero vamos a reescuchar seguro. Nota: 4.0
Fav- life is sweet 2/5
E ok, nu chiar genul meu, îmi pare muzică de film ce vine într-un moment de acțiune
Good.
medzina
very electric
Couple of the mellower tracks were good to have on in the background, but otherwise, blech.
I feel like this would be more enjoyable if a couple of these was put into a set and mixed in. That’s the issue I have with quite a lot of electronic albums. That being said, this is still an enjoyable listen
A mixed bag (no pun intended). Some bangers. Some dancefloor filler. It suffers the same fate as many dance albums, where the context of a DJ set makes more sense than an 45 minute album.
Fine album.
Enjoyable house electronica. To me they are the essence of what 90s electronica sounded like, and though I some tracks fade into the background a bit, overall I really enjoy it.
Fine, nice electronic vibes, not really for me but had its moments
Superior
Nice music for studying lol
The most 1995 techno-adjacent album I've ever heard. I can imagine many deep into the scene thought this already sounded dated back in the late 90s, and while it certainly shows its influence is firmly rooted in previous century, there's nothing actually wrong with Exit Planet Dust. In fact, the music inside is quintessential big beat, a perfect introduction to the genre and for the loud, abrasive, dancey-but-not-always type of electronica that swept across the UK in the 90s. The most energetic songs are all up front, and the second half takes on a more relaxed vibe (I mean, they got Beth Orton to sing an honest-to-God pop song for the closer!) Orton's languid, sweet voice contrasts sharply with those swirling electronics on that last song, and it's proof the Chemical Brothers hadn't shown all of their tricks to the public just yet. Honestly, it pays to have some more mellow beats after track 8 since they're all high-octane pedal-to-the-metal material before that. This, to me, mimics an album made for the era of flipping records over rather than playing a single continuous CD. The whole thing is more or less sequenced like a DJ set, with tracks leading into each other and building off of elements left behind in the transition. Take "Song to the Siren," which picks up the final residual elements of its predecessor before being warped and twisted as it ends and becomes "Three Little Birdies Down Beat." The heavy snare hits are eventually replaced by jarring beats that cluster together and repeat for minutes at a time. It's a remarkably live feel for an album so meticulously tailored in studio. All in all this a fine release in the big beat cannon, and while The Prodigy's Fat of the Land might have arguably done big beat the best, Exit Planet Dust serves as the godfather of the genre, providing all the tropes and elements to build off of. Key Tracks: Song to the Siren/Three Little Birdies Down Beat, Life Is Sweet, Alive Alone
Just an under average album. Electronic music has came a long way since this and it’s just so basic. Yes they did hit with a few songs but mostly this was just basic electronica. I feel the same way with discovery daft punk 4.7/10
Pretty decent, inoffensive electronica. Reminds me of The Prodigy, but not quite as good or interesting.
I did not expect to wake up and rave my face off while making waffles for my family, but at this point in middle age I just accept the rave when it finds me . This album is obviously a classic. I love the upbeat vibes in the first half, but the downtempo tracks are even better and had me missing a proper chill room. The acid synths, big beats, and wobbly base lines are infectious and fun. This is always a great album to revisit.
I'm not in a 90s club anymore.
It sounds like music meant to be sampled into better songs.
cool
The Crystal Method we're all over the place in the late 90s. Soundtracks, guest appearances, remixes, all over. I had several friends that got into them at the time, but I never really hit expired to any of their full albums. Though after listening to this, I certainly would have. 90s electronica in the general vain of The Prodigy? Yes please.
I grew up listening to random chemical brothers tracks on my dad’s MP3 player, but this is my first time listening to this album in full. The squelchy guitar loops and cheesy record spins just do something nostalgic for me. Reminds me of hanging out at my extreme sports obsessed neighbours’ house.
Hvorfor
Listening session: april 14th, while going for a walk Listened to before: no Thoughts: I rarely listen to electronic music but this album really set the mood for an energetic walk. I especially liked that the whole album felt like one big continuous music set instead of separate tracks. This made it hard to choose a favourite track though Favourite tracks: Leave Home & In Dust We Trust
Much more like it from the Chems here, after feeling a little let down by Red Snapper a couple of days ago. This feels like ever-so-slightly before their absolutely best phase, but it's still great. I don't know how they do it, but I'd say they're one of few EDM bands that are perfectly acceptable even on a workday at 2.30pm.
TERRIBLE
It’s alright. Pretty good in fact. 3.5 stars.
I love the big beat, and preferred it back in the day over the Fatboy. This is really good rock and roll, Tom and Ed always had one eye on the sixties, which kept it away from the endless techno stuff. It kicks, it hits,it is big. Really enjoyed this, I'd reckon a great car trip album to keep you going through the night.
In the 90s, people kept saying things like "dance music is the new rock music". To a degree, that turned out to be true. Rock as a mainstream cultural force (and certainly on the charts) is largely moribund the past 25 years. Pop music is much more based on dance music. And I could see the writing on the wall at the time; there were dance elements creeping into rock forms, notably Madchester and industrial music, The dance music that appealed to me most was Big Beat because of its willingness to incorporate rock elements into dance forms. I _loved_ Dig Your Own Hole when it came out and own that and a bunch of other Chemical Brothers 12's (some from a promotional prize pack that I was given which also included a Chemical Brothers record bag that I used for many years until it was snaffled by my 20-year-old son, and Chemical Brothers slipmats that I still use when DJing). But I never really spent much time with this album. Now I am wondering why the hell not. This rocks! It's a got a huge beat and I can bug out to it. It's loud and noisy and the timing is loose enough to feel a bit funky. Love it, this is going on my want list.
Great sound. I’ve never listened to them before.
No favorite song
"Leave Home" is a great opener, and I think it hits a decent groove in the second half of the album as well. "Chico's Groove" and "One Too Many Mornings" both change things up nicely with slightly chiller soundscapes, "Playground for a Wedgeless Firm" has a cool crime scene soundtrack vibe, and as a fan of Beth Orton, her feature on "Alive Alone" was a nice surprise. Unfortunately, tracks 2-6 drag it down quite a bit for me, lending to a bit of that "trapped at a party I can't escape" feeling. 2.5/5
Chem Bros are ahead of the game by supplying Skynet with victory music after supreme victory.
Bit sandy. Need to be on something and dancing to appreciate I reckon.
Good beats. Needs time and place
2 stars As usual, just blended together. I read all these things about these different types of electronic/techno/house music describing different genres and such, and when I listen I just hear the same stuff. I didn’t hate it. There were some pleasant moments on the 2nd half. But I won’t care enough to revisit this.
The masters of sampling and making something completely different out of it.
I kind of hated this. Mindless and repetitive
Good album! I listened to it on my own (ie not as part of this project) just a couple weeks ago and was glad to listen to it again today.
I know and like the Chemical Brothers and already have 17 songs liked by them on Spotify - but only 3 of those songs are on this album. Liked songs prior to listening today are "Leave Home", "Life Is Sweet", "Alive Alone". It looks like I have more songs liked on their albums Dig Your Own Hole and Surrender so far. So, definitely looking forward to doing a deeper dive on this one! After listening 3 times ... All of the other songs started growing on me - and I really like them. Would enjoy them popping up on my instrumental playlist and then randomly showing up on my other automated playlists. Would be great for long drives, bike rides, skiing, even working from home. I love the hypnotic, trance like feeling of this. It's great. Just when some groove starts to get repetitive they mix it up and add something else. It's like an electronic jam band. I never went to raves so it doesn't make me nostalgic for something I never did - but I just like it - it sounds good to my ears. I've been getting into instrumental music more and more over the last 10 years so getting a chance to add a bunch more fun instrumental songs to my library is perfect. I know they are not all instrumentals but most of them are. It's all great - but a few standout tracks are the ones I mentioned above plus "Chico's Groove", and "One Too Many Mornings", Great job Chemical Brothers - killer first album! Liked songs on Spotify: 11/11 (Perfect Album) Rating: 5/5
Listening to Exit Planet Dust is like a throwback to the mid-to-late 90s Big Beat era, it's a really cool starting point for where electronic music was going. For a first album, it's amazing how well it all fits together and the songs flow like a DJ set, going from the fast-paced beats in the first half to a chill vibe at the end. It's great for working or driving, with those repetitive, hypnotic synths and bass that get you into it without being annoying. Yeah, some of the sounds are a bit old school now, and some tracks can blend together so you're never sure where it begins of ends, but you can tell it's well made. It's got that balance between clean pop production and a gritty rave feel. From the solid kick off of "Leave Home" and "In Dust We Trust" to "Alive Alone", it's both a trip down memory lane and a solid groove that still gets me moving, even after all these years.