Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
1997
Album Summary
Dig Your Own Hole is the second studio album by English electronic music duo the Chemical Brothers. It was released on 7 April 1997 in the United Kingdom by Freestyle Dust and Virgin Records and in the United States by Astralwerks. The album was recorded between 1995 and 1997, and features Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Beth Orton as guest vocalists. The album became the duo's first to peak at number one in the UK, achieving this peak in April 1997. Five singles were released from the album, two of which reached number one in the UK: "Setting Sun", "Where Do I Begin", "Block Rockin' Beats", "Elektrobank", and "The Private Psychedelic Reel". The album has been included in several British magazines' lists of the best albums ever. The success of the album led The Chemical Brothers to be much sought-after remixers, and the duo released a mix album in 1998 titled Brothers Gonna Work It Out.
WikipediaWar Pigs is a huge opening track and sets the tone for a genre defining album. Rifftastic Iommi with the unchained brilliance of Ozzie. A match made in metal heaven.
This took me back to my big drug taking days. What a trip. Every Tuesday afternoon we'd finish training, I'd get showered in the jizz of the entire Chelsea first team and backroom staff, take a load of pills and hit the clubs buzzin' off me tits. Eat my dick, life.
I remain on the fence about the whole DJ thing. Which is so dumb, any question of whether remix and mash up are art is very long since settled. Even mentioning it, I sound like some backwards art historian trying to get a discussion going about whether photography belongs in the study of visual arts. Even given my backwards skepticism, this is clearly at the top of the genre and in fact an album I purchased when it came out.
The music was interesting but it was too long, too loud, and too intense. Almost couldn't make it through. 3
A nailed-on 5 and without any competition the best dance/electronica album ever made.
Really liked it. Based on the album's age, I can see that this music set the precedent for other bands such as Beastie Boys.
Taking the swirling eclecticism of their post-techno debut, Exit Planet Dust, to the extreme, the Chemical Brothers blow all stylistic boundaries down with their second album, Dig Your Own Hole. Bigger, bolder, and more adventurous than Exit Planet Dust, Dig Your Own Hole opens with the slamming cacophony of "Block Rockin' Beats," where hip-hop meets hardcore techno, complete with a Schoolly D sample and an elastic bass riff. Everything is going on at once in "Block Rockin' Beats," and it sets the pace for the rest of the record, where songs and styles blur into a continuous kaleidoscope of sound. It rocks hard enough for the pop audience, but it doesn't compromise either the Chemicals' sound or the adventurous, futuristic spirit of electronica -- even "Setting Sun," with its sly homages to the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and Noel Gallagher's twisting, catchy melody, doesn't sound like retro psychedelia; it sounds vibrant, unexpected, and utterly contemporary. There are no distinctions between different styles, and the Chemicals sound as if they're having fun, building Dig Your Own Hole from fragments of the past, distorting the rhythms and samples, and pushing it forward with an intoxicating rush of synthesizers, electronics, and layered drum machines. The Chemical Brothers might not push forward into self-consciously arty territories like some of their electronic peers, but they have more style and focus, constructing a blindingly innovative and relentlessly propulsive album that's an exhilarating listen -- one that sounds positively new but utterly inviting at the same time.
Fucking love this album. Just great song after great song, with everything being something you can move your feet too. I rarely give an album 5/5 just for being fun, but here we are 5/5
I'm guessing at the right club, with the right lighting, at the right age, with the right drugs, this could be enjoyable. But without that mix, it's beyond annoying. Get off my lawn.
“Dig Your Own Hole” by The Chemical Brothers (1997) Well, here’s an album that forces the serious listener to revisit his or her definition of “recorded music”. And since it is no doubt “recorded”, what is under examination here is one’s understanding of the term “music”. Is this “music”? Well, not in the conventional sense. It is excruciatingly repetitive, mechanical, unrelenting, static, and almost entirely at one tempo (about 120 beats per minute, but who’s counting?). It would be good background sound for a boring workout, or the first ten minutes of the evening’s endeavor to get lucky. And since The Chemical Brothers all but concede that lyrics are irrelevant, one can add meaninglessness to the list of this album’s characteristics. The lyrics to the track “It Doesn’t Matter” pretty well sum it up. But out of an artistic respect for the possibility that this is precisely the point, perhaps one can assess whether The Chemical Brothers are successful at conveying mindless alienation devoid of intelligible content or feeling of any sort. They are not. I know this album peaked at #1 on the UK charts, but maybe that says more about the UK than it does about this album. 1/5
The breakbeat drums are sick, I love how they sound. The grooves are pretty gnarly and scuzzy. Sounds a little like some of the stuff you might hear on a rage album. Explosive, dancey, groovy. The tracks are never stagnant, hardly drag, honestly I really love this
This album was much better than I expected a psychedelic house album to be. Its opening track is well known, and the rest of the album is just as good. There are some low points in the middle of the album, but this is an overall fantastic album. 4.7/5 stars
A little rave in my pocket. Engaging enough to be entertaining, passive enough to make work go a little smoother today. The year this was released makes me feel like this was a massive influence in the early 00s, I can point out a lot of movies that kept the same gritty hard bass sound. Favorite tracks: "Elektrobank", "It Doesn't Matter"
Hooked me, lost me, hooked me, lost me. Overall charmed by it. Block Rockin Beats was one of my faves as a teen listening to Jock Jams in my room and tossing a football to myself as I made diving catches onto my bed. Never listened to this whole album before, but glad to have now.
Didn't finish. It didn't sound good but I could see it in some situations, so maybe a low 3
The repetition in some of these songs makes my brain hurt. Setting Sun reminds me of Tomorrow Never Knows by the Beatles. Some of these songs have grooves that I can get into, but overall it's just not my thing. 2 stars.
Fantastic but the intensity is so high its hard to power through the whole album
Good album for energetic, highly rhythmic break beat style EDM. Puts me in the mood to kick butt.
Bam! Te gek album! Een van mijn all-time favorites. Zo'n beetje mijn introductie in de meer electronische muziek, en na al die jaren nog altijd een erg sterke plaat.
Takes you on a journey - builds and builds, crashes out, then you come out of the end on a euphoric note. Brilliant.
Still my favourite electronic album of all time. Kinda wish I got another TCB album to check out because I'm so familiar with this one, but I can take that into my own hands. Incredible production, can't help bopping to this. And Where Do I Begin still gives me chills.
Wow, this is next level electronic music! I enjoyed every second of it, despite the ridiculous loudness (loudness war?) of it. I love the beats and the hooks (is that "Tomorrow Never Knows"? they even nailed the guitar wails in it) and how the album as a whole doesn't sound like a mobile game that involves polygons. I never knew electronica could be this good. What an experience. Another highlight in this 1000+ day project.
I love this album. It’s got so much going on. Really expressive drum patterns, fabulous melodies, perfect vocalists. And a damn fine groove all the way through.
love this album. i remember it at the time and was a fan of the chemical brothers. they made list of good stuff and this was right up there with the best.
Who is dis doin' this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'? Who is dis doin' this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'? Who is dis doin' this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'? Who is dis doin' this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'?
"Block Rockin' Beats" is probably what most people remember from this and that's not without reason, it's the epitome of big beat electronic music. If "Dig Your Own Hole" was just more of that it would still be one of the best of its genre but it is definitely not just more of that. Instead we get a solid dose of Beatlesque psychedelia featuring Noel Gallagher at the height of Oasis-mania on "Setting Sun" and the gorgeous journey that turns into a really bad trip (and one of the best songs of the 90s) "Where Do I Begin" with a stunning vocal by Beth Orton (where has she gone?)
I don't think this is as strong an album as either Exit Planet Dust or Surrender, but the brothers Chemical sure are good enough to get one of their weaker albums into this list. Saying that - "it doesn't matter" is one of TCB's finest tracks. Bonkers, bassy, interesting enough to keep the ear and visceral enough to carry you off somewhere else. It's going to be five stars, obviously.
A very big one from my yoof this. A life defining album for me. The first dance album I remember falling absolutely head over heals in love with. It has aged really well too which a hell of a lot of 1990s electronic albums haven't. Private Psychedelic Reel in particular still sounds absolutely humongous played as loud as your speakers can take it. It was a long slippery slope for me, from listening to this as a 13 year old to many, many a lost night spent gurning my chops off in dark, sweaty rooms in my later years. What a fucking slope that was though.
i don't know why i've never realised it before but the chemical brothers are fucking brilliant. no idea why listening to this album sat at home on my own is the thing that has sparked my epiphany and not the times i've seen them live and countless times i've listened to albums and loved it. This album is 25 years old. madness. i'd be surprised if anything released this year will sound as good in 25 years.
Amazing album. High energy music that is infectious and more catchy than it has any right to be. The experimental production, rap samples, and hooks elevate this above being an ordinary electronica album.
I was all about this album back in the day! The Private Psychedelic Reel is one of the best tracks on the album.
Dig Your Own Hole is the most complete recorded album I've listened to this journey so far. The entire album is covered in 90s grime. If you looked up the inspiration to this ad, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veTl59Klc5Q , you would see that it was the Chemical Brothers. They somehow make noise sound good. Best Songs: Setting Sun, Lost In The K-Hole, Elektrobank Worst Songs: NA
This record was my first introduction to The Chemical Brothers and it blew me away at the time. Innovative, stylish, and focused (even though it kicks off with the all-out frenzy of "Block Rockin' Beats"). It doesn't restrict itself to a specific genre of electronic music, spanning big beat, drum n' bass, breakbeat, and even some psychedelic rock. Amazing record all around.
90s dance techno at its best. Every song drew me in, and few times I stopped what I was doing to dance. Some of these tracks had some super funky beats, which is next level techno mastery. I'm adding this album to my favorites. 5 outta 5.
Love that stuff. It's definitely not something I can hear all the time, but when I'm in the mood it slaps.
This album is the heart of the party. It came out when I was 24, travelling Europe. It along with Daft Punk's Homework soundtracked my adventures. Even after 25 years the music on hear still gives me e-like chills and tingles. One highlight etch in my brain was having this album on an inflight channel for my flight home. The Private Psychedelic Reel coming on as my plane circled Sydney on approach to landing. The plane tilted and banked giving me rarely experienced view of my hometown
What an amazing start to an album! I really loved the first four tracks and then felt like the album gets a little repetitive and hit a bit of a lull. Then, I feel like it picks right back up. 'Where Do I Begin' is such an unexpected, beautiful change of pace that still totally fits in to the album and works great as a penultimate track. This is a super solid album, will definitely add to my library and continue listening. Standout Tracks: Block Rockin' Beats, Dig Your Own Hole, Elektrobank, Piku, Get Up On It Like This, Where Do I Begin, The Private Psychedelic Reel
90s drugged up Britain strikes again, and I eat this up every time. It balances the psychedelic sounds with big beats really well, and despite being over an hour long, it doesn't drag due to the nature of the album as more of a dancefloor piece, a place where time dissolves. Love both the vocal tracks, great in different ways. This is to me is a club album, but with different stages of the night out. For some reason, I get a basement club atmosphere for this. The last two tracks feel like the quiet walk back, and the planning for the next night out respectively. 14/11/22
Where do I start, where do I begin? I always liked this album, but now - with the perspective of time - I can confidently say this is not only the best album to come out of The Chemical Brothers, this is also my vote for best ever of its genre. Powerful and relentless, exactly what the genre calls for. What genre, exactly? Electronica? Dance? [How do you refer to music where no instrument is actually played by the musician?] I prefer to look at it as electronic rock.
Absolutely bangin'. An A-1, tip top clubbing jam fair. It was a sandwich of fun on ecstasy bread, wrapped up in a big bag like disco fudge. It doesn't get much better than that. Fave tracks - "Setting Sun" is great, even with Gallagher involvement. Really, though, it's the one-two glide of "Where Do I Begin" followed by "The Private Psychedelic Reel" 😍
Love this album, and always been a big fan of The Chemical Brothers. It was hard to choose favourite tracks as I've listened to this album many times over the years. But for the purposes of this review I'm going to say my faves at Where Do I Begin (also a big Beth Orton fan), and The Private Physchedlic Reel just puts me in such a good mood.
Though it may not be their most sophisticated album, it's the ultimate expression of their early Big Beat phase. Block Rockin Beats, Setting Son are both immense, and Where Do I Begin an early sign that they might have more conventional song structures under all the dj action. Five stars, and six if possible for Psychedelic Reel which which has one of the best drops in recorded music.
Really solid piece of 90s Electronic music I hadn't really heard before. Consistently great throughout, solid variety ranging from exciting and danceable to atmospheric and dream-like. Fucking amazing closing track. Despite its longer run time, I ended the album wanting to hear more, and if that doesn't warrant this being the first 5/5 of this whole run so far, I don't know what does. Definitely joining my regular rotation, needs to be the soundtrack to my next acid trip
A psychedelic workout album. Very 90s, very groovy, high energy. Strong 4. Standout Tracks: Dig Your Own Hole, Elektrobank, It Doesn’t Matter, Get Up On It Like This, Lost In The K Hole, The Private Psychedelic Reel
Solid album from 1997, gets a little bit repetitive and the album ends a bit oddly, but really good stuff nonetheless 8/10
Good Album, a little long at some parts, but very interesting production
it's not as lush or layered as exit planet dust, and i still don't like block rockin', but there were more tracks i did end up liking than i'd expected to find.
One of the albums that got me into electronic music. It proves that electronic music can be more than frat bro party bangers.
I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this one, but I will say I did enjoy my listen
Concentration ultime pour travailler. Vraiment techno, comme dans les annees 90. 4*
Nice techno vibes. A bit too harsh some of the songs, but overall good
Such a great record. Sounds a bit dated, but it is one of best examples of rave culture back in the 90s.
i like this a lot for what it is but its definitely not fun to just sit and listen to if you’re not dancing or anything. 8/10 but could be a 10 if i was on drugs at a rave
An amazing album for me with its music mixed up emotionally with a time in my life when every weekend was spent off my tits.
Another album suited to the big beat manifesto. BT: Block Rockin' Beats, Elektrobank, Setting Sun
Heavy drum and bass with industrial elements incorporated. I had a great time jamming to this album. It's not for everyone, but it would be awesome to listen to live. It feel like if the Matrix had their own band. Fav Song: Block Rockin' Blues
Not usually a fan of electric type music, but these beats were amazing! Love the psychedelic rock mix! Fav track was “Block Rockin Beats”
Well this was unexpected! The album felt like a less exciting Jet Set Radio Future album and that isn't bad. Quite a bit of repetitiveness but there were some gems in here! Some were a little long but I jammed out to this one.
Reminds me of tripping on Good Old London E near the fin de siècle. Good times.
Joj, ovo je njihov dobar album. Sviđa mi se. Definitivno najbolji njihov, isprike, ali nije čista četvrtka, ali je jako blizu.
My impression in 1997: solid & very skilfully constructed album, a couple of very strong tracks. My impression in 2021: the same and 9+ minutes of a private psychedelic reel is still too much. Rating: between 3 and 4 stars - depending on the sound volume and speaker set. Seems fair to give 4 stars then.