Reviews (page 3 of 9)
Not so long ago I’d have probably given this the bare minimum of stars. But I’m into it now.
Don’t think I’ve ever listened to a full chemical brothers album until this. Very enjoyable
Only really know the best ofs/singles and a couple of the recent albums but some banging album tracks on here. Great closer.
Great album, really enjoyed Where Do I Begin
This made me want to do drugs
Awesome. I know this style isn’t en vogue anymore, but this was a banger back in the day. Really nice trip down memory lane, and I honestly think it holds up nicely.
I didn't have any emotional connection to this. Often, good records in genres I don't often like or don't feel like listening to pull me in nonetheless and put me in the right mood, but this one didn't do that. Just missing a certain something that sweeps you along with the big sounds; instead it went over my head
Definitely understand the appeal in a certain context, but never something that I’ll just chuck on. Spin back around to the start without me noticing which is the telltale sign of a 3/5. RYM: N Saved a song: N
Expressive and innovative, denying no one a chance to move.
I hate electronica and no album is going to change my mind on that.
The second album by the Chemical Brothers and this one hit a little different. Maybe starting with Block Rockin Beats put me in the right frame of mind but I thought this compilation was slightly more enjoyable. The sounds were full and I found it hard to not groove as the songs went along. Ultimately the house music gets tiresome and I want a change to something more entertaining.
I liked the part where they repeated the same words again and again over the loud beats. That was the best part, I think.
I simply don't understand electronic music. I just don't. There is not a single thing I like about it. Empty sounds and complete nonsense.
Entiendo la onda, me parece interesante el album, seguramente tuvo su novedad en 1997, pero no es un estilo de música que me llegue. No conecté. Al menos no en estos días y con la situación de tener que escuchar un álbum cada 24 hs. Me parece es un género que el tiempo te hace entrar. El último tema igual, con psicodelia, sitar, electrónica, me agradó como búsqueda. 5/10
The Good: Someone is digging a hole! The Bad: What if it is me having to dig my own hole? The Ugly: Finding out we don’t have a shovel… manual labor sucks! This one can be kept brief… EDM… HATE. Sure, there are peeps who will totally disagree with me, and love the crap out of this. Good for you! Me, I am going to listen to silence for a while as I believe I’ve suffered sensory overload today… maybe I should pop some X and try this album again? 1*
It’s relentless! Up until Beth Orton sings it never stops, I love it. It’s not an album to sit down and listen to you need to be on the move, I was walking the dogs.
Dog dirt.
they are a singles band
As important as Daft Punk, can understate this albums importance to electronic music.
I used to enjoy this. Now I find it grating and terribly redundant. I get it, that’s what 90’s techno was.
I liked it well enough to listen again
One long track in like 12 parts, a monument to the CD era.
Reminded me of the beastie boys. Solid album. Words are repeated far too much.
2nd Chemical Brothers albums from the generator and I'm just surprised that the albums with their biggest songs aren't here? Well, this one was better than their first album but it still wasn't crazy good or anything 2/5
No me gustó para nada
When this album hits, it really hits. There's a lot of filler on here though.
I'm aware of the hits from this album, but otherwise this is my first time listening to this album start to finish. My favorite track is easily "Setting Sun." And it's probably because I like Noel Gallagher more than that I particularly like the song. There are a few tracks that just get too repetitive. This album isn't bad, and I'm glad I listened to it. But I'm not sure I'm feeling inclined to listen to the album again.
Very cohesive. Feels like one continuous rave. But hard to remember individual tracks
I'm at the point where I'd prefer more britpop than more electronica.
I loved Exit Planet Dust when it came out when Chemical Brothers were less well known. They became massive on the back of this album so naturally I stopped liking them as I was a snob and a bit of a knob. I long grew out of this and really like the later Chemical Brothers albums which are more mellow/poppy but have never really listened to Dig Your Own Hole much. There are some really strong tunes on this album - I particularly like Where Do I Begin and Setting Sun - but some of the other tracks do sound a bit dated and It doesn't have the nostalgia hit of Exit PLanet Dust for me - so its a solid 4.
Dig Your Own Hole This is pure 1997, right between A-Level mocks and the actual exams, when I passed my driving test and listened to this on my discman on a gimbal in my car, with one of those cassette to mini-jack adapters. I haven’t really revisited this as often as I should have, there’s clearly a huge amount of nostalgia baked in, but it is a superb album. The 4 or 5 singles - Block Rockin’ Beats, Setting Sun, Elektrobank, Where Do I Begin and The Private Psychedelic Reel - are all fantastic, but the rest of the album is great too, a characteristic mix of rave, house, psychedelia and hip hop with some excellent, catchy hooks and samples. I bought the Setting Sun single, and although I marginally prefer Let Forever Be of the two collaborations with Noel, it is still an absolute banger, a brilliant mash up of rave, Tomorrow Never Knows drums and Noel’s melodic skill and lyrical daftness. Much has been made of the influence of Tomorrow Never Knows, and maybe I’m looking for it too much, but I think there’s quite a bit of Ringo elsewhere too - the Ticket to Ride/Rain/TNK broken drum patterns and are scattered throughout, and there are some very swinging fills too, not least on the fantastic Private Psychedelic Reel. You could argue there is a bit of a dip from It Doesn’t Matter to Get Up On It Like This, and although I like each of those songs I think there is a bit of a similarity of feel in this section and you probably could lose Get Up On It Like This and not miss a great deal, before the excellent bass driven Lost in the K-Hole (for when you eat too much Special K), Where Do I Begin’s superb electro-folk and the excellence of The Private Psychedelic Reel. Nostalgia aside, and while it may be one song too long, those big songs are enough for a 5, even more so when the rest of the songs are great as well 🕳️🕳️🕳️🕳️🕳️ Playlist submission: It’s Setting Sun really, but I do love The Private Psychedelic Reel.
The album is something of a drain to listen to, without the killer punch of the Prodigy; the dreamy ambience of the IDM crew; or the layered brilliance of Endtroducing. And yet it has some extremely satisfying peaks. The trance of 'It Doesn't Matter' into the equally trancey 'Don't Stop the Rock' are too clinical for my tastes - it reminds me of Mr Oizo's 'Flat Beat'. These and the title track and 'Elektrobank' are hard work. The appeal here is incessant repetition, which as an audio experience is not ideal when listening at home, unless your pilled off your parsnips. It does of course have its superlative moments, chief amongst them 'Setting Sun', up there with the best things Noel G ever did. And then there's the era-defining bass hook of 'Block Rockin' Beats' which speaks for itself. The album is dragged down by the robotic beats, but saved by the Britpop-aligned 60s influences, successfully combining beats and psychedelia.
A nonstop set of beats which are unique, sure, but have little variety or emotional impact
Other than Block Rockin' Beats this is just kinda ok. The repetitive nature of the lyrics & music wear thin on me in the Electronica genre. Some of them start out fine & then after hearing the same thing again for the third time & there's still more song. It gets old.
Ook niet voor mij
Just not my jam. It has a few interesting bit, but lots of sharp edges and repetitive. I can see why these guys were sought to remix during the era but this album did not really do much for me. Honestly sounds so much like Prodigy, some of it, and I guess that's what annoys me about the genre, so much has similar beats and sounds the same, IMO.
как продиджи чисто на фон ничего разрывающего, кроме звуков взрывов не услышал ускоренные барабаны, перегруз можно переслушать
Oof... That was a rough listen.
🎧Would probably go hard at the club
I wasn't as familiar with this album as I am with their debut (which I had on repeat growing up). "Dance music for people who like guitars" as someone at my uni said to me. Some really strong tracks on here. But I expect this to be polarising...
Transitions are p cool, extremely repetitive and drawn out
I remember getting this record and whether you like this genre or not, these guys nailed it - coming up on 30yrs old and it still cranks. Love the sampling and the collaborations (Qtip in here, amore!), they - and Prodigy - set the tone.
I’ve listened to a couple of albums by these guys and I’m just not a fan. I wouldn’t even call it music. Very monotonous and honestly annoying.
Remember when you'd open up the Sunday paper in the morning over breakfast and coffee, mesmerized by the images, titles, and captions throughout? Occasionally, you'd be wearing all white - pants and top, all crisp and clean. Then that feeling would start: the rhythm of topics and the meditation of the reading, coupled with a small anxiety in the pit of your chest, knowing that you'd have ink all over you soon. Your fingers were already holding onto a little bit of ink as you moved through the sections. Both mentally and physically, the words were sticking. You are keenly aware that you can't touch anything now. That's the small anxiety this album gives me.
It's the human factor that I connect with on this album. Noel Gallagher (at peak oasis), Beth Orton (before she became Beth Orton), Schooly D (timelessly where it feels like he's in the room) and Mark Marinoff (bringing the heat on clarinet). This is closer to a rock album for trogladites like me. It feels physical. Sweaty. Irreverent. I'm good with that. Private Psychedelic Reel still gets me going like few other songs. Best of the era 4.5.
My rating 2.0. Boring heavily sampled electronica.
2.5 Really not my thing, can recognise its good though but I wouldn't want to listen again
Excellento
This sounds more like a mix of Fat Boy Slim and The Prodigy. Not bad, but nothing outstanding.
I enjoyed some of the tracks and remember some of them as hits from the album. Probably a notable album of the 90’s but I’m not sure it’s a classic
найс, вайбово, сохранил.
Like a lot of its ilk it is a repetitive soup you sink into. Aside from the Norah Jones toy surprise at the end I just was not really in the mood I guess? Maybe it hasn't aged that well?
Kinda made my grocery shopping trip feel like a heist montage in a late 90s movie until it gave me a migraine
This is good music to work or drive to. Just kind of a mid tempo trance like groove. It isn't something I need to learn to play or listen to on repeat but it has a place where it would be quite enjoyable.
late 90’s electronic. Nice listen not my bag.
long and repetitive.
Lazer Blaze music. As a teenager in the 90's, this music appealed to my sensibilities. It was loud, aggressive, driving, and hyperactive. I recall going to the laser tag ("Lazer Blaze". See what they did there?) place and being bombarded with tracks like this. The Mortal Kombat movie soundtrack was a cousin of this. I even bought and enjoyed a few Chemical Brothers albums although not this one. Time hasn't been kind to this, for me. A few of the tracks standout with the notable highs being Block Rockin Beats, Piku, & Setting Sun. I'm just not this energetic or hyperactive anymore and the electronic/dance/noise genre just doesn't appeal to me as much. I'm too tired . This used to be a high 3, or possibly a 4 to my 15-20 year old self, but my 45-50 year old self is tiring of this. High 2, low 3, and mainly on the appreciation of what it WAS to me rather than on the quality of the music. The real low point came from the ceaseless repetition of "It doesn't matter.." on the eponymous track. I literally, like an old man, yelled "Shut up!" and hovered my finger over the skip button. I took a breath, composed myself and kept going but only out of loyalty. (3/5), because it used to mean something. It's a "low" 3, however. Block Rockin Beats still has it.
I'd spent time listening to Prodigy, Daft Punk, Jamiroquai, and Moby, but hadn't really given Chemical Brothers a go and was happy enough to do so. At times driving and aggressive (particularly early on, when I was afraid it was just going to just be an album full of rave music), at other times hazy and ethereal, I had a real problem trying to square how an album could possess all of those quaities and still leave the impression of being boring and overly repetitive. A solid 3/5 that I honestly had higher hopes for.
"Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void" Variety: 1 Adequacy: 3 Listenability: 3 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 0 = 1.6 rounded up to a 2 INTRO I'm always a little bit wary when something like this pops up that I remember really liking, but which is so chick full of samples and interpolations. While a lot of it really hits and gets stuck in my head, It makes me wonder how much of what I'm listening to is just a very clever sound collage. I have no issues listening to the stuff, like I'm not objecting on some moral ground to sampling, but it does make the standard a bit higher for me when rating something like this. I won't be calling them all out but the info is out there for anyone curious ) https://www.whosampled.com/album/The-Chemical-Brothers/Dig-Your-Own-Hole/). My own memories of this album are vague, and the two big hits are the only ones I can identify by name. And they were pretty huge for a small time. THE TRACKS "Block Rockin' Beats" (Rowlands, Simons, Jesse Weaver) - If this is any indication, then I think any worries I may have had about how well this stuff would stand up might have been unwarranted. Great opening track. Built solidly around a bass line from a Crusaders song, and mixed with a pot of other ingrediants cherry picked from at least nine other songs, the energy on this is undeniably great. The soundtrack of that late 90s breakdance nostalgia. "Dig Your Own Hole" - This one I have no memory of whatsoever. This one is more straight forward and feels much more tied to 1997. Lots of "Firestarter" energy here. Probably fine background music to get dehydrated to at your favorite club, but not my thing. "Elektrobank" - Echoey electronic drum beat with some unintelligible chatter over top. This feels even more ancient to me. Hate this sort of thing now as much as I did then. It picks up again but then feels like maybe a 3rd or 5th attempt to recapture the magic of that first track. Will we be seeing many more of these Temu "Block Rockin' Beats"? "Piku" - Change of pace here with an airy opening that fades out into a nice electronic beat that would not be completely out of place on a more modern track. This one had surprising staying power. "Setting Sun" - While I'm sure these guys went WELL out of their way to avoid sampling the Beatles as even back then that would have proved very, very expensive. But if they did steal any exact bits from "Tomorrow Never Knows" it certainly stole that song's "essence" to paraphrase a once popular comedian. What they did with it though is quite impressive. That doubled siren noise over top is almost as important to the effect though. The last minute of this song I have absolutely no memory of. Maybe the music video ended way before? "It Doesn't Matter" - I love a good hi-hat beat. The distorted radio chatter-like voice no so much. This feels very dated as well, mainly from the effects. More is needed than just the "boots and cats" beat to save this one from the trash pile. Very self aware title. "Don't Stop the Rock" - PEW PEW! Bit repetitive, but this is more like it. This feels like the track where the foam drops. "Get Up on It Like This" - This one felt very generic, and points lost for that abrasively annoying ending. "Lost in the K-Hole" - Worse than generic, this one felt boring to me. I think by this time the sameyness is setting in, and feeling more exhasusted than interested. "Where Do I Begin" - This is the most anomalous track on the album. Nods to the electronic stuff that has come before with some effects, but largely an indie pop thing with some pleasant Beth Orton vocals. Honestly sounds like it belongs on one of her albums for the first half, then morphs into more of what I expected. A bit brighter and lighter. Wish it had returned to the Orton part instead of the awful dental drill we get for the last fourth. "The Private Psychedelic Reel" - Great tone built up here from the beginning. Not so much dark as introspective psychedelic naval gazey stuff. The energy kicks in relatively quickly though and then we stay in this unchanging section for another 7 minutes! Fine enough by comparison to some, but at some point one imagines someone pushed a button on the console to create a loop so they could go have a good long shit. HIGHLIGHTS - "Block Rockin' Beats" - "Piku" - "Setting Sun" ( gonna give that last minute a pass) MIDLIGHTS - "Dig Your Own Hole" - "Don't Stop the Rock" - "Where Do I Begin" - "The Private Psychedelic Reel" LOWLIGHTS - "Elektrobank" - "It Doesn't Matter" - "Get Up on It Like This" - "Lost in the K-Hole" - "Where Do I Begin" FINAL THOUGHTS As with much of this music, I almost always find myself picturing frenetically edited shootouts with people in cool looking coats and / or sunglasses. I was never a clubgoer, so none of this is much associated in my mind with dancing in any way. A lot of this electronic stuff from the period can also feel kind of samey. This one is not immune. It also gelt like these guys would tale a really cool idea and beat the living hell out of it or immediately drop it and go off into these kind of purposefully grating tangents ( Where Do I Begin maybe teh worst offender), so more than half the album ends up feeling like a bunch of lost opportunities. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Save "Block Rockin' Beats", "Piku", "Setting Sun" ( sub it for a radio edit that drops that last minute though) and delete the rest
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. It doesn't matter. It doesn’t matter. It doesn't matter.” This feels like a You-had-to-be-there album. You had to be at the club when this kicked in. You had to be on some chemicals to pick up what the Chemical Brothers were laying down. You had to be there when John Wick murdered his way across the entire rave dance floor. The Chemical Brothers were heralds. The sound of EDM would come to influence all of pop music, or at least seemed to to me. And it’s hard for me to assess that. If competently done, it sounds…fine enough to dance and trip to, I guess, but beyond that. I don’t know. For me I'm not sure how this music transcends that simple functionality. Block Rockin' Beats went hard and I can see it soundtracking a good action scene or sports highlight mix tape. but again, that goes back to the you had to have been there of it all. As far as the EDM type music goes this is electronica that seems to have less charisma that say a Daft Punk, or am edge like the Prodigy. I dig it well enough: it’s fun. Fun for a night, just not forever.
The Chemical Brothers are great. But these days the reasons why I’d choose to play one of their albums are pretty limited.
Not my cup of tea. Too many short repetitive loops that never seem to evolve into anything other than other similar short repetitive loops.
Niet voor mij
Block Rockin' Beats Setting Sun The Private Psychedelic Reel
Meh didn't love
Is there such thing as too much of a good thing? This album should work so well on paper, and the mix of electronic music with rock energy is a cool idea, but overall the experience feels pretty shallow and meaningless. I imagine this wold be awesome to hear nobbed off at Glastonbury or something (idk whatever you Brits say) but outside that context I felt myself wanting more.
I don't think I'm in the mood for this, however, I can see how many people who enjoy this genre like this a lot.
They have never been my thing. Respect what they do tho.
Ooooh, that’s really repetitive. As would be expected with nineties electronica. Last time I listened to Dig Your Own Hole was way back in the aughts, and it’s better in my memory. Block Rockin’ Beats and Lost In The K-Hole carry the album. L = (1.1111111) Felt like I had been rufi’ed in a bad Swedish disco, then the cops showed up, and someone stepped on a cat. Could not get outta there quick enough. J = (2.45*s) Did I hear an electronic sitar?
A seminal part of my young adulthood where I was exploring my "own" music, not what the parents played. So, right out of the gates we are about to rocksteady with some "Block Rockin' Beats" that may be the most known electronica song of all time. This one was all over MTV, where I first discovered it. I can't say if it was this track that really got me into the genre or "Keep Hope Alive" by The Crystal Method. Pretty sure it got openmindz in though. Either way, BRB still bumps to this day. That guitar riff is so sick. Next, you will pop the drugs and start to "Dig Your Own Hole." This one really starts to show the experimentation CB is starting to delve into. Again, loving the use of what is guitar like synthetic sounds with crisp beats. Throw in tribals and some springs and keep me hooked. A feel like a journey begins here where you climb yourself out that hole and head over to the "Elektrobank" to withdraw some dirty money. You get the grimy funk from a dark, sweaty basement. You can feel it oozing off the walls. Who is this doing this synthetic type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin'? Them Dusty Bros baby! You head bop to this and then crawl out of that basement. Across the street you spot a hash bar, "Piku," so you saunter in and slide into a nice cushy chair with a spliff and a bourbon neat. This track will melt you. Doze off a bit and then BOOM...rude awakening. Time to get the fuck out as the bouncer is tossing you on to the curb. ("Setting Sun" is usually not liked by many but I love it.) Hard Chemicals coming at you. Deep and deadly beat like a bomb going off. Buzz-saw cutting through your ears and alien robots attacking from all sides. All the while you see the sun setting on your last day on earth. (Put a little of the worse Gallagher and you still have something special.) By the end of the track you are searching for the Oasis but the clock is ticking and you start to see ghostly apparitions and then life cuts short. (This track was in "The Saint," great movie, and should have been featured in "Sucker Punch.") At this point you are dead and "It Doesn't Matter" so join the rave party on the banks of the river Styx with Charon at the turntables. You are in limbo and a crowd of soulless lifeforms (maybe more robots) engulfs you. They throw on a boat with rowbo-wraiths manning the oars. You arrive at the the next party, which you aren't sure if it's heaven or hell. "Don't Stop the Beats" but please stop the annoying boop-beeps. They are offbeat and I can't get over it. Without the R2D2's, this track is great...those spinning rings ajingle-janglin' on a wire. Then comes the annoying printer jam...FUCK! this is hell. Finally, there is a portal. You get closer and closer and escape to an all out breakdance battle. The portal fades in the background but you get trapped for a second, almost pulled back, like the record of life is skipping but the music grabs you again and you "Get Up On It Like This," busting moves. (The Cabans and I used to play this one and shred some linoleum in their garage. Don't worry about the screeching cat...this isn't a Monty Python album.) Alright, nice battle, now let's take some Ketamine and get "Lost in a K-Hole." Wait...it was your idea (I don't care what the lyrics are really...IT DOESN'T MATTER). Anyways, I'm ok with it cause I am chilling the fuck out at this point. Zone out... Next morning, "Where Do I Begin?" Wake up and what a great trip but I'm in some stranger's bed and can't see straight. Get motivated and find food...maybe some water cause I'm really hungover. Oh no...here come the spins...whoa caught that one. Nope...Special K is comin back on me. I'm pulled right back into the whole night and watching my own "Private Psychedelic Reel"...damn what an adventure. Life flying by before your eyes. To wrap this one up...I love the use of digital replacements for real-life sounds like sirens, explosions, buzz-saws, lightening etc. that the boys created from scratch (you know when you hear it). They branch out more on this one from the debut and they nail it 99%. Highly recommend with headphones for true experience, which if you were around me in 1997, you probably saw me on the couch, in my room, or in the car on my discman spinning this cd nonstop. I'm sure mom and dad thought I was on drugs listening to this but I wasn't although I may have to experience this one day how it was meant to be really experienced...4.54 stars.
Another high quality electronica album that helped the genre cross over into the mainstream a bit. Block Rockin' Beats was a tour de force when it released and definitely made a splash within the music world. Setting Sun was another hit that has always been a personal favorite, though I somehow never knew that Noel Gallagher was involved. It's hard to call the remainder of the album lackluster, as it is still very solid but doesn't have the same oomph as the two flagship singles that really did rock the world. I might have had too high of expectations as I did enjoy the album but didn't blow me away as I thought it might have after years of rave reviews from the older brother. Still really glad to see more representation from Chemical Brothers and electronic music genre(s) overall. 3.51 stars
Another album of repeating notes, strange sounds, and disjointed rhythms. I just don't get the attraction to this kind of music. The best thing about this album was that there were only 11 songs, although most of those songs were way too long.
Punk/hip hop 90's feel. Pourrait être la soundtrack d'un film de skate ou de bloc vintage.
listening to some BS rn LMAO what is "Dig your own hole" I swear this kind of music is designed to get you angry. WTF is the end of elektrobank and the start of Piku
I like big beat and I really like the first few minutes of the private psychedelic reel. And I like the other chemical brothers albums very much. But this one (apart from the first half of ppr) sounds a bit tinny and a bit blunt and the songs aren't strong enough. Still very good in places but they've got much better material
I am sober, 48 and mildly enjoying this. Imagine being not sober and 20? No wonder they were huge. Regrettably this was not on my radar when I was not sober and 20.
Probably a 3.5 stars for me. The hits are good and the other tracks are fine.
I was thoroughly impressed by this, did not expect a record to be as loud and brash here. Very much ahead of its time, diverse and rich, I liked most of it. I do think it's not my niche or home, and some of it fell a bit flat, but I respect the hell out of it.
2000's arcade racing game vibes
Meh
Mega!!!!!!!!*****
Felt longer than it was, and its 63 minutes long...
Grand album - I mean for the time it must have been incredible.
1.25 - Every time I thought something sounded cool, it either repeated for far too long or an annoying sound effect or lyric was layered over top of it.
“this is outrageous!” - jez
Picked up a lot of vibes from this album: dentist's office, outer space, Deliverance, construction site...
Not for me, alas...it took days to listen to this. Some of it was interesting, though.
Some classic dance anthems mixed in with overlong filler tracks. I was too busy listening to NuMetal and Grunge in 1997, but Chemical Brothers were universally popular. Never thought too much about them until I saw CB live at a music festival. These guys know how to work a crowd. Push The Button is my personal fave. Some good music here, but I’m feeling compelled to listen to their later albums.
The Chemical Brothers... We meet again. I said that like I'm a fucking supervillain or something but it's the best I could come up with, okay? I did not enjoy Exit Planet Dust when I listened to it in June of 2024. It suffered from a lot of the problems that I have with 90s UK EDM in general and I just did not care for it. So, as one might expect, I was not particularly excited to listen its followup, Dig Your Own Hole. But you know what? I was pleasantly surprised by this album. This is a huge improvement over that other album! It actually kind of feels like a complete experience and not a bunch of random beats! I know right? And this thing is longer than Exit Planet Dust, so clearly something improved with the actual talent of the Chemical Brothers, right? I don't know, but it worked out for me today. The production on here is pretty solid. There are some cool moments here and there throughout the album. I like the bass parts on the first two tracks. "Block Rockin' Beats" especially is actually a pretty good opener. The vocal usage on the album is well balanced. "Setting Sun" has Noel Gallagher from Oasis on it. That's neat. I think the album actually works for me because there's a sense of genuine progression and pacing in the album. There's not a ton of it, but there's enough of it for me to have noticed it. I noticed that the last three songs on the album have a bit of a lighter mood to them. It's almost as if the album is saying, "Hey. The party's almost over, so let's reflect a bit on the fun we had while we end things on a good note, okay?" I like that. I think there are other albums that do that a little better. Like, you give me the choice between this or Daft Punk's discovery and I'm choosing Discovery any day of the week. But, I'd actually call Dig Your Own Hole a good album that I enjoyed, which is a miracle for an album like this. It's still not my favorite thing in the world, and I can't say that I love this album, but I have a good deal of respect for it, and I can actually see why others would love it. It's nice. High 3/5.
What if it took an hour to connect to dial up internet.
Pretty close to a 4, I enjoyed this all the way through basically, but it was a bit dated
Are you REALLY into Big Beat and EDM? If so, this is essential listening. If not, dont bother. 2.5 stars.
A couple of good tracks, usually when there are vocals. I don't mind this genre but I don't find it translates well to the albums format personally.
🤖
At 8am this album pissed me off
I do think it's a hair better than some of the other noise-machine albums.
TBT that time I put on Discovery and my grandmother averred, "This isn't music."
I didn't really enjoy any of this?
I reserve the right to change my opinion if given drugs and a dance floor, but on my morning commute this was atrocious.
for some reason this was a big album in my household summer of ‘97. i specifically remember it at the beach, even more specifically my baby brother singing his own version of “block rockin beats” over and over. good times. still rips!
Still don't love electronic music, but the Chemical Brothers make it interesting.
Ugh two days in a row of the Chemical Brothers?? This is also the fourth electronica album I've gotten in the past 7 days, and I am over it. This is the better of the two Chemical Brothers albums on the list, but they also aren't significantly different enough that I feel like including them both on the list was justified.
Not a big electronica guy, but this has some great tracks. Highlights: "Where Do I Begin?"
Started strong, but carries on without much variation. Good in moderation.
I've loved The Chemical Brothers since someone bought me their "We are the Night" album when I was 16 and have dabbled in bits and pieces of their discography since, but never listened to a full album outside of previously mentioned and "Further". For me, it was always there way of creating a visual with their music; you close your eyes and just let the colours and shapes come to you in the craziest of ways. Some of these tracks made me feel like they were still learning how to do just that in 1997, tracks like "Dig your own hole", "Elektrobank" and "Piku" being examples of this; just sort of lacking any direction. Then comes along a track like "Setting Sun", proving that there is something caliber here. It kind of confuses sitting among the rest of the album. Same again with "Where do I begin"; tracks that have you holding out to see if there is more like it. It seems the thing that the album is lacking is a unified theme which I think made the two albums I mentioned before so good. Even just from the cover; choose a track name as the title and slap the obligatory "hot girl" on the front and mans will eat it up. I like what they would become in the next 10 years a lot more than this, but it isn't terrible. Maybe it's the journey talking, but I feel I've become more accustom to live instruments and vocals, emotional peaks and troughs and less "clean" repetition. In fact, that being said, I think that's what makes music played with - I hate to say it - real instruments still great when they are repeating, there is still variation due to little human errors or even whimsy... I think that's why I loved Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison album so much. I am possibly beginning to understand why some reviewers detest any amount of synthetization or fabrication of instrumental sounds that were prevalent in times like the 80s and 90s.
Does EDM get much better than ‘Setting Sun’ ‘Block Rockin’ Beats,’ and ‘Elektrobank?’ I think as a whole ‘Surrender’ is a better album, but the singles from ‘Dig Your Own Hole’ are magnificent!
I actually kinda enjoyed this! Electronic music is not at all my thing (in fact it is by far the lowest rated genre on this site) but there was a fun energy to this project that I couldn't deny. Still got a bit repetitive at times but overall I could see myself listing to this one again. 7/10
I feel like I could just copy paste reviews for all these late 90s Electronic/Dance albums. Repetitive. Very repetitive. Loud, annoying, and uninteresting too. It's just not my genre.
Some fragments great, some I really don't like
some tracks are a bit mid but the ones that aren't are certified Bangers. Good shit
Love the ideas and rhythms explored in the album. Not really know if they really pioneered or created something new in the scene. But really liked the grooves and could enjoy the whole album without noticing the pass of time.
That's a terrible thing to say.
Those who like it, like it a lot. I for one do not.
Sample/sampledelia. With funk/rock/hip hop samples. Like halfway between Fatboy Slim and The Prodigy Sounds like a PS1 game title screen or The Matrix soundtrack. It's a fine sound but today I find it hard work. Probably works much better for a party/rave. Best track - Dig Your Own Hole, Setting Sun 3 stars - decent album but it didn't have tracks on a par with Fatboy Slim
This album still hits sooo hard after 20 years. That is a testament of how bloody good this album is!
The hits are fine, but I just can’t take it, when the music repeats itself for so long
I didn't really catch those times, but I've been told that back in the early gaming days when people were playing fighting games if someone were to keep spamming the same thing, they would've gotten their ass kicked. And it didn't matter who you were playing with, randoms, friends, or even your dad - fists were flying Now I guess these guys actually lived during those times, tanked all the beatings, picked up the instruments and were like "ahh, finally I can spam the same shit for ten minutes straight"
Quite nice, actually
As someone who's not into techno, it just didn't resonate with me
23/02/2026 It is what it is, it wasn't great, but it's not the worst thing I've heard. Spotify listeners: 4 million
If you close your eyes it's like being in a massive warehouse with lasers and shit. Where Do I Begin is a nice tonal shift towards the end and I think it's needed and then The Private Psychedelic Reel is a good finisher. The title track is probably the best though, but would add many to my DJ sets if I wanted things to pop off
Part of me liked it more than I expected and the other part was getting heart murmurs
Good, but waaay over stays its welcome
Cool sound but not my thing
Minnen, minnen, minnen.... Setting Sun Block rockin Beats, Dig your own hole.... Vad jag har dansat till denna! Tycker faktiskt att den håller fortfarande. Känns inte så mossig, trots att den ändå har snart 30 år på nacken, gaaah! Gillar beatsen över det hela, alla låtar är inte perfekta men ingen låt får mig att vilja skippa över den.
Ever since the band was mistaken for the Dust Brothers, I've always liked the Chemical Brothers, even if the music sometimes became exhausting. I didn't manage to listen to the whole album. In part, it reminded me of The Prodigy, whom I also find a bit annoying at times. I have to be in the right mood for this music. Pills or adrenaline probably help. I have no experience with pills, but I'm sure the album is a lot of fun then. It was too exhausting for me. 3/5
3+
Not too big on electronic music...
This is quite good but some of the songs are way to long. Otherwise it would be perfect.
Well, listening to this in the kitchen, sober is not the same as listening after drinking, or being high, so it’s a low score.
It was ok. Quite repetitive. Standout song: Setting sun
Enjoyable "turn my mind off" music
Good electronica. Nice soundscapes you can shake your rump to.
Dig Your Own Hole has all of the same problems (and more) that Fatboy Slim's You've Come a Long Way, Baby had when I listened to it. It's repetitive, bland (when it's not a complete migraine inducer), and feels egregiously stiff and robotic. Maybe 90's+ electronic music isn't for me, but all of it is so boring, it's just the same repetitive beat for 5+ minutes with maybe a couple samples that are also similarly repeated over the span of the song. Dig Your Own Hole follows this exact formula, save for the last two songs, "Where Do I Begin" and "The Private Psychedelic Reel", which were really the only two songs that I liked off of this album. I really just don't get why they had to pick such ear-splitting, annoying samples to intersperse their songs with, it just makes no sense to me. I really find it hard to see how I enjoyed this music only a few years ago. Favorite Song: "The Private Psychedelic Reel"
This album tricks you by having a solid and fairly engaging opener, the devolves into more generic techno boringness for the rest of the runtime. I don't understand the obsession with making these songs so long. The exact same effect can be achieved in half the runtime, and I would argue could make the songs more effective and memorable
Heard Before? Yes but not since it came out. Notes: - I'm a sucker for big beat, and this is the perfect expression of that historical moment. - formulaic as hell, but it's a formula I can dance to. - every song too long, and there are too many of them. but that's part of the point, I think. plus this is the height of CD era excess. - a great example of how (for me at least) music is about curation more than virtuosity. so many good choices here. - dynamic and thrilling mixing here, mashing together different fidelities, and exaggerating different components across songs. Verdict: I was never a raver, but this makes for a terrific kitchen dance party. Listen Again? Probably not. The Brothers are represented best by the "Brotherhood" compilation, but this did increase my desire to revisit their other albums.
Better than Coldplay
Пойдет, для электронщины у меня обычно хуже оценки
I enjoyed the singles and a little of the first half was good, but after Setting Sun the album drops off for me. In particular it doesn’t matter and don’t stop the rock were slogs. The psychedelia of Where do i begin is a pleasant sidestep but overstays its welcome and the last two minutes just feel like they didn’t know how to stop it. The psychedelia continues with the final track but again this is overlong and soon resorts to the standard big beat lack of actual tune
This is still not really for me. I was familiar with “Block Rockin’ Beats”, which is a solid track, but the rest just became noise.
Anecdote time: My one and only time seeing The Chemical Brothers live, was at the first ever Leeds Festival in 1999, so very much this era of their music. They infuriated the crowd by mixing tiny bits of Setting Sun into the music, but never actually playing it properly. It was a fun time. I still love Setting Sun. I really like all the singles from this album to be fair. I just am not sure I like anything quite enough to entirely justify the length of the album. It's extremely catchy and danceable though, and certainly fun if you're a teenager stood in a field in park with your mates and some smuggled in vodka. It's a bit odd listening to it as a middle aged lady while washing up the dishes. I like this better than the previous Chemical Brothers album the generator threw at me, and that got a 3. So, length niggles aside, this is getting: 4/5
Enjoyable when working out, but perhaps not quite in the mindset for it.
Standouts Block Rockin' Beats Dig Your Own Hole Lost in the K Hole
Ace, what a great album
I already knew Block Rockin' Beats, so I enjoyed that out of familiarity. Otherwise it was fine to have on in the background. Dance/eletronica albums always feel fundamentally flawed to me, as let's face it, sitting and listening to an LP isn't how this music is supposed to be enjoyed. Maybe this project will introduce me to the album that changes my mind, but this isn't it.
More robot noises from the 90s. Not the worst I've heard on this list but not anything I'd like to revisit.
Is big beat the worst genre of all time?
Listening to this makes me want to go do hooligan shit. Classic album but hard to listen through while sitting at a desk. Could probably just listen to the drum lines by themselves.
Me and Harry's freshman Jazz teacher used to always say, "If it sounds good, it is good." I really enjoyed listening to this. A lot of it reminded me of those "No Pirating" messages on DVDs from the early 2000s.
dance music LPs can be tough. the genre is primarily created to be absorbed in a room with other people and volumes to the point where you feel the music resonate in your body, not just heard with your ears. there are some outstanding dance/electronic albums out there, but many don’t catch the essence of what’s being created. I saw The Chemical Brothers play a massive festival set in Belgium, and it was one of the most thrilling sets I had ever seen. that said, this album is front-loaded and feels like some killer singles filled out with studio fodder. the approach to electronic music very emblematic of the late ‘90s. I wish The Orb’s Adventures Beyond The Underworld was here instead.
The Chemical Brothers are aptly named as the whole album felt like some mad scientists mixing samples, beats, and sounds in a lab. Some interesting brews, but, unfortunately for them, gold can't be made in a lab. If Death Grips and The Prodigy had sons, The Chemical Brothers may be it only they ended up having that weird set of twins that invent their own language and are just kind of weird... Takes me back to the blood sprinkler scene in Blade. 2/5 tablets of molly.
I have no idea how to rate this kind of music. Like, unless it blows my socks off, it’s hard to give it a bad rating because I’m sitting here listening to it in the car on the commute at seven in the morning or playing Zelda in a recliner. Given the right kind of drugs I’m sure I’d enjoy this album a hell of a lot.
Strong album that I know well. But, at times, feels a little too robotic and with not enough soul.
It was fine
Starts off with a banger then falls off. It’s a cool mix of rock and electronic, definite early 90s feel. Reminded me of fatboy slim
Some solid big beat. id honestly put on some prodigy over this but its not bad.
Yasir might like it
Maybe my favorite Big Beat album I've heard so far, a really engaging and energetic listen that rarely overstays its welcome. A powerhouse, but at the same time it also comes across very much like a product of 1997. Not that that's a bad thing.
Somewhere between 3 and a 4. Found some of the samples grating, but the overall groove was very enjoyable.
Purpose-built and finely machined by the better Prodigy.
It's a little dated, and repetitive even for the genre. But it's still a vibe. 6/10
Ok album that got me grooving on most of the tracks. Not something I would "actively" listen to but playing it while working and doing other stuff it worked. 2,5 and I will round up to 3. Best track was Lost In The K-Hole
Funky
nope
Thought it was a great electronic record. Some songs ran longer than I wanted, but that could've been a mood thing
Oh my God make it stop. It Doesn’t Matter sounds like my broken washing machine, just stuck on the same cycle forever. I’m not giving this one star because I know it’s not made to be listened to at home like I’m doing. I should be drunk off my ass at some dance club with lots of strobe lights. I still think I better be pretty wasted before I walk in to be able to tolerate it for very long. It is very very mindless, lacks melody, only about movement. 1.5 stars, I’ll round it up for you ravers out there.
This one was big when it came out. Not sure if holds up as well as it could.
I don't care if it's big dumb dance music -- I loved listening to this. It reminds me of my older brother, who (I'm pretty sure) had this on minidisc back in the 90s.
Pretty cool beats. Not something I would actively listen to, but works well as immersive background music. My main complaint is that some of the tracks go too far into this experimental industrial sound, and it goes from sounding cool to weird and unpleasant.
I remember listening to this on the radio thinking about how ass it is. I get that it's electronic music, but how can they have no shame in making 11 5 minute songs of abrasive trash.
I think I found a new top artist. I'm checking out the whole discography now.
Good for background of John Wick techno fight scenes but too long. Top tracks: "Block Rockin' Beats," "Lost in the K-Hole," "Where Do I Begin"
This is fine. Feels like I'm trying to HACK THE PLANET while listening to it.
--Block Rockin' Beats...apt title. funky bass --Dig Your Own Hole...it's got energy --Elektrobank...nice low end. a little long. last two minutes changes things up and it's dope --Piku...there's a pleasing "vinyl" quality to this one --Setting Sun...overly aggressive drumming that randomly disappears then reappears. Noel Gallagher for some reason. not digging this one --It Doesn't Matter...first half is a booty shaker. is there some kind of rule that says dance/electronica tracks must be longer than the average pop song? this is a genuine question and not a criticism --Don't Stop the Rock...not a lot of "rock" in here. maybe that's the joke --Get Up on It Like This...see, y'all? you can drop some sick beats and keep it under three --Lost in the K-Hole...is this about drugs?! this one is fun. great bass and other cool sounds --Where Do I Begin...a decent soundscape. it's seven minutes long -__- --The Private Psychedelic Reel...oh, this is nine minutes. yay. the first half is fun. I like the sitar. second half doesn't justify the length
Not my thing, but it's okay if it's your thing.
Gonna say it every time. I don't understand sitting at home and listening to music deigned to be played in dance clubs. This would be great in a dark club on a head full. At home on a dreary January Saturday, it's just irritating
Meh
There will never be a situation where I will want to listen to this. It’s well made and it’s nice and shinny and not for me.
Ya escuché una vez este disco. Es una mierda.
Better than I expected. I recalled that this album was big when it came out but I didn’t pay much attention because it’s not really my style of music. I was listening to this while working and I think that made it more pleasant for me. If I was trying to just focus on this instead of multitasking then I would rank it lower. As is, I’ll give it a 4/5 as being a better example of this style of music on this list.
not my type of music
Classic
Pretty solid.
Could not even finish this.
Kinda fun, but I felt like I knew the whole song after l the first minute
The album that made ,e understand how good electronic music can be. If you don’t feel this, you’re heartless.
Beepety boop, I liked this. 4/5
The first two songs on this album are really great. Half of the album is great. The rest sounds a bit smart so I did not enjoy it as much
Last time I heard the CB was in the mid to late 90's. Great dance music\electronica. This album is a bit less repetitive than some I have heard some producer did us a favor by reining them back a bit, the exception is It Doesn't Matter which is is by intent. Great bass effects on this one and great for listening to with good headphones as they play with where the music is rather than just a flat split. Elektrobank plays around in the back of my head, bouncing between left and right channel in a way that made my smile shine. The hidden track, The Private Psychedelic Reel (hidden track) is absolutely outstanding and may be worth another star in my grading.
This droning, repetitive irritation reminds me so much if the late 80s and 90s club scene that I tried to avoid. I am not a fan.
So cool. Not giving 5 cause I prefer their later, more complex stuff, but this album is super enjoyable
Caught me in the wrong mood. This felt like that industrial garbage but produced on a computer. Bailed after 10 minutes. I hope I never hear this again. - Some weird electro music. Not really my vibe. Also not in the mood. Not sure how far I'll make it.
Iconic breakbeat
Some of it is okay background music. None of it is interesting enough to really listen to.
I bought this CD in ...1997 I think. Haven't listened to it in a long time, but I'm looking forward to a revisit
I’m no fan of EDM, but The Chemicals are a bit different. It’s not my favourite, but it’s good task completion music and I will deffo have it on when doing something else.
I hadn't heard this in some time. While Exit Planet Dust was a great listen at home or on the dance floor this one yearns for the clubs. The tracks are all excellent from a mixing perspective but are dynamic enough to not be boring when listening in the traditional sense. Electrobank and Piku are standouts in my opinion.
Tutte le canzoni ricordano lo spot “la pirateria é un reato”
It's Big Beat, and it sounds like Big Beat. Not really any more to it than that. There are plenty of other, better Big Beat albums out there that sound better and were more influential. If this album was 30 minutes shorter, it would be forgettable. At its current length, it's a bit of a slog. Not a great listen, and I can't see a justification for having it on this list.
Not my kind of music and too long. Was waiting for it to be over. Song with Noel Gallagher is kinda good though.
i feel like its very background music and thumping head music
Reminds me of the music that played in that anti piracy ad that played before every rented movie in the 2000s. Didn’t like it at first, but it’s okay background music.
I quite enjoyed this. I remember when this came out and Block Rockin’ Beats was played everywhere, but never felt the need to investigate further. It got a bit repetitive, and is perhaps a little too long, but overall pretty good.
I actually didn't mind listening to this - as a one off. A bit too much going on and the overall length of the album (at just over an hour) is a bit much for repeated listens of this style of electronica, which isn't really my thing. I'm glad I experienced it, but this isn't going in my library.
Last two here were pretty good but the mid-90s EDM stuff isn’t really my thing
A few big ones on here (besides the obvious “Block Rockin Beats”). "It Doesn't Matter" has always been my personal favorite. Insane low-end that almost rolls like a warehouse techno kick + bass. Jilted bloops and bleeps float on top with the type-to-talk phrase on repeat, it all goes over so well. Minutes of buildup, tension, and release. This is a certified fantastic rave song. Really, the first three songs have you thinking The Chem Bros heard what The Prodigy were doing and wanted in on a more gnarling, visceral sound. They do it pretty well! "Setting Sun" sounds like a miami car chase movie soundtrack, one of the most loving things I can saw about a turn-of-the-century electronic song. Tracks 8 & 9 don't really do the job they seem to set out to do. Instead of providing some quieter, more varied sonic elements, they just seem dingy and half-baked. "Where Do I Begin" comes along and shows us how to actually achieve those things. Quite the ambitious closer which insists on mentally sending the listener to a spiritual rave of sorts. Something I've always thought the good Chem Bros songs do is tension build & release, as mentioned earlier. In this charged-up effort, I think there's a whole crop of moments that create these swells of energy or tension, just to crescendo or release at the right time. Additionally, Dig Your Own Hole has some nice sonic aesthetics. There's a bit of rocknroll 'crunch' to this thing, not too dissimilar to Justice's Cross. An easy 4/5 for me. At best, this album wields a pristine energy - I felt things similar to how I felt listening to Skrillex early on. I’d still implore the listener to go hear Fat Of The Land first, but this is still super solid.
Good
Noise-Rock, 1997 -> 1
Excellent!
This big beat stuff was not great at the time and it has not aged well. Extra demerit for Noel Gallagher.
Probably the best electronic music album I’ve heard so far on this list. Helps that it opens really strong with ‘Block Rockin’ Beats.’ Noel Gallagher and Beth Orton feature on two separate tracks, and it was really nice that they mixed in some good vocals and traditional music elements in with the noise and bass; excellent production. Some of the songs drag on too long (lots of 8-9 minute tracks), and about a third of the songs made me feel like I was in a Matrix rave, but the album was overall enjoyable. I would love to give this a 3.5, but under the current system I will bump this up to a low 4/5. Highly doubtful that another electronica album will do better than this for me.
Nawet git
The beginning of the album takes off in an explosion, very fun. It sagged a little for me in the middle but still ended strong. A really fun mix of rock/electronic. Rating: 4.7
So much electronic music on here. A joy for those who love it. I do not.
This is an awesome album! Enjoyed this way more than I expected. Made me want to dance and move when I was sitting at my desk working. Put it on later to hype myself up. People hate on electronic/dance music and act like it’s just noise, but you can hear how well crafted every song and beat is on here. Loved it! Top Songs: Elektrobank, Piku, Dig Your Own Hold
Horrible
Definitely not for me. 1.5
Who listens to this? Who prefers music with digital instruments over real instruments, and why?
An album that has everything. The hits are euphoric, danceable and immaculately crafted. The tracks inbetween bleed into each other and set up the highs and payoffs throughout the tracklisting. The closing pair is a masterclass in neo-psychedelic climax. Even the sequencing is perfect; a deeply satisfying listen whether on headphones, in the car or live through enormous, ribcage-rattling speakers. You could make a strong case for its successor, Surrender, being an even better album but the timing of everything going on at the time just made this an iconic pillar of the exciting, varied British music scene in 1997. It’s a masterpiece.
the initial electrifying pressing and raw flashyness of the record loses itself halfway through the album giving way to a more pulsating and flowy experience. for me, that's something i enjoy listening to in a club setting but not as an album. still, it's a refreshing listen that i've enjoyed more and more with every playthrough
This is so The Matrix coded
Second and final Chemical Brothers album. It hasn't been too long since their previous album - it was just over 80 albums ago when I listened to Exit Planet Dust. I thought that album had a sweet album cover and title, though I wasn't too big on the music. The album was only 50 minutes long, though I felt like it went on for way longer than that because of how long-winded the tracks were. One of the songs from it does occasionally pop into my head, however. It was one of the early tracks which was carried by some pretty cool, raw guitarwork and pounding drums. Anyways, I know this is their big release, so I'm hoping they can win me back over with this one. Hmm. Just more of the same, really. When I think of big beat I usually think of something intricate and lively like the Jet Set Radio soundtrack. This music is pretty threadbare by comparison. The biggest disappointment to me is in the bass department. It doesn't have nearly as much growl as I would want from this genre. To be fair that could be a function of streaming services sucking dick, though given this band's track record I'm somewhat doubtful. The minimal production doesn't really do much for me, either. Repetition is a integral part of how big beat songs explore themselves and increase in intricacy, though these songs never really manage to get off the ground floor in that respect. There's also the matter of track lengths. Many of these songs are just way, way too fucking long. Overall, I like the cool, underground aesthetic of big beat and this album delivered in that respect, though I never felt invested in what I was listening to. Book time. Where the band found it's footing, though that's as far as this album's legacy goes in the eyes of the curators. I think big beat is an interesting genre and I know this is one of the key players within said genre, so I suppose I could let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.
Dancing to this
Woof. Not for me. Probably would appreciate as background music for a high energy activity, but didn't jive with office work on a gray December day.
This is awful. I would have to be off my face to enjoy this
I've been kind of down on the Chemical Brothers lately. I saw them DJ last year the Portola festival and didn't leave as wowed as I was hoping; after being impressed with their visuals and less impressed with their music at their live set at Coachella 2023 I entered the DJ set hoping for something explosive like their famed sets of yore but didn't quite get that. The expectations for the Chemical Brothers are high in the US. If you're an American fan, they take on a near mythic status because, to be frank, Americans do not give a fuck about the Chemical Brothers and consequently they never play here. Everyone speaks of them in apotheotic terms here. Every time I felt let down by them, I felt like I was letting down their fans. I hadn't listened to this album in a while, and my expectations were tempered. They shouldn't have been. This album still rules, and probably remains the best big beat record of any kind. "Block Rockin' Beats" explodes rap samples into arena house so loud it'll shake the tinniest of speakers and from there they build up, transitioning from song to song that feels like the energetic DJ sets I'd been hoping for, tumbling through tacks like "Elektrobank" and "It Doesn't Matter" that take inspiration from acid, breakbeats, and house without dropping the energy. If "Block Rockin' Beats" is the buildup, the comedown is equally satisfying, with closers "Where Do I Begin" and "The Private Psychedelic Reel" entering dragged out, blissed out psych territory that feels like watching the sun rise after the "Setting Sun" of a raging night out. It's perfectly sequenced, a full rave in 63 minutes. Satisfaction guaranteed here.
A very cool blend of electronic and rock music.
It appears I just don’t understand this kind of music. To me it’s loudly offensive, derivative, and repetitive.
Second album après 'Exit Planet Dust' que j'avais détesté (noté 1/5). Ce nouvel album est tout aussi long et répétitif, je n'ai pas pu aller au bout =>1/5
3.5/5 - big beat / 90s electronic. Clearly influential
2.36
6/10… big beat / 90s electronic / *1997
Nice album but the really good songs are rare.
This is different from my usual music but really enjoying it ✨
Another mid tier electronic album. Left me in a state of despair. I found it mildly annoying and unlikable.
This was kind of hype, but also just really annoying at times. I have already found many albums on this list that I could come back to if I'm feeling electronica. I wouldn't necessarily choose this one.
Mir deutlich zu elektronisch. Mehr eine Aneinanderreihung von Geräuschen als Musik. 2/5
I couldn't remember which boring electro mid 90s electro act Chemical Brothers were but once I heard the first song I said "oh that one" the local alternative station played the crap out of that song one summer but I only remember it because I was running a kitchen in 97 and one of my employees use to yell "block rockin beat" randomly throughout service. Ultimately forgettable, there's a song in here called "lost in the k hole" which I'm assuming is where you'd need to be to like this.
I bought this album on CD when it first came out and listened to it frequently. At the time it was fresh and exciting - this level of production hadn't really hit the mainstream that much. I wonder if a new listener - especially someone younger - hears this and thinks "big deal - its club music". But this album elevated into the mainstream what was largely ONLY heard in a small number of clubs and was on a technological cutting edge. It was a cool time, and a cool album.
I'm not super familiar with the electronic genre. I enjoyed this album, but didn't fine it had anything revolutionary.
This album literally made me throw my arms up in the air and also had me waive them around like a silly person. This is so much better than the Black Album.
I’m a simple man. If it makes me want to dance, I’m in
These guys are the good guy versions of the Prodigy. Same time frame. Same feel except ones darker and the other is radio friendly. Whereas this type of music generally has its own feel per song, this album feels like it’s telling a vocal less journey of exploration. Like you have no idea where you’re going but you’re going somewhere man. I like this drum and bass or techno or whatever you call it. A little too much sunshine for me but whatever. Drugs like this music as well. Choice cut: Setting Sun
Fun electronica!
Banger Album. Can't belive that it is already nearly 30 years old.
I guess the point is to be repetitive, but it's not for me.
Really liked this
Esenciales. Definieron los 90´s. Mientras The Prodigy asaltaban el tecno a golpe de Punk, los Chemical elaboraban un electro rock fabuloso. Un seimpre dificil segundo álbum que ellos crearon con pasmosas facilidad. El inicio es arrollador, a lomos del funk negroide de los Crusaders, Block Rockin´ Beats es un clásico en el que es imposible no pegar botes. Sigue a toda mecha la homónima Dig your own hole y esta nos lleva a otro de los 5 sencillos del álbum: Elektrobank que parece una mezcal de las dos anteriores. Piku es otro delirio instrumental con un buen final y Setting Sun es otro de sus grandes clásicos. Get Up on It Like This es otra de mis favoritas, una gozada que nos lleva al trio final con Lost in the K-Hole de un buen rollo tremendo. Where Do I Begin con beth orton es otra de las joyas, como ese viaje que es The Private Psychedelic Reel al más puro estilo Death in Vegas. Otro disco esencial.
Incredible album, so much influence on my favorite artists, makes me feel like I was around for 90’s rave culture despite having been 2 years old when the album was released. The grimy aesthetic and sampling are just classic in every way. No sense wondering why the late 90’s were full of imitators of the Chemical Brothers and the Prodigy, the energy they were embodying was undeniable.
Unremarkable.
It certainly had that classic late 90s electronic music sound. Although I recognized the first song, all of the others sounded very, very similar to that although I have memories tied to that that type of music from the late 90s it didn’t sound very deep very superficial. Two stars.
This is not my music.
Grimy. In your face. Great
Superb
It’s dance music. Simplistic does what it says on the tin good at what it does but nothing much beyond delivering beats.
very repetitive
Alright for background noise at the gym, but rather repetitive.
30% groovy beats and squeaks, 70% migraine simulator. Not until the last three tracks do the tedious spiky loops soften and let in something almost resembling music. But I suspect people who like EDM aren't terribly concerned with musicality. If you just wanted something to nurse your brain death, this would do.
1's from people who did drugs and listened to boring psychedelic stuff in the 70s, 5's from people who did drugs and listened to boring techno in the 90s
Mr President, there's been a second Chemical Brothers album. Block Rockin' Beats goes hard.
Nothing to dislike, but it is just instrumental music.
Favorite Track: Where Do I Begin
Noise, but fun noise 4/5 I can see tho why others might give it more stars, I can see why others might give it less
It reminds me of when you fall asleep watching a film and wake up and the credits are rolling. I think this is meant to be experienced live
Bad British techno
Oh wow this was big in the nineties. When Block Rockin’ Beats started I remember why. Amen breaks and cool riffs. Anyway this is a real fun listen. With a lot of the dance music here I get the feeling that if I was listening to them in a club it would be fun. This is the opposite, I feel like it’s taking me to the dark smoky club, even if I’m just listening to it on my train commute. Three deserving stars.
Pure adrenaline start to finish. High 4
Singles are awesome and overall sounds great
The Chemical Brothers have fully arrived with a much greater sense of journey on this record. They build on and refine their sound, keeping the best elements of LP1 then pushing them further, not necessarily harder. There are more psychedelic moments where they are reaching out of the speakers and meddling with the production in unexpected ways. Similar to LP1 the bangers are on the first half, but the biggest improvement is in the (relatively) more relaxed second half where a lot of the best songs sit. The final three tracks is a particularly impressive offering from a duo showing that they don’t just do high octane hits.
High 3 for me, will decide later, it’s undeniably great at what’s it’s doing but I can’t quite connect with it in my very sober adult state, maybe good locking in music so will take it for a jog at some point In the immortal words of peep show “big beat is the best, get high all the time” - this must have sounded immense in clubs in the mid to late 90s
When this came out in 1997 I would never have bought it or listened to it as dance music was something I didn’t do! But because of working with a great mix of people from 2007 onwards I have been introduced to various music types that weren’t on my radar and dance is one of them and as an example of that genre this is brilliant. Throughly enjoyed it
Fine for background noise while cleaning out my closet
Has a driving pulse throughout, commits to house and explores some great places. Meanders on two tracks
I just don't understand how some of these electronic albums are on this list. 1 star or F.
This album feels like the first of its kind, I really appreciate the cohesiveness of every track from this as nothing feels out of place. From what I know dj culture back in the late 90s was full of longer tracks to help with mixing, which explains how some of these songs have long intros and outros, however as a casual listener of electronic music this can get a little grating. I liked a lot more of the album than I originally thought I would, some stand out tracks to me are: Elektrobank, Setting Sun, Where Do I Begin and The Private Psychedelic Reel. Overall would I re-listen to this album in full? Probably not, but will I add the stuff I really liked to a few of my playlists?? Absolutely.
Giga big funky start Giga big funky continue LEGO RACERS 2 MENTIONED!!! We're so back
It’s been about 25 years since I last heard this album. While it definitely feels like a product of its time, it was cutting edge and forward thinking when it first came out. The Chemical Brothers always had a strong Neo-psychedelia edge and some rock crossover appeal, but they kept a solid club vibe as their foundation. One thing that always stands out to me about them is their use of analog equipment, especially their embrace of those classic MC303 acid sounds.
1/5
maybe maybe maybe but mostly agh more fucking brit garbo?
Another day, another electronica album that I hate
Two Chemical brother albums on the the list? Because they're so richly varied?
This is not my favorite type of music, but it wasn't too offensive to the ears. I think of this more as noise than music.
3.2
3.5 stars. 90's big beat electronica, very The Matrix soundtrack-y. Favorite tracks were Leadoff "Block Rockin' Beats" and "It Doesn't Matter" with Fat Boy Slim vibes. Last two tracks are also good, catchy.
Excellent album. Block rockin beats still kills!!!
I honestly didn’t think I was crazy about this on first listen. Once I was deep into my second listen, I just sat back and let the warbling samples and thumping beats become my inner rhythm. I ended up enjoying this record more than I thought. It’s a fun little record with some truly infectious beats. I liked it.
One of my biggest issues with groups like The Chemical Brothers is that at some point all of the songs sound the same. And this album was no different.
BLOCK ROCKIN BEATS
Opening with Block Rockin' Beats was a bit of an own goal, in that the album never manages to reach the dizzying intensity of its opener. Dig Your Own Hole is nevertheless a triumph of techno and big beat. It blends electro with pop sensibilities effortlessly, and towards the new millennium that was a recipe for stardom. The opener may be its high point, but other standouts include the deep techno masterclass It Doesn't Matter and the devastatingly disorienting closer The Private Psychedelic Reel. It could, however, have done without Noel Gallagher, whose crooning on Setting Sun detracts from the brilliantly utilised vocals throughout the rest of the album. While I very much enjoy this album, I still think Music for the Jilted Generation did it better and more persuasively three years earlier.
I’ve been swithering about this all day but it has to be a 4.5 rounding up. It’s just banging,flows effortlessly, and there’s a nice mix of up tempo and more mellow tracks. It works. Maybe slightly too long and dips a bit PS that top review is a travesty
i'm of two minds about this album. first off, the beats are really well made and pretty cool. but i found them to be a bit overstimulating and a bit annoying at times. something grating about them. i think that's the industrial influence talking, which i am not particularly fond of. so a little bit of a mixed bag. it wasn't quite unlistenable, but i can't say i would go out of my way for it again.
This may be great for fans of its scene, but it’s definitely not my cup of tea. The whole album evokes a dim, strobe-lit European dance floor packed with zoned-out bodies moving in slow, hypnotic waves. It’s all atmosphere and repetition, but nothing that sticks with me or feels memorable.
Naa. Og tja. Jeg hørte det hele i en trance agtig arbejds sprint, så det var fint nok, men dagen efter er der intet som sidder fast.
Bedre end det andet Big Beat vi har haft. Block Rocking Beats og Setting Sun holder stadig. Bliver mest interessant når det går psykedelisk
Sounded original, and that first song, I remember as being somewhat of a hit. But this genre of music is not for me. I tried reading to it, running to it, and listening to it. Kind of failed in all three accounts.
Terrible noise
++: Block Rockin' Beats, Elektrobank, It Doesn't Matter, Don't Stop the Rock, Lost in the K-Hole +: Dig Your Own Hole, Setting Sun, The Private Psychedelic Reel +-: Piku, Get Up on Like This, Where Do I Begin 5,8/10
Perfect chemical music! Masterpiece! However, the title track is not impressive, IMHO.
**In-Depth Review: *Dig Your Own Hole* by The Chemical Brothers** Released: April 7, 1997 Genre: Big beat, electronica, breakbeat, psychedelic rock Label: Virgin Records Producers: Tom Rowlands & Ed Simons (The Chemical Brothers) --- ### 🎧 **Album Overview** *Dig Your Own Hole* is the second studio album by The Chemical Brothers and a landmark in 1990s electronic music. It fused breakbeats, psychedelia, hip-hop, and rock into a cohesive, high-energy experience that helped define the “big beat” genre. The album debuted at #1 in the UK and broke into the US Top 20, signaling a major breakthrough for electronic music in North America. --- ### 🎤 **Lyrics & Vocals** Lyrics are minimal and often secondary to the sonic experience, but when present, they are impactful. Tracks like “Block Rockin’ Beats” use sampled vocal hooks (e.g., Schoolly D’s “Back with another one of those block rockin’ beats”) to drive rhythm and attitude rather than narrative. “Setting Sun,” featuring Noel Gallagher, is a standout with its psychedelic, Beatles-esque lyrics: > “You’re the demon in me, you bring me down” These lyrics echo the chaotic, altered-state themes of the album, reinforcing its trippy, rave-ready atmosphere. --- ### 🎶 **Music & Composition** Musically, *Dig Your Own Hole* is a genre-blending tour de force. It opens with the explosive “Block Rockin’ Beats,” a breakbeat-driven anthem with hip-hop swagger and techno urgency. Tracks like “Elektrobank” and “It Doesn’t Matter” showcase the duo’s ability to build tension and release through layered synths, distorted samples, and relentless percussion. The album climaxes with “The Private Psychedelic Reel,” a 9-minute psychedelic epic featuring sitar, clarinet, and swirling synths—a nod to The Beatles’ *Revolver* era and a defining moment of the album’s ambition. --- ### 🎛️ **Production & Sound Design** Production is where this album truly shines. Rowlands and Simons crafted a dense, immersive soundscape using analog synths, drum machines, and a vast array of samples. The album is sequenced like a DJ set, with seamless transitions and a continuous flow that maintains energy and cohesion. Songs like “Lost in the K-Hole” and “Where Do I Begin” demonstrate their skill in creating atmospheric depth, balancing chaos with clarity. --- ### 🌀 **Themes & Aesthetics** The album’s themes revolve around altered consciousness, rave culture, and the fusion of organic and synthetic sounds. It’s a sonic journey through night-time euphoria, disorientation, and psychedelic exploration. The title itself—*Dig Your Own Hole*—suggests both empowerment and escapism, a metaphor for losing and finding oneself in music. --- ### 🌍 **Influence & Legacy** *Dig Your Own Hole* was a cultural moment. It brought big beat to the mainstream and influenced countless artists across electronic, rock, and hip-hop. Its music videos, directed by Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, became MTV staples and helped define the visual aesthetic of late-90s electronica. The album is often cited as a gateway into electronic music for rock fans and remains a touchstone for its genre-defying sound. --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Innovative production**: Seamless blending of breakbeats, rock, and psychedelia. - **Genre-defining**: Helped establish big beat as a mainstream force. - **Cohesive flow**: Structured like a DJ set, enhancing immersion. - **Iconic tracks**: “Block Rockin’ Beats,” “Setting Sun,” and “The Private Psychedelic Reel” are classics. - **Visual impact**: Memorable music videos boosted its cultural reach. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **Minimal lyrical depth**: May disappoint listeners seeking narrative or emotional resonance. - **Repetitive structures**: Some tracks rely heavily on loops and may feel monotonous to non-dance audiences. - **Dated elements**: While influential, some production choices feel very “of the 90s.” --- ### 🏁 **Final Verdict** *Dig Your Own Hole* is a landmark album that pushed electronic music into new territory. It’s bold, chaotic, and visionary—an adrenaline shot of sound that still feels exhilarating decades later. While not for everyone, its influence and ambition are undeniable. **Rating: 9/10** **Essential Tracks**: - “Block Rockin’ Beats” - “Setting Sun” - “Elektrobank” - “The Private Psychedelic Reel”
Chemical Brother 1 "Hey, man! Listen to this cool sound I can make on my keyboard." Chemical Brother 2 "Damn! That is cool. How about you just do that like 157 times in a row?" Chemical Brother 1 " Fine idea, my brother in chemicals!" Chemical Brother 2 "And maybe we could get that old drum machine that only holds two patterns to add a dance beat." Chemical Brother 1&2 "We are musical geniuses!" All the young people in the UK that are tweaked to the gills on Molly "You ARE musical geniuses!" Sure, I get it drugs are cool and making dancing fun. But c'mon people. All things in moderation. How could anyone outside of a club want to play this? "Elektrobank" makes me want to hurt people (brothers in particular) I had high hopes for "Where Do I Begin" with Beth Orton when it started. But then they loop her and it descends into madness. I am giving it a 2 because honestly parts of this are better than a lot of electronica foolishness. But knock off maybe 2 of the songs. And then never let them all be played in a row again! 1 or 2 songs while partying seems a fair prescription.