Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Loved K Hole and Where Do I Begin. Heavy percussion and noise.
Love. Listened to this all the time in college. Classic
Concentration ultime pour travailler. Vraiment techno, comme dans les annees 90. 4*
I don’t think I’ll be coming back to this one, but I will say I did enjoy my listen
One of the albums that got me into electronic music. It proves that electronic music can be more than frat bro party bangers.
The best for drugs
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.
Really fun coding music to listen to.
Good Album, a little long at some parts, but very interesting production
Solid album from 1997, gets a little bit repetitive and the album ends a bit oddly, but really good stuff nonetheless 8/10
Awesome beats great listen
reminds me of rage against the machine
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
Highlights: Block Rockin' Beats, Piku, Setting Sun, Down The K-Hole. In a nutshell: where worlds collide. A heady mash up of electronica, hip-hop and rock. I mentioned "did anyone get a rave flashback?" in one review. This must be an analogy for a rave- from the moment you line up to the comedown. Overall: 6/10 PS. To the people who think this is boring, well, (a) fine if that's your opinion and (b) you should reconsider and look for the nuances on one of the singles. This is innovation in art. Manipulating music by hand, creating tracks by recording then pasting sounds together? That's art. And it's still music. Most electronica is SUPPOSED TO have repetition. You build up a track, you ride it out then you tear it down or you keep it going until you feel that it's run its natural course. It's made for dancing or winding down. If the music is boring, either it's not your thing or the artist is doing it wrong.
Really good. Just have to really be in the mood for it
On the spectrum of 90s electronica between Fatboy Slim (good!) and Moby (fucking horrendous!), this falls somewhere in the middle. I especially liked the back half of the record, and the vocal contributions from Noel Gallagher (which I'd heard before because it was a single at the time) and Beth Orton (which I hadn't).
Lyrically and instrumentally repetitive almost industrial techno dance. A 3 if you’re in the mood for it; otherwise a little noisy to just put on and listen to.
Energy..yes. Warmth..very little.
This was really cool to listen too especially because I have a few of their recent songs saved and I had no idea the history of their sound. Enjoyed.
Looove the opening track. Great music to get work done to.
Why do I get so many Electronica albums on the weekend, particularly 1990s British varieties on Sundays? That is the million dollar question It's just another mid-tier British Electronica album. Favorite Track: "Lost In The K-Hole".
While I am not a huge techno fan, I did find the listening an enjoyable ride.
Weird, but some good builds & resolutions.
Oh man, this was a turning point in my early teens. There are some absolute bangers on here that will get you vibing, dancing, running and throwing yourself around like a crazy man. Definitely play it loud and get your mum and me in for a dance party
This one reeks of late 90s, but not in a bad way! Block Rocking Beats indeed.
I like the Chemical Brothers. They do not need to have multiple albums on this list.
I liked it, and I’ve always loved Block Rockin Beats. Album is ultimately not my thing though
Good album, felt like I might have been a bit too sober to enjoy it to its full potential. Second last song was a belter.
unusual but amazing, dance rock type shi
Really enjoyed 😉
Pretty good for electronica. But it borderlines on great with "Where Do I Begin", featuring Beth Orton on vocals. The album needed more of her.
This did not get off to a good start as the aggressive drums and driving noise of the first few tracks caught me at a bad time at the end of a long week. But the last few tracks which were a bit more (relatively) mellow redeemed the album for me. I particularly liked the last 3 tracks "Lost in the K Hole," "Where Do I Begin," and "The Private Psychedelic Reel."
Not my thing and you probably need to be on drugs in a field to enjoy fully. But for what it is, it has its merits. Quite liked Setting Sun, and Where do I Begin.
Za każdym razem, kiedy myślę, że to będzie dobry kawałek to chwile później dzieje się z nim coś innego. Jakby zespół cierpiał na osobowość wieloraką. Nie jestem w stanie tego docenić 5/10.
First Listen; 3.5; Fun electronic album. Songs are varied, but flow together well. For me, a good album for running. Favorite Track: Block Rockin' Beats
Some decent grooves, but it gets repetitive and tedious quickly.
It's not my typical kind of music, but I liked it. Kept me moving asI listened and I think that's what this is for.
Better than I was expecting! Nicely orchestrated rather and good variation between songs. Some songs go on too long and a Gallagher turns up, so it can't be higher, but I was happy with this. It had a good understanding of the drama needed in a song, which many modern club beats fail to realise
This begins with some bangers, but really starts to fade and become repetitive in its second half. While you could certainly make a strong argument that any list of 1001 albums I must hear before I die would be incomplete without a Chemical Brothers effort, I can definitely question the inclusion of TWO CB albums, especially when the list completely shuts out Warren Zevon.
Ca prend un peu plus de drogue que j'en avais dans le sang à 8h43, mais ya un côté à mi-chemin entre The Prodigy et early Daft-Punk plutôt rigolo.
Party beats. DJ filler. But of a good quality
Exit Planet Dust set the bar, so hard not to compare this one to that. Good overall.
Me gustó mucho. Tiene muy buena energía y un montón de detalles que me atraparon. Aguante los 90s
Entré sin ganas y no me pareció mal la verdad eh.
Rave music before it was cool. Dig Your Own Hole is like that one kid in school who was just always a little too eager to show off their latest toy. But unlike that kid, The Chemical Brothers have actually earned it. Their ability to blend so many different influences into their music is kind of genius. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Block Rockin' Beats - Setting Sun - Where Do I Begin
Mucha energía, hasta agresivo, pero bien. Siendo que no escucho electrónica, es lo más rock de electrónica que he escuchado.
Some of the drum and bass type beats made for good listening while I was doing yard work. For me it’s really good background music, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but this is also probably the ceiling.
The Private Psychedelic Reel had some fun drum lines. Block Rockin' Beats was one I'd heard before. Everything else wasn't too bad.
I had to hightail it to a riverboat casino ballroom at 6am this morning to set up a power point for a regional realtor conference and this seemed appropriate soundtrack. I suspect it’s what they had in mind.
This era of dance music makes me nostalgic. Its so maximalist and the percussion is much more interesting than what I hear today. It also feels like a cousin to hip hop at the time (far more so than it does now). I didn’t love a lot on this album (I actually like the Chemical Brothers), but none of it bothered me either. Where Do I Begin and Private psychedelic reel are ones worth sticking around for.
Surprisingly enjoyable
Starts off strong, but quickly gets repetitively repetitive and repetitive. Setting Sun is good because of the inclusion of Noel Gallagher.
Dig Your Own Hole by Chemical Brothers is cool music in small doses for me. I really like the music for a while, and I loved usage of music of this style back in the day in movie soundtracks, like the Matrix or Fight Club. I don't love it in large doses however. I could tolerate this for an hour, and I felt like the album did "land the plane" on the back half of the record.
I did really like some of this, though it was long and a bit samey
at first i was like noooooooo but then i gave it a chance and tbh it was really fun and innovative and i fuck with this
This was all a bit much. Like Fat Boy Slim I think I had to be younger or seeing them live to really enjoy. Some big tunes though, including the first track.
I like the sunshine underground better, but this was still a great time
Strong 3 altogether. A fun time for sure. Maybe not as fun as Prodigy and Fatboy Slim from the genre, but still a good one.
special mais sympa
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
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
One long track in like 12 parts, a monument to the CD era.
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.
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
как продиджи чисто на фон ничего разрывающего, кроме звуков взрывов не услышал ускоренные барабаны, перегруз можно переслушать
🎧Would probably go hard at the club
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
long and repetitive.
The Chemical Brothers are great. But these days the reasons why I’d choose to play one of their albums are pretty limited.
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.
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.
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.
Pretty close to a 4, I enjoyed this all the way through basically, but it was a bit dated
🤖
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!
Some fragments great, some I really don't like
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
Quite nice, actually
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
Good, but waaay over stays its welcome
Cool sound but not my thing
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+
Enjoyable "turn my mind off" music
Пойдет, для электронщины у меня обычно хуже оценки
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Somewhere between 3 and a 4. Found some of the samples grating, but the overall groove was very enjoyable.
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
Thought it was a great electronic record. Some songs ran longer than I wanted, but that could've been a mood thing
This one was big when it came out. Not sure if holds up as well as it could.
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.
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
Pretty solid.
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
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 feel like its very background music and thumping head 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.
Last two here were pretty good but the mid-90s EDM stuff isn’t really my thing
Good
3.5/5 - big beat / 90s electronic. Clearly influential
6/10… big beat / 90s electronic / *1997
Nice album but the really good songs are rare.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
maybe maybe maybe but mostly agh more fucking brit garbo?
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.
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.
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.
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
++: 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
Not the best album from them, but a good one. Some nice psychedelic vibes.
2,8/5
Foretrekker breakbeats til big beat og Prodigy til Chemical Bros. Dette er kanskje lyden av ett av 90-tallene, og det høres jo fett ut, men jeg vet ikke… det hooker meg ikke som feks. Fat of the Land gjør, selv om maten kommer fra samme kjøkken. C. Bros. har alle de riktige ingrediensene, men mangler special sauce.
Jeg får lyst til å piratkopiere en bil når jeg hører dette.
6 Back with another one of those block rocking beats again eh
Legendarisk intro. Ikke så mange bangers etter det.
Когда я был молод, и интересовался исключительно электронной музыкой, группа The Chemical Brothers вместе с Autechre висели надо мной этим недвижимым грузом: я совершенно не мог "раздуплить", о чем вообще сыр-бор. Ну, теперь, в поисках внутренних опор, и попытки критического воспрития опор внешних, заявляю: просто в случае The Chemical Brothers нехуй там "раздуплять". Вероятно, на момент выхода эти ребята действительно делали что-то Революционное с большой буквы, но 15 лет назад, и тем более сейчас, это (было) трудно воспринимать именно так. Это группа больших песен и больших промахов, по-моему. На каждом альбоме есть просто супер вещи, но и много будто бы филлера. Лучшая песня - The Private Psychedelic Reel.
each song is just pick some new drums with a very slightly changed pattern, pick a new synth sound to write 2 or 3 melodies with, then alternate between those melodies. but at the same time it is kinda fun so i don't hate it? i just felt myself really wanting each song to have more personality like early Prodigy tracks do. but it was still FINE Fav song: Elektrobank
Didn't like this one quite as much as the other Chemical Brothers entry, but still good, solid electronic music for the 90s! The album had impeccable flow from one song to another, giving the whole thing a "continuous" quality, and yet, each song has an identity of its own. A good listen!
Solid
I can’t tell if I loved this album or if it was just such a perfect palette cleanser after the god awful “will the circle be unbroken” album. I don’t think I’ve heard anything I hate as much as I hate that hot steaming pile of shit. This album had some of the same problems most electronic albums have which is it tends to be painfully repetitive at times. That’s sorta just the nature of the beast. There were a few skips because of this, in fact one song gave my partner anxiety cause it sounded similar to like an alarm breaking, and she just desperately needed to turn it off. But I will say this is an incredibly original album. Sonically it’s completely unique. I’m definitely interested in hearing more of their music because I was super impressed with this album even if it wasn’t like mind blowing. Definitely check this album out if you like electronic music though, you will love this!
Breakbeat is a really cool fusion of genres and this album was a lot of fun. My favorite part of the album were the slower sections. It brought a nice change of pace. I wish there was more of that variation through the entire album.
Do Iike a bit of The Chemical Brothers and enjoyed a few songs but others felt others outstayed their welcome. Prefer their more chilled out albums
a lot more repetitive and psychedelic than I remembered. I‘m more of a 2000s Chemical Brothers girl, I think.
Pretty interesting but got too repetitive for me. Shoutout to Block Rockin Beats which I knew for some reason.
I enjoyed the first Chemical Brothers album I reviewed and I am happy to see that they have come back with another one of those block rockin' beats. I like techno-adjacent pop music. I enjoyed Run Lola Run. The late 90’s were cool. Get off my lawn. I am dancing on it.
Great record!
There's a lot of 90s electronic here, but the chemical brothers are more my style. I like fatboy slim, and this is in a similar vein. More repetitive than fatboy slim, though, and doing this album sober feels like I'm missing something. 3* Highlights: block rockin beats, where do i begin (a nice break)
Non male ma, per me, poco costante nell'esecuzione e nel mood trasmesso.
Super turn-of-the-millennium-sounding album, the kind of thing I would listen to on my way to go see an anniversary screening of The Matrix. This is the first Chemical Brothers album I've heard on this list and I hope there's more, this is missing almost all of the tracks which I would call their big hits. I was prepared to like this a lot more than I did based on what I have heard from them previously, but I did really like The Private Psychedelic Reel (which I have heard before) and It Doesn't Matter (which I hadn't).
Not my thing but its fine, yet another entry that would no doubt benefit from drugs past caffeine. I do like me some block rocking beats though
Nicht schlecht, aber zu trippy.
Some of the better techno/electronica I've heard
There’s something there but it is crushed by being over long and massively repetitive.
Sounded like one big long song.
This was on my rotation in college along with other MTV Amp favorites (FSOL, Crystal Method, Underworld, etc). Maybe I've mellowed with age but the production is a little heavy for me today, and I can't hang with the bombastic, splashy beats for an entire album. Even when it settles down a bit with "Where do I Begin", it kicks back in about halfway through. Solid 3.
Inte riktigt min favoritgenre inom elektroniskt, men framförallt första halvan är ändå rätt bra med ett medryckande tempo och driv (Block rockin’ beats är bästa låten). Deras bästa grejer finns dock på andra skivor och jag tycker inte riktigt att det här håller för mer än en trea sett över alla 58 minuter.
First two are great. A couple other fine ones and the rest is 🍑.
I like the Chemical Brothers, but this album was pretty average.
I think Block Rockin Beats was the best thing on the album, obviously, and there really wasn’t anything else that stood out to me
Comes out swinging with 'Block Rockin' Beats' but loses steam quickly and gets monotonous after a while.
Okay, so not as good as i was hoping. Mediocre really.
Another electronic album another three out of five
# Playlist Track - Block Rockin' Beats # Notes - I love the Chemical Brothers, but their first couple of albums are more of a training ground, in my opinion. Good, but not the best. - I can see how this might be exhausting for some folks, but I was lucky enough to listen to them for the first time during my teenage years.
Really unique album. I've never really listened to electronic music, so this was a new experience for me, but one that I overall enjoyed.
I just shouted out the Chemical Brothers seconds ago in my previous review! What are the chances?! Block Rockin' Beats has a darn groovy hook in the bass. Reminds me, vaguely, of The National Anthem (Radiohead) – in the sense of having relative chaos tied down by a constant, familiar bassline. Where Do I Begin is also a standout. Everything is at roughly the same tempo, but that isn't a terribly damning aspect when other elements (mainly instrumentation) fade in and out so much. Elektrobank is cool, but there's no reason for it to be that long – particularly after you established a non-prog-track precedent with the transition from Dig Your Own Hole into Elektrobank (and the many transitions that follow). Still a great tune though. Other tracks, such as Piku, It Doesn't Matter, and Get Up On It Like This, are relentlessly repetitively to the point where you start deliberately tuning them out and feel nothing but relief when the room finally lapses into silence. The album's longer than the standard, too, and doesn't justify it by way of any kind of concept, lyricism, slew of big singles, anything. Not cool, yo. 3/5 Key tracks: Block Rockin' Beats, Where Do I Begin
6.5/10, has some bangers, but a bit repetitive to just listen to entirely.
I enjoyed this but probably not as much as some of the other electronic/DJ music that I got introduced to in this project. It's well made but it feels like it's just for a scene I'm not part of and don't have much interest in joining. Some tracks go for a bit too long and some feel repetitive. Block Rockin' Beats is probably the best track, which is unfortunate that it's the opener and it's all downhill from there. It's fine.
Perfect soundtrack for latenight animation-making.
Parts of this still sound super fresh, and others somewhat dated. The high points are killer but the rest is (repetitive) filler. Definitely nostalgic, but maybe not as timeless as I had hoped.
3.5
I was familiar with the first song and I liked Where Do I Begin. Overall they have some cool sounds and some interesting beats mixed and overlaid together. But it just gets repetitive and long. If techno songs were 2-3 minutes I think I could really get into it, but the same beat slightly changed for 8 minutes just gets old to me. I will say I liked how they transitioned between songs, as an album it flowed really well from one to another. Less massive disruptions between songs made it easier to stay connected.
Ravey electro beats. It's pretty good for what it is but I get a little bored with it and it doesn't especially grab me. Setting Sun was pretty good.
Back with another of those block rockin' beats! The Chemical Brothers always felt like the group that brought rave culture music "mainstream," or at least as mainstream as it was ever going to get. I'm familiar with a few of the tracks on here, and early 2000s me probably would've given this a 5. I enjoy the kind of hard edge they give to electronic music, but a whole hour of this felt long and a little tedious and repetitive. Still enjoyed though!
Whatever. It’s EDM. Boring.
Pfoee dit is een knaller hoor. Ik heb dus een soort haat/liefde verhouding met de Chemical Brothers. Heb ze ooit live gezien op Ultra Europe en dat was de ergste show uit mn leven, ik vond het absoluut verschrikkelijk. Ik stond daar redelijk bovenin het stadion en kreeg allemaal heftige trippy shit te zien op grote schermen terwijl de muziek kneiterhard stond. Little did I know, dat ik dat soort feesten en optredens later eigenlijk alleen maar op zou zoeken. Maar 19 jarige ik was hier duidelijk nog niet klaar voor. Daarna heb ik iedereen die het maar wilde horen verteld dat Chemical Brothers shit was. Nu, thuis, draai ik dit album net ff te hard en begrijp ik veel beter wat hier vet aan is/kan zijn. De 3 openingsnummers knallen alledrie echt keihard er op. Alleen... Daarna haalt Piku eigenlijk alle vaart er uit en realiseer ik me opeens dat ik nog niet eens halverwege dit album ben. HALLO HE, dat is even een acid/303 lijntje op Don't Stop the Rock! Jammer dat het verder toch echt een beetje inkakt en dan valt op dat nummers echt lang duren. Dat is inherent aan elektronische muziek/albums maar Chemical Brothers blijven helaas niet interessant genoeg om de hele tijd te boeien. Helaas, dit album begint ijzersterk maar kakt daarna harder in dan wanneer je net te lang wacht op de after. FAVO: Block Rockin Beats, Electrobank, Dont stop the rock
1997. Pretty enjoyable late 90s clubbin music.
Elektrobank and the lead in to Piku have been my favorite so far. At this exact moment, I’m listening to Setting Sun and I really want to like it but the vocals kind of kill it for me. It Doesn’t Matter - wasn’t too sure about this track but it won me over in the end. It’s got a nice sound and it made my ears feel good. What more could I want from a song? Where Do I Begin? - love it The Private Psychedelic Reel - a great and fun little closer. Overall I like how crisp the entire album feels, but save for the few I wrote about above, it’s not really my thing.
3.5
3.5
This is probably the best of these 90s electronica albums we've had. While at times, it does fall into the trap of being too long and repetive without much happening, there's some tracks that are really good here. I which the Chemical Brothers would have worked with vocalists more often because the tracks with Noel Gallagher and Beth Orton are my easy favorites. Standouts for me are "Block Rockin' Beats", "Setting Sun", and "Where Do I Begin". 3.5 stars.
I have some respect for this type of music. For me, it evokes the image of some dude by himself in a dark basement, on a computer, strung out on insomnia and caffeine etc, just going wherever his crazed mind takes him (or her, whatever). Like, if I had created this, I think I would be somewhat proud of it. But I would probably not listen to this record again unless I really needed to just do some stimulants and speed-clean the house.
I don't mind it. Didn't love it didn't hate it. 3 Stars.
Beat heavy 90s jams.
I could listen to it just not my favorite
Its got block rockin beats and great samples but sometimes the vocal samples are too much.
I bought this in around 2000 in Camden Market, as well as a red tie, which I wore to the clubs of Lancaster and then York. One of those items has stood the test of time better than the other. Actually, I was a little disappointed by this to be honest; I loved hearing the ones I could remember well - Let Forever Be and Setting Sun - but otherwise it wasn't quite as good as I remember.
Went in with low expectations but actually didn’t mind it
-i had heard talk of this album on musictwt for a while. i guess i was expecting something a bit more crazy? -i’m not the hugest fan of big beat but i will certainly admit this is among the best i’ve heard of the genre. i’d like to hear more stuff from this group in the future -Favorites are Dig Your Own Hole and Where Do I Begin
Mola,
I’m back. After a years hiatus, getting engaged, and moving to a new home I think I’m finally ready to attempt this monumental task again. There is something therapeutic about having a task that is slightly out of your control to do every day. Being forced to discover albums that shaped our musical landscape is something I did genuinely miss. Can’t wait to get Kid Rock again tomorrow. 3.5/5
Now, are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin. I quite liked this. Now that's not to say that there weren't any naff bits, there so were. But there were more quite good bits, unlike yesterday's Felonious Monk. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that I may buy it, but there are certainly tracks I would skip. But on the whole it was OK. Got to be worth a 3.
A generous-ish 3. Rounded up as it’s as good as anything that dance music throws my way. Apart from Faithless. And The Prodigy. But 3rd best ain’t bad. Got some classic tracks on here, and some filler.
At least it’s not another Beck album
This was ok. There are some interesting things going on, but they lean into some very tired techno tropes that threaten to sink the while things. Still, mostly listenable at worst and truly enjoyable at best.
Best Song: Block Rocking Beats Back with another one of those block rocking beats. Talk about a time machine back to the late 90s. While I don't really like electronica, this is better than average electronica (or at least I'm more familiar with it since I would still have been going to bars/clubs that play this type of music back then). Not something I really would ever listen to often (or ever again for that matter) but, as a 50-year-old I will give a 3/5 for nostalgia purposes if nothing else. If I were a 22-year old like when this came out, and on molly at a club, this might have gotten a 4/5.
this sounded like one of those "anti piracy" ad sorta music. like it was tryna be cool, and to be honest, it was cool. 90's pysch rock mixed with breakbeats is a fun combo and i hope it's something again. also shoutout chemical brothers for the 2nd goated album (even tho this is a 3/5 compared to their last 4/5)
Alright electronic album, fairly forgettable but not bad. Autoplay had better picks.
Good focus music.
Couple nostalgia hits but pretty repetitive
Incredible production and sound — it’s just not for me. That said, I did save a couple of tracks like “Block Rockin’ Beats” and “Elektrobank.”
Disco curioso. No escucho a Prodigy pero es así como me lo imagino. Está bien pero se me hace algo repetitivo supongo. Si que es verdad que esto y un juego de coches es match. Y bueno. No me escuché como 4 canciones del medio porque me fui a cagar y me olvidé de que no lo había pausado. Destaca la primera canción y una random que era como suave y cantada, por ser diferente. Normalillo 6.5/10 -> 3/5
Better than daft punk, but couldn't finish it
Pretty good. Took me forever to get through the album, but that might be more my fault than anything. It feels hard to fully appreciate without the historical context. That said, it holds up very well, but might feel a bit standard after influencing so many other artists.
A buddy of mine at work loves this and I would’ve never expected that. For me, it’s fun for a while and worthy of some appreciation but simply not my bag.
Foreign exchange student showed me Chemical Brothers in high school and it blew my mind. The videos were awesome, the tempo was upbeat and fueling my young age debauchery. Found this right before I found drugs, what a combo. Noel Gallagher featured, fuck yeah. But all in all, the album can be long and drag. I think a "best of" compilation suits them better.
It was good but it didn't really grab me.
It's pretty good for the time and genre. Not my thing in 2025, but I respect it.
3.5
Pretty good.
The intro Where Do I Begin was fantastic but the rest was pretty standard electronic
Not got a huge amount to say about this one. I like a lot of the beats, they can be pretty creative. A lot of the songs are pretty repetitive and just repeat the same ideas too many times. The songs (and the album) get a bit too long and repetitive because of that (It Doesn't Matter, for example) I would've also liked one or two moments where it brought the intensity down as a bit of a reprieve, especially given the length of the album Highlights: Lost In The K-Hole
An alright album, not my usual style of music. I liked Where Do I Begin.
Звучит мощно, но мне как-то не заходит.
Repetitive in a way that most dance orientated electronic music usually is. God stuff though, drums sound great and there is enough here to hold my interest.
The name of the tracks are so good, favorite: lost in the k-hole
I'm not a big fan of techno- but where I in the mood for this to be the soundtrack to biking or reading, it's quite serviceable- if working out-even more so. And it really steeps me in the 90s, so the nostalgia factor is strong.
I wanted to like this album more. Some of the elements I really enjoyed, others sounded really loud and abrasive. I did appreciate the experimentation with sound in a more “analog” way then modern production methods.
# Album Name: Dig your own hole # Artist: The Chemical Brothers # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: I was looking forward to this. I made myself a nice green tea to sit down and take a listen. Over the years ive enjoyed the singles they have released. Its turns out im definitely more of a fan of their greatest hits than their albums. This was way too repetitive for me. Maybe listening to it at 8am with green tea isnt the best place. Apart from BRB, im not sure how this made it to number 1. It may have been due to the amount of drug use in the UK at the time. # Top Tunes: Block rocking beats # Would I listen to it again? Not sure, doubtful at this stage. I might come back and give it another try.
can appreciate, not my everyday vibe
Mostly repetitive, electronic buggery, but the album redeemed itself with Where Do I Begin. Which, to be fair, is also repetitive, electronic buggery, but I happened to appreciate it more than the rest.
This started at a 4 or 5 for me but kinda dwindled to a 3.5 by the end. I don't think it's an overall bad album at all though. - I found it fun enough to listen to (at least the first half); cool production throughout the whole album I think - Feels like it kinda overstays its welcome/is repetitive (felt a little "exhausted"/dragged out by Elektrobank) - By the second half even some of the shorter (2-3 minute) tracks feel dragged out - That pan flute or whatever halfway through The Private Psychadelic Reel was kinda grating, and then the rest of the track kinda went off the rails but not in a good way
I had much higher hopes for this. Listen, I love electronic music. Electronic music can be very repetitive. This is repetitive in a way that just grates, though. I'll give it a 3 just for being one of the bigger electronic groups to open up the gates, but just barely.
Dig Your Own Hole is like a thick, crusty loaf of sourdough—hearty, loud, a bit rough around the edges, and likely to leave crumbs all over your brain. There’s a lot of flavour packed into it, from the distorted thump of Block Rockin’ Beats to the swirling psychedelia of The Private Psychedelic Reel, and when it hits right, it’s satisfying in that primal, carb-loaded way. But eat too much at once, and it starts to get heavy. The album leans so hard into its own pounding, looping intensity that it occasionally becomes more of a background throb than an engaging listen. It’s big and bold, sure, but sometimes you just want something with a bit more variation than repeated slices of sonic toast. Enjoyable in bursts, but not the most balanced musical diet.
Really well put together. Most of the tracks really hit you over the head while still offering nuance and precision. Some of the tracks show their age and made me cringe; but hey, it’s a product of its time.
This is not the type or album I typically listen to but I was surprised to enjoy this pretty well. Some sections are a little repetitive for me, and I didn't like the Noel Gallagher song lmao
There were a few cool songs I remember from my past, but it's not really a sound that has aged well.
Pretty good but not going to be a regular repeat listen
4.5/10 - maybe just being in the gym where I could focus on the music more made it worse but I didn’t like this one as much as the one I listened to like 5 days ago. I also feel like every time they sing it sounds not the best. Ok I kinda liked the last song
More chemical brothers. Yay.
Starting to lose some patience with this list on day 327. One Chemical Brothers album, sure. But two? Among the most important 1001 albums of all? Highly doubt. The album itself? Whatever man.
I was not in the right mood for this today. Token 3/5.
There was some good things on this but generally very repetitive and almost a bit boring but still about gets 3 stars
3/5 Ehkä odotukset liian kovat. Levyllä kuitenkin vain pari hyvää raitaa, loppu aika tasaista tuubaa.
Konemusiikissakin on oma hienoutensa. Paikoin tuli vähän samaa fiilistä kuin Daft Purkissa. Voittaa ihan huolella viime viikon rap-sekoilut.
Ainutlaatuinen soundi! Silti usein omaan mieleen liian pitkät kappaleet ja liian paljon toistoa. Genrelle ehkä ominaisia seikkoja, mutta niillä ei ainakaan täältä vielä saa lisäpisteitä
Noh Prodigyhan tuosta mieleen tulee. Ne on vaan parempia. Muutama laulu jossa jalka kyllä selkeesti vipatti mut loppua kohden hyyty...liika on liikaa
This is quite similar to the last review I gave for their debut, in that I like it, but I prefer their later stuff. There is some further expansion in their sound in this album, but it is still quite repetitive in a lot of the tracks. Whether that matters or not is the question I guess, as I do still dig a bunch of those ones. There are some seriously dirty beats going on at times, and then songs like Setting Sun are excellent. 3.5 rounded down.
Back with another one of those block-rocking BEATS! ...the rest is pretty forgettable though. Never heard "The Private Psychedelic Reel", but it's surprisingly decent. 3/5
Interesting beats and song structure, and I like how everything fits together. Does NOT need to be this long, though.
Enjoyable, but aside from a few tracks it is best suited for the background
Block rocking beats and setting sun were bangers but like with most electronic albums it gets too repetitive. Bonus points for me actually buying this CD when it came out.
I like the Chemical Brothers. Quality EDM. This is a 7 out of 10, but I'm rounding down -- I find the middle weak. If you like this, their album, Surrender is their best, in my opinion.
2.8 I enjoy electronica. However I view the chemical brothers in the same way that I view acts such as Fatboy slim or Moby, a pop version of electronica that for some reason made it mainstream, probably because it was played slightly safe, with 5-7 minute songs that involve *a lot* of repetition. It's fine, but it's not exactly captivating and could easily have been 2/3rds of the length with the same track count. How artists like Squarepusher, Aphex Twin and Autechre didn't make it 'big' in pop culture in comparison to these guys I'll never understand.
Just okay. Mainstream techno.
I was there. Had this album. Took the necessary small pills needed to enjoy the music. Now I'm old and clean I find it hard to enjoy such repetitive music. But there's nostalgia there and I appreciate they were good at what they did.
Not my favourite Chemical Brothers album. Sunshine Underground is far, far better than this. It’s ok.
Great electronic record, I enjoyed it
Not that bad tbh, some songs where quite good.
It's a decent album but not my taste. I'd go 2.7, so it's a 3/5
There's some good tunes on here, but overall the albums too long and some tracks too long and repetitive.
78% Best: Block Rockin' Beats; Piku; Lost In The K-Hole Must-Hear? Not quite
Not my favorite electronic album, mostly because it’s too over the top for my tastes, there isn’t really a breather until the second to last song. Still. This is good, undeniably a great album. Kinda clicked for me when I read people talking about psychedelics in the comments, made a lot more sense. Still, I don’t do shrooms, and I can’t dance, so this is only a 3
Decent spin. 3 / 5.
The Matrix is that you?
Probably would have been a 5 if I was on drugs
Not something for daily use but a nice shot of energy now and then.
Not really a fan of EDM but I liked this more than some of the others I've heard on this list. Some quite strong beats and songs that build nicely. Does suffer from the genre's typical repetition though which limits my enjoyment
engineered in a lab to be 2000s movie soundtrack music
On merit of what it accomplishes, I should probably award it a 4, but I didn't really love much of anything off of it. Skill issues as per usual. Big Beat is probably just not my thing; I'm too sober for it.
It was okay, not my favorite.
Not quite sure how to rate this one as I was listening to it whilst working which I suspect is not the best place to be doing so. I remember these guys being very popular at the time and some of this was decent enough. A few didn’t really hit the mark though.
“Back once again with the same repetitive beat” I have tried to get into these guys in the past but can never bring myself to like them. It’s not bad, just not as good as some of their contemporaries.
Lotta 4s, lotta 2s
This did not grab my attention enough to remember anything about it other than the fact that it was okay.
This was a pretty wild ride. I liked a lot of the beats and it was great background music while I worked, but the songs themselves were also pretty long and dragged out the whole album. Setting Sun sounds like a cracked out version of Tomorrow Never Knows by the Beatles. Not a dig, just an observation. I really liked the songs with the groovy bass like Blockin Rockin Beats and K-Hole. Solid 3.
Intense electro vibe. Definitely some cool parts of the album with some trippy sounds. This was probably a wild album back in 97'. I'm giving it a hard 3.5 stars.
Hell yeah Block Rocking Beat. Definitely has its moments, but is a pretty noisy album. This one is a 2.5, but I'm going to round up because even though I didn't love it, I was engaged with what was going no the whole time. Great process, but not a great result in my eyes. Last track also saved it. Heater.
I think this was more interesting than the Chemical Brothers’ debut album that we previously reviewed. After “Block Rockin Beats”, the relentless big beat kinda wears thin and encourages you to tune out, but they’re good at what they do. I liked “Where Do I Begin” breaking up some of the monotony before the very long closing track. I think a couple more songs like that peppered throughout the album would make it much more engaging and enjoyable. 6/10
It’s background music I’d listen to while getting some work done.
WIld journaling music!
I don't care what you say, "Block Rocking Beats" still hits hard. Their next album would eclipse this but mid 90s Glastonbury dance tent music still gets me going.
cool electronica sounds
There's definitely some bangers here but some of it does "go on a bit".
Hay temazos y otros no tanto
This album is an interesting sonic adventure but it is just too repetitive for me. The sound is industrial electronica. Maybe it just took me the whole hour to get into the mood but the only composition that I did not feel like fast forwarding through was the last one, Thr Privat Psychedelic Reel. I give a three just for the last track...
Fast-paced electronica with thumping, rattle-your-speakers bass. The Chemical Brothers paint with a colorful palette — a lot of sounds and styles are blended into these songs.
Some cool trance-y EDM. Like a lot of good trance / techno, I liked the flow and could tell there was a lot of attention put into that throughout the album. As a listener, if I'm going to sit and marinate in many repetitive bars in a row I want the changes to be gradual, flowy, and smooth, and that happens here. I don't know if it's an album that I'll often reach for as there's others in the genre that do similar things, but this was still an enjoyable listen.
Troppo strumentale per i miei gusti
Respect the game just not my sport
Pure 90s electronic bliss that shows the power the Chem Bros once held in their apex.
Auch experimentell, aber irgendwie mehr mein Geschmack.
All I know about the Chemical Brothers is that Jez from Peep Show really liked them and tried to emulate them. And honestly I have trouble distinguishing his shitty music from what’s in offer here. It’s not BAD, but what am I supposed to do with this? It’s hard to think of when I’d ever listen to this unless I found myself in a street race in 1999. Or playing a PS1 game.
Play that funky music, white boys! Powerful dance, stirring up the club. I wish the lyrics had more variety. I wish there was more than just the boom, boom, boom. Great stuff, but it feels like there should be more. And kinda loud. I guess I'm not meant for the club scene. 3/5
Really like a couple of these songs(esp where do i begin) but the whole album vibe is a little too jittery for me.
it's best when it's arabesque psychedelic
I should have done some drugs before I listened to this.
I've always felt like they have potential, but it's usually not fully realized. Favorite tracks are Piku and the Private Psychadelic Reel
twas fun! good studying dance music
I like this form of percussion better than rock drum percussion. Album gets a little repetitive
A few good tracks here. Nice kick off with a Pink Floyd sample.
3.5/5
Probably the best Electronic album I've ever listened to. It still highlights electronic music's limitations, repetitive and mechanical.
Generic electronic, which is a shame for the Chemical Brothers, who usually create a perfect sampling of 90s electronica. Here, however, we have uncreative and bland tripe. The only good song was probably only good because it had Noel Gallagher.