The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

I was always a massive fan of Fatboy Slim growing up: the huge drum breaks, off-kilter but catchy sampling and infinitely dancy rhythms that will always keep me running back for more. I remember wanting to dive deeper into the sound, and was instantly hooked onto The Chemical Brothers when I heard ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’ on one of my dad’s old mix CD’s - probably titled ‘favourite songs mix #6’ or something like that. The Chembros just had a darker edge to them, delving into the psychadelic more than Fatboy Slim while still maintaining an immense catchiness. I’ve been a huge fan of their sound from primary school all the way through to seeing them in concert a couple years back, and Dig Your Own Hole is their crowning achievement.

From its first irresistible bassline and rolling drum break, you know exactly what you’re in for. Still hailed as one of the most influential electronic albums of all time, The Chemical Brothers’ sophomore album is a wondrous portrait of the short-lived big beat scene - one that had its time but I still think hits incredibly hard today.

While they’d go down even more hallucinatory musings with their following releases, there’s a rawness and explosiveness to this record’s sampling and consistently dry but bass-drenched drums. This record just feels absolutely massive in scope, and while I do feel like it’s front-loaded just slightly, it’s a booze-filled 3am dance odyssey I never get tired of. No I’ve never taken drugs to this album but I’m very open to it.

Despite a couple duds in the mix, if you’re looking for an explosive collection of block rockin’ beats, you’ve found the place.

KEY TRACK: Elektrobank - the masterpiece of the album, this track’s progression and hardhitted-ness is undeniably impressive and so much fun, especially with the integration of its spoken word elements. I can’t ever hear this without thinking of the amazing Spike Jonze-directed music video as well.