Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness (EMI)

Lisa Norman | Sunday, 10 August 2008

Chemical Brothers - Midnight Madness (EMI)

The Chems burst into the musical equation in 1995 with Electric Planet Dust. They drew in the masses and took the evolving dance scene by storm. The English dance duo of Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands quickly raised the bar of dance and electronica vibes and set a standard that was hard to beat.

Notching up 10 million in sales, five consecutive number one albums and four Grammys, they've achieved rather a lot over the years. Their next venture comes in the form of new single 'Midnight Madness' - a mix of electronica and 'block rocking beats'.

The track gives budding photographers and filmmakers the opportunity to create a short film or photograph that revolves around the 'Midnight Madness' theme. Is that meant to be people who have madness at midnight? Entrants are encouraged to upload their work to Google Earth via the Chems' website. The best entrants will be included on a special video for YouTube and the band's website.

The track itself is a classic Chemical Brothers number - cutting edge, techno with a touch of trance and house. Slightly on the repetitive side, it does lack the verve of their past hits, while there's an element of Beck in the backbeat and the heavily synthed voice. It's good to see that the Brothers can still excite the fans with a unique marketing campaign and an edgy track.

Rating: 3/5