Prepare for battle: the Chems return with a ‘Best of’

Prepare for battle: the Chems return with a ‘Best of’

26 June, 2008 | 1.30PM

• Section: Music News Topics: Beatport Blog
• Written by: Ben Raven

After seven artist albums The Chemical Brothers are rolling up all their hits into one collection but the real gems are to be found on disc two.

If you’re a proud owner of the Chemical Brothers much lusted after ‘Battleweapon’ series of limited edition vinyl, prepare to feel very ugly.

The ‘Battleweapons’, club tracks that have always preceded each Chems album, are among the most highly collectable techno vinyl releases available and CD 2 of ‘Midnight Madness’ is to include all 1-10 for the first time in an unmixed format.

Usually a testing ground for new ideas and dancefloor destined nastiness, the ‘Battleweapons’ have always employed the Chems knack for white-knuckle breakdowns and bellow-kicking beats, making them pure dynamite for DJs.
Some have even gone on to upstage the album tracks they were supposed to promote.

‘Battleweapon 8’ has become one of their best known recent hits after taking a pounding from DJs as diverse as Erol Alkan, Sasha and Sven Vath. The recently promo’d ‘Battleweapon 10’, with its vocodered chorus of “we are brothers,” has also become a recent promo only club hit.

Now together in one soon to be widely available release, the collection of weapons dating from 1996 to 2008 is set to be one of the Chem’s most coveted releases yet.

If that doesn’t prompt a geek goldrush, then CD 1 features fourteen singles from their back catalogue plus a new single ‘Keep My Composure’ featuring Baltimore’s Spank Rock.

As ever the Chems will be supporting it all with a monstrous European tour to remind the world that they might just be dance music’s best live act.

TRACKLISTING

DISC 1
01. Galvanize
02. Hey Boy Hey Girl
03. Block Rockin’ Beats
04. Do It Again
05. Believe
06. Star Guitar
07. Let Forever Be (Featuring Noel Gallagher)
08. Leave Home
09. Keep My Composure (Featuring Spank Rock)
10. Saturate
11. Out Of Control
12. The Golden Path – (Featuring The Flaming Lips)
13. Setting Sun – (Featuring Noel Gallagher)
14. Chemical Beats

DISC 2
1-10 Electronic Battle Weapons

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