The Chemical Brothers
We Are The Night
Astralwerks
7.0 out of 10
By Norman Mayers

The Chemical Brothers have long been considered among the electronica elite, a place inhabited by the likes of Fatboy Slim, Moby, the Prodigy, and the Crystal Method. But more than any of those other artists, the Chemical Brothers have managed to change their style throughout the last decade, surviving the Big Beat boom of the mid-90s before moving on to Grammy accolades. On their latest release We Are The Night, the Brothers pull out all their tricks, delivering a satisfying album of euphoric psychedelic electronica, quirky guest appearances, and danceable grooves.

One thing is definitely true about the Chemical Brothers: they create some of the most original dance music out there. We Are The Night is evidence that the Brothers have not lost their edge. In fact, they seem to have gotten their groove back, delivering an album full of plenty of body rocking club joints that are sure to appeal to their long-time fans. “Saturate” stands out among the high energy cuts, crackling like sunbeams across the morning sky. Filtered bass is surrounded by spastic drums that build into a delightful crescendo. This one is sure to be a major underground hit! Electro-tinged grooves permeate the percussion-laden “A Modern Midnight Conversation” and the Sexy Back flavored “Do It Again” featuring Ali Love. But the Chemical Brothers have always been about sonic experimentation and there is plenty of that on We Are The Night. The tracks that leave the biggest impact are the ones that combine downtempo electronica with psychedelic folk rock. “The Pills Won’t Help You Know” featuring Midlake is a gorgeous number that rides a solid snare drum over waves of building strings and electronic pulses. Similarly, the album closer “Battle Scars” with Willy Mason offers up a slightly rock edge amidst all the electronic bleeps. The Pharcyde’s Fatlip turns up on the nu-skool breaks of “The Salmon Dance”, a light track with more sense of humor than anything else on the album.

As one of the artists that rode the initial wave of electronica success, the Chemical Brothers continue to make quality music a decade later. We Are The Night is proof that innovation and experimentation is alive and well within the genre.

Chemical Brothers Website

The Chemical Brothers on Myspace

Chrisette Michele Interview

Check out the brand new interview I did with rising talent Chrisette Michele. She is featured on recent standout tracks by Nas and Jay-Z.

Chrisette Michele Interview on Nu-Soul

Body Painting

This past Sunday I did a photoshoot where I was bodypainted like a warrior. It was a whole lot of fun even though the make up took about four hours to complete. But my patience was rewarded with some of the best work I have done, in my opinion. I can't wait to see the actual photos from the shoot so I can post them up!

Check out the make up artist, Ray.The artist's website

More ATB 2007 pics

More At The Beach 2007 pics

At the Beach 2007

Here are a few photos from this year's At the Beach Black Pride. It was a lot of fun. I got to hang out with a lot of different people and I even entered the hot body contest. I have to thank Alex Flex for entering with me because I was too scared to go by myself. I would have never done it without you, buddy. I will be posting more photos as I get them.

Electric Daisy Carnival 2007

Electric Daisy Carnival was this past weekend and it was a total blast. They finally moved the event from the Orange Show in San Bernadino back to Los Angeles. It was at Exposition Park and the USC football stadium. The venue was sick with several stages spread throughout the parkgrounds and the main stage found on the football field. There were more rides then ever including a freefall drop and one of my favorites, the Himalaya. The music was great with standouts from Stanton Warriors, Mark Farina, DJ Zinc, and Collette. All in all it was a great night of good friends and beautiful people. Raving in LA is the best!!!