The Chemical Brothers have shared the first episode of a series broadcast by Sonos Radio HD. Radio Chemical, as it’s called, has inaugurated with a dub mix delivered by the Manchester electronic music duo.
The mix showcases a selection of reverb delay-heavy dub music by the likes of King Tubby, Sir Horatio, Dub Syndicate and other artists. Dub purists ought to delight in the tracks chosen by The Chemical Brothers (real names Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons), but the duo’s experimental sensibility is woven throughout.
“The ‘in dub mix’ channels our love of dub music – where the foundation is drum and bass and the lead instrument is the mixing desk, where a delay feeding back on itself can be as exciting as a heartfelt lyric,” reads a description by Rowlands and Simons. “A lot of this music pushes the boundaries of what can be done with a multi track and an application of echo, EQ and phase. It’s a constant inspiration to us of what is possible in the studio and the myriad of ways you can find to interpret a song.”
Rowlands and Simons met in 1989 and released music under a handful of names before calling themselves The Chemical Brothers in 1995. While they helped popularize big beat with early albums like Exit Planet Dust and Dig Your Own Hole, they’ve remained true to their boundary-pushing sound in recent albums like Born in the Echoes and No Geography.
Each edition of Radio Chemical will “explore some of our musical passions,” according to Rowlands and Simons. They have yet to announce future episodes’ themes.
