Tripping on Music
Drug of Choice? Ecstasy can take you there. Acid will heighten the experience. And a slow, smooth smoke is sure to free some feelings. Children of the night, are feeling like children of the world with Chemical Brothers, Come With Us, but tripping out on drugs is not your only way to party these days. The album alone, yes solo-chemical free will get you high.Tom and Ed, DJ extremists of The Chemical Brothers did it again. They played with formatting, broke the rules, and created some insane dance music with their latest album Come With Us. Its scattered beats are reminiscent of jazz classics. Chemical Brothers, Come With Us is different than your average techno mix. Perhaps it is the slow beats quickly complimented by the fast, or maybe it is the empowering voice of God that sneaks in and out of certain tracks. It creates a link between history and reality, bringing the listener back to a time when they did not exist and then to a place so far in the future the reality of it becomes almost trippy.
Chemical Brothers, Come With Us is music to chill with, and has a classic nostalgic effect that can’t help but remind you of something, someone or sometime. Its timeless, black and white beats are constantly complimented by futuristic sounds guaranteed to create a daydream like no other. This music takes you on a journey to places you’ve fantasized about, lands you may have traveled, and places you’ve yet to experience. The tracks free the mind and provoke some wishy-washy soul-seeking.
Track one, “Come With Us” is a dominating mix of pulsations and an empowering voice. The beats are solid and consistent, and jazzed up with hints of a base guitar. The phrase “Come With Us” weaves in and out of the tangled music, creating a dynamic, yet chaotic theme.
The reality of self is challenged with this music and seeks out the child in all of us. It provokes feelings and is mood altering. Track two, “It Began In Afrika” starts with, yep you guessed it, the phrase, “It Began In Afrika” and is quickly followed by the chiming of bells that instantly bring you back to a time that existed only for you. Your beginning is awakened by the ringing of bells, the pounding of hand drums, and the intensive mix of high and low thumps. This is the track to start your trip, because it reminds you of the past, and ultimately allows your mind to play.
Listening to the album, I couldn’t help but wonder if the album had any real emotion in it, and then track 7, “The State We’re In” found me. This is a song to share with someone, not mushy, but intense; passionate. Lyrics like “what it feels to be true” dance throughout the song and is accompanied by a reflective La-La theme. Ideas of searching and wanting are consistent and alive. Track ten hosts Richard Ashcroft, his haunting voice rattles through a maze of jumbled drums and the tinkering of chimes. Ashcroft is the alamode to the album. The frenzied music style is calmed with his conservative voice overs.
Indeed, Chemical Brothers, Come With Us is music to bounce to and is a club kid’s best friend, but this is not just music of the night, it is music of your night. This album takes you on a journey of self. The mixes are a spirited blend of yesterday, today, and what is to come tomorrow. Chemical Brothers, Come With Us takes classic sounds and mixes them with hot beats of today, for an intense ride. Whether bopping around in a club, or lounging alone in your room, your going places with Chemical Brothers, Come With Us.
Leave a Comment