The Singles 93-03 [compilation]

To remain relevant after a decade in the music industry is rare indeed; for a dance act, it's virtually unique. Singles 93-03 ably demonstrates how the Chemical Brothers have managed it. Having first carved a reputation as DJs the Dust Brothers in the early 1990s, the two history graduates narrowly avoided calling themselves the London Dust Explosion before spearheading big beat, becoming a huge live draw, collaborating with Noel Gallagher and having Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis play "Hey Boy, Hey Girl" at his wedding. It's been 10 years of fun, frolics, and gigantean left-field beats for Ed Simmons and Tom Rowland and, as this faultless singles collection testifies, continual reinvention. From the seething siren, pounding breaks, breathy vocals and spellbinding post-acid electronica of album opener "Song to the Siren" to the ingenious collaboration with the Flaming Lips, "The Golden Path," Tom 'n' Ed have somehow managed to carve tracks that appeal equally to radio, clubs, and the live arena. Alongside the cement-cracking bass of "Leave Home" and "Block Rockin' Beats" comes the high-inducing sonic debauchery of "The Private Psychedelic Reel" and dancefloor filler "Star Guitar," to name but a few of the many highlights. Ingenious, boundary-baffling stuff, this compilation offers a hypnotic historical tour of one of the most creative careers in dance music. — Christopher Barrett.