Rounding out night six of the ten-night Apple Music Festival, The Chemical Brothers play an expectedly explosive show to adoring fans at The Roundhouse. After this summer’s release of Born in the Echoes, the duo’s first studio album in five years, a night of heavy beats and hard dancing is completely in order.

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And boy, do The Chemical Brothers deliver: they do it again and again. Going from zero to 100 with the frenzied opener, Hey Boy Hey Girl, Rowlands and Simons don’t offer even a warm-up round. Perpetuating the heavy, pulse-elevating rhythms with EML Ritual, the pair continue to seamlessly fuse predictable crowd-pleasers, such as Swoon and Saturate, with the notable high-velocity tracks from their latest album, Go and Sometimes I Feel So Deserted. Knowing precisely when to withhold and when to gratify, the Brothers skilfully ration the acid loops and squelching bass, with the effect of having each concert-goer eating out of their hands, begging for more. It’s very difficult to pinpoint a highlight of the night, especially when old favourites like Star Guitar are reassembled into fresh, tantalising beats.

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The show is a slight departure from the lighting and effects of their live sets of recent years. The relatively simple stage setup consists of a massive LED screen dominating the entire stage with the DJs barricaded by equipment in the centre. The visuals feature many of the familiar illuminated dancers and, of course, lasers to infinity and beyond, but the audience is spared of killer clowns this time in exchange for a cameo by two mammoth robots! The Roundhouse’s peerless sound system boasts a resounding bass that eggs on the physiologically catastrophic game of tug-of-war between heart and earlobes where both are on the verge of giving up. Moments of intense sensory overload inevitably crop up, bordering on a slight discomfort that is oddly pleasing.

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Everything is cleanly executed and on point, from every beat drop to the double encore, and nothing falls short of the colossal force that is The Chemical Brothers. While the evening is certainly euphoric for all parties involved, a remnant of the spiteful, acerbic thread that permeates Born in the Echoes seeps into the show. Nothing wildly new or different is attempted nor awaited; everyone is simply looking forward to one hell of a dance party, and, as always, the duo exceeds expectations. Masters of their craft, no one is left doubting the calibre of these superstar DJs.

 

 

 

 

Verdict: ★★★★★

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Highlights: EML Ritual, Go, Sometimes I Feel So Deserted

Watch the video for Go here

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