LONDON (AP) 鈥� Beloved British electronic duo the Chemical Brothers released their 10th album on Friday, more than three decades into their career. But does it get any easier with time?
Not according to one-half of the outfit, Tom Rowlands.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 just more complicated鈥� he said, speaking via Zoom from his studio in the U.K. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 got a new theory on how to do it.鈥�
Prior to the album's release, Rowlands and Ed Simons shared four singles from the forthcoming album, 鈥淔or That Beautiful Feeling鈥� 鈥� including their second , the track 鈥淪kipping Like A Stone.鈥� They previously worked with the singer on the 2015 track 鈥淲ide Open.鈥�
They also made it a point to test the tracks out on dance floors prior to the album 鈥� 鈥減laying them (live) as we write them,鈥� as Rowlands explains 鈥� which, in turn, influenced their studio decisions.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 the right way to release an album," he smiled. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 quite keep up with what is the right way, but it鈥檚 how it鈥檚 happening.鈥�
It's working. Audiences responded well to the smattering of tracks from 鈥淔or That Beautiful Feeling鈥� that the Chemical Brothers wove into their sets this summer, no doubt drumming up excitement for the new release.
The rave-ready 鈥淣o Reason鈥� became the lead single from the record 鈥� because it felt 鈥渇resh and different鈥� and also 鈥渞eally fun to play live," says Rowlands. But really, it鈥檚 all about how he and Simons feel about the track 鈥� and sometimes if a song doesn鈥檛 go over well in front of an audience, well, that just solidifies its value to the duo.
鈥淪ometimes something going down really badly, will just convince you of its greatness even more," Rowlands says of this live-first tactic. "You鈥檙e like, 鈥榊es. People aren鈥檛 ready for this!鈥欌��
Together since 1989, with 10 albums and countless performances across the globe, the duo has seen their fair share of the good and the bad.
Headlining the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2000 is a standout 鈥� though Rowlands says it was 鈥渟o massive it鈥檚 hard to get a handle on what you鈥檙e doing.鈥�
And then there's the bad: A very different experience during a 9:30 a.m. set in Ibiza, early on in their career that didn鈥檛 quite go to plan.
They were 鈥渢he wrong people at the wrong place at the wrong time," Rowlands recalled. 鈥淛ust lots of anger and tears ... sensible people would've gone to bed and then have a nice juice breakfast.鈥�
For the nighttime live music lovers, the Chemical Brothers are looking forward to getting back on the road for a tour that kicks off Oct. 26 in Glasgow. They're eager to use stunning visuals from longtime collaborators Adam Smith and Marcus Lyall 鈥� and test drive additional music that didn't make the record, or as Rowlands puts it: 鈥渢housands of hours of noodling."
On tour, 鈥測ou can do your lights exactly how you want and get everything really tuned to how you want it to be,鈥� Rowlands added. 鈥淭hat's really exciting for us.鈥�
In addition to the new album and the tour, the duo will in October titled 鈥淧aused in Cosmic Reflection,鈥� authored by Simons and Rowlands' friend Robin Turner, with their input. But as a band who are constantly looking forward, it isn't something Rowlands is quite ready to read.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to save it for a flight or retirement.鈥� He smiled.
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This story has been updated to correct attributions of quotes to Tom Rowlands, not Ed Simons, and the name of the Beck collaboration track, which is 鈥淪kipping Like A Stone,鈥� not 鈥淔eels Like I'm Dreaming.鈥�
Sian Watson, The Associated Press
