‘Back with another one of those block-rockin’ album clashes!’ 

Yep, for the second clash in our electronica season we return to our comfort blanket of the late 90s, and in doing so take a look at a couple of the albums that helped propel dance music into the mainstream, creating the concept of the Superstar DJ and making it acceptable for indie boys to get on the dancefloor. 

It’s the Chemical Brothers vs Fatboy Slim. 

First up it's the Chems, with their 1997 sophomore effort ‘Dig Your Own Hole’. And what an album to kick us off. From the bombastic opener to the colossal closing track, ‘Dig Your Own Hole’ certainly packs a punch, pounding the listener into submission with huge beats, pulsating basslines and the sorts of electronic warblings that we have come to expect from a Chemical Brothers tune. 

As ever there’s plenty for us to get stuck into, including the story of how Chems came to collaborate with one of the biggest rock stars in the world at the time, why the duo were forced to abandon their original name, and how they drew inspiration from an eclectic and diverse range of sources to create the album. 

We have another round of ‘can’t get you out of my head’ in which Tim despairs at one of the most annoyingly catchy songs ever written (but won’t explain why until next week…) 

Also this week: 

- we debate the symbolism of some of the stranger ‘sound effects’ used on this album;

- Kev regrets not buying a metal album from a monk in the street;  and 

- we once again delve down the rabbit hole of British television from the 80s and 90s, where Kev explains the frankly bizarre finale of a kids’ TV classic… 

Join us next week for the conclusion of this clash, where Kev leads us through Fatboy Slim’s ‘You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby’. 

This. Is. ALBUM CLASH!! 

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