The Chemical Brothers - Exit Planet Dust

Exit Planet Dust is the debut album by the English electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers; it was released in June 1995, having been in development throughout 1993 and Aug-Nov of 1994

The album was a critical / commercial success, having peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 9

Well, I've been a fan of The Chemical Brothers since I was a kid, ever since I heard "Galvanize" on a CD compilation when I was 5 years old; I remember liking it a lot (it's still one of my favourite songs of all-time) and I've been listening to their classics from the 90s off their album "Surrender" which I might re-visit in full someday.

Let's say this album is quite the thrill ride from start to finish, having so much dancefloor-fuelled energy throughout its 49min runtime that had my vibing like crazy or head-bopping (my hair is now a mess yet again).

The Chemical Brothers' music blends many different genres associated with the electronic music scene such as big beat & acid house as well as elements of psychedelia and electronica. There's a lot going on that ensures you there's never a sense of any ideas gone to waste.

Production-wise, this album goes hard a lot of the time. I enjoy the big beat rhythm patterns on each track that make sure you never have a moment to rest when you're listening; the party never stops when these two are in the house!

"In Dust We Trust" has some heavily impactful beats to it that make for one hell of a night under the strobe lights at the dancefloor, with a strong touch of psychedelica to add a bit of a trippiness to it all.

I love the acid influences as well, especially on the 4th track "Three Little Birdies Down Beats" which is my favourite on the album due to the heavy energy that flows through it. Same for "Chemical Beats" just leaving me unable to stop vibing all the way throughout it.

I also love the consistency throughout this album, how the first half is acid-fuelled amd energetic while the second half leads down a more psychedelic route, but it still retains the heaviness whenever it wants to. "Playground for a Wedgeless Farm" is an effective combination of mixing elements of all genres, making for a short but satisfyingly trippy journey.

Can it get a little repetitive? Occasionally, yes. Mainly some of the vocal samples can be a bit overused for my personal liking on some tracks (mainly on "Leave Home").

Nevertheless, Exit Planet Dust is a consistently fun journey that's packed with energetic bangers that will be impossible to resist on a night out. It holds up pretty damn well for a 1995 release as well, which is great.