Al Weisel
Singles File: Chemical Brothers' "Setting Sun"
By Al Weisel
Rolling Stone, December 12, 1996, p. 25
The Chemical Brothers mix it up with Noel Gallagher
Appropriately enough for Oasis' Noel Gallagher—who has made no secret of his admiration for the Beatles—his collaboration with the Chemical Brothers, "Setting Sun," might be just the kind of song the Fab Four would have made if they were starting out as a '90s techno band. On the single, the Brothers have taken a drum rhythm reminiscent of "Tomorrow Never Knows," coupled it with a driving techno beat, then tossed in Indian instruments modified on synthesizers, air-raid sirens and Gallagher's creepy, disembodied vocals.
"We wanted to get the strange, disorienting effect of psychedelia and fuse that with a heavy club sound," says Chemical Brother Tom Rowlands of the record. Gallagher liked the results so much that he wanted to sing it with the duo on the British TV show Top of the Pops. Gallagher's enthusiasm is surprising, considering that he ordered Evan Dando to remove a collaboration with the Oasis guitarist, titled "Purple Parallelogram," from the Lemonheads' new album. ("I don't think Noel liked the record he made with Evan very much," says Rowlands.)
The Chemical Brothers have a reputation for bridging the gap between rock and dance music Of course, to some ears, one can never rock enough. Noel's brother Liam Gallagher once ordered the Chemical Brothers to stop DJ'ing at a party where they were spinning. "Liam wanted us to play rock & roll, and all we had was some Happy Mondays," remembers Rowlands. "It wasn't enough."■
Al Weisel is the co-author, with Larry Frascella, of Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause, being published in October 2005.