The Chemical Brothers Heighten Aspiration With New Single ‘The Darkness That You Fear’
Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons, also known as The Chemical Brothers, are an English electronic band known for their elaborate and rich, big beat/electronic discography. On July 23, The Chemical Brothers released a new single “The Darkness That You Fear”, a return after 2 years since the duo released their ninth studio album “No Geography” in 2019. The release of the new track is an exciting start to The Chemical Brothers’ new venture with Republic Records, after parting ways with their previous label, Virgin Records.
Judging a book by its cover, the title “The Darkness That You Fear” may appear as a grim statement, but the track itself is delightfully sanguine. The mantra repeated within the song is:
“Let your heart see the colours
All around you”
“And the darkness that you fear
Will disappear”
The track develops with a bittersweet, dawdle progression that patiently blooms into a bright chorus, layered with many sounds and bells, excellently convey the lyric content via instrumental performance. The female vocal sample, Caroline Ellis, hones her soft timbre to graciously deliver her lines, creating a gorgeous, uplifting track that reflects well in the distraught times of the COVID-19 pandemic, current world issues, and personal hardships that many experience.
Tom Rowlands shares his thoughts on the single:
“The Darkness That You Fear is a hopeful piece of music. When we found the combination of the different voices worked set to the flow of the music it made us feel optimistic like it was something we wanted to share.”
The director of the music video for “The Darkness That You Fear” Ruffmercy gave his first impressions of the track:
“When I first heard the song I immediately connected with the theme and the overall positive vibe. New government rules for relaxing lockdown had been announced and combined with the sun shining, it left me feeling positive about the forthcoming summer. It also triggered a strong sense of nostalgia that led to me going back to look for visual inspiration from the period in time when I first discovered The Chemical Brothers in the mid-’90s. The video combines archive rave footage from the mid to late ’90s with hand-painted Super 8 film textures and hand-drawn animation. I love using colour to create chaos and evoke emotions and this was the perfect project to do that.”
The single was also accompanied by the track “Work Energy Principle”, which has a low-key presence compared to its inspirational sibling, “The Darkness That You Fear”. The second single locks down a traditional techno/house groove, comparable to the sound of British electronic group, Underworld, but nonetheless in the experimental “The Chemical Brothers” fashion. The track is a replayable dance floor earworm that should receive credit for its performance as well, and pairs as a great chaser to “The Darkness That You Fear”.
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