Dig Your Own Hole

iTunes Review

No disrespect to the current "nü-rave" craze (glowstick-and-guitar groups like the Klaxons), but the Chemical Brothers brought a similar slam dancing-synths bent to big beat a decade ago. Long-player in point: The utterly timeless Dig Your Own Hole, a crucial critical and commercial turning point for 'electronica' during its late '90s heyday. While it never quite went platinum, the record was certified gold in the U.S. largely on the strength of two rambunctious singles. The first of which (the Grammy-winning "Block Rockin' Beats") you'll recognize immediately, from its pass-the-mic Schooly D sample to its siren calls and influential hardcore techno/hip-hop template. As for the second, you've probably already heard the swirling psych-pop song it pays homage to — a little Beatles tune called "Tomorrow Never Knows." And if you watched MTV when it still played "Buzz Clips," you probably caught the "Setting Sun" video at some point and said, "Did that Noel Gallagher guy find out God is a DJ and finally kick his brother out of bloody Oasis? Good for him!" Or maybe you simply thought it sounded really, really banging. Whatever the reaction, this is the album (aside from the Prodigy's Fat of the Land) that made dance music the new rock ... if only for a second.