The Chemical Brothers at Rock en Seine

By: Tara Phillips

The Chemical Brothers took the stage at the Parisian music festival Rock en Seine on August 23, 2023. The pit in front of the stage began to flood with fans 30 minutes before the bands scheduled start time. They sat in the dust, reserving a front row experience. They restlessly anticipated the music's arrival. The Chemical Brothers were the last band of the night. The sea of dancing supporters encompassed people of all ages and cultures, still, everyone was dressed with their sunglasses on, ready to rave. Rock en Seine attracts an international audience, every year. 

“We see the light. Our universe is at your side…” a futuristic character introduced the group. This line encompasses the band's image and reputation as an electronic duo.

They opened their set with ‘Go’, released in May of 2015, it is the second single from their eighth album Born in the Echoes. A strong, high energy song, it threw the listeners into their set. The lyrics encourage action and pursuit of dreams. The crowd was restless, and ‘Go’ encouraged us all to break free. The groups' members, Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands anonymously bobbed their heads to the electric beat. 

Simon and Rowland played many of their hits throughout the show: ‘Do It Again’, ‘Hey Boy Hey Girl’, and ‘Star Guitar’. The two were encompassed within darkness, matching the music's theme of mystery. The beat seemingly transported myself and the audience members someplace undiscovered. 

I felt connected to the audience through the pulsing rhythm of the exploding music paired with fierce light displays and visuals of unhinged dancing. The music's beat travelled through my body, just as it travelled through the bodies of those around me. Its force entangled the audience members, tethering us together, encouraging us to seize and transcend our reality. The men recreated the sound of a rave that served as a sensory overload. It’s true, “Everybody [was] jumpin' out of they mind.”

At points, the never-ending electronic beat drops felt seemingly meaningless. Although, I feel that part of the experience - floating through space and time with these “brothers.”

Releasing their first album in June of 1995, the two have been said to have “pioneered the big beat dance music genre in the 1990s.” Nearly 30 years later, we are still enjoying the utterly alive music.