The Chemical Brothers

As one of the guiding forces of the mid-'90s boom in electronic music, The Chemical Brothers crafted a sound built on massive (ahem, "block-rockin'") beats and clever incorporation of elements of hip-hop, post-punk, soul, and alternative. It couldn't have been better timed; their debut, Exit Planet Dust, dropped in 1995, as mainstream rock was dominated the dregs of post-grunge wannabes and dopey pop-punk. Americans' interest in electronica faded considerably by the end of the decade, but The Chemical Brothers have remained huge players in the electronic world. On the new Further, the British duo works without guest vocalists for the first time since Exit Planet Dust, with the mixed results that have typified each of the group's seven albums.

Updated 08/19/2010