The Chemical Brothers have released their first new music in two years – single The Darkness That You Fear – along with exciting news that they’ve been confirmed as 2021 festival headliners. The new song is their first since the No Geography track Eve of Destruction was released to coincide with a massive 2019 tour. The group are also set to headline this year’s Creamfields festival (Daresbury, 27 August – now sold out), followed by TRNSMT festival (Glasgow, 12 September).
The Darkness That You Fear is a rush of hope for post-COVID times. It’s the sonic equivalent of a light at the end of the tunnel, the other side of which lies a brighter, more positive future. Featuring distinct, vocal samples and a swirling, psychedelic soundscape, it leads listeners on an optimistic journey towards the wide-open summer ahead.
The accompanying video, hallucinogenic and beautifully evocative, was created by Bristol-based director Ruffmercy, who has previously worked with Thom Yorke, Run The Jewels, and DJ Shadow. Ruffmercy says that his connection to the song was almost instantaneous; a post-lockdown summer was looming and his nostalgia for 90s Chemical Brothers was activated. The video for The Darkness That You Fear features archive rave footage presented with hand-painted Super 8 film textures and hand drawn animation. The result is chaotic, frenetically paced splashes of colour to lift our emotions, to remind us there will again be a time to dance.
Watch the feel-good video below:
“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.”
– Tim Rowlands
The track sleeve for The Darkness That You Fear is from an artwork by the revered British abstract artist, the late Sir Terry Frost.
The Chemical Brothers (along with longtime visual collaborators Smith and Lyall) also created the closing installation for 2020’s Electronic – From Kraftwerk to The Chemical Brothers – the most popular exhibition London’s Design Museum has ever held.
The Darkness That You Fear is available now on all music streaming platforms
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