The Chemical Brothers: Brotherhood

During the mainstream “electronica” craze of the 1990s, the Chemical Brothers were avatars of Big Beat maximalism, alongside The Crystal Method, Fatboy Slim and others. This best-of album collects their most incendiary hits, from “Galvanize” (a swaggering anthem with Q-Tip on vocals) to “Setting Sun” (a psychedelic nightmare featuring Noel Gallagher), plus a solid new track (the acidy “Keep My Composure,” featuring Spank Rock). This high-impact compilation, brimming with sirens, hortatory drum rolls and spine-tingling stereo pans, helps us imagine what it might feel like to be a pinball. The flashing lights and flammable beats are aimed right at our X-ed out pleasure centers, predating the long comedown of minimal house. The quality is indisputable, although one might question why the Chems need another best-of. The answer is disc two of Brotherhood, an invaluable collection of their “Electronic Battle Weapons” (promo tracks released to DJs for field testing). “I was under the influence,” goes a repeated vocal sample on one of them: well, no duh.