Don't Think (Live from Japan)

Recorded at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival, Don't Think is a chance for those who haven't either seen The Chemical Brothers or kept up with their ever-expanding live show to get an idea of just how far the duo has come. Material here stretches back to The Chemical Brothers' early pre-LP days up to the title track, which appeared in the Darren Aronofsky film Black Swan (but not on the soundtrack album). The audience plays an important part in the recording, providing a sense of breathlessness and rapture at the over-the-top ballistics of electronica's first and most deserving arena-bound performers. Their music's unapologetically relentless and aggressive. Listen to the divebomb synths and the rattling rifle shots of the rhythm track of "Believe" to hear an electronica act that uses the theatrical power of rock 'n' roll and hip-hop. "Leave Home/Galvanize" has all the punch and power of a punk rock single in its two-plus minutes. Their classic "Block Rockin' Beats" brings a mechanized funk that promises and delivers the apocalypse. They obviously play off the crowd's energy, and the overmodulated mix makes things sound even more rich and cathartic.