It’s fair to say we all have a little place in our hearts for Chase and Status. They have soundtracked many a pre-drinks session and been the last song played at the sixth form prom, all the while managing to sustain a notable amount of industry credibility and an underground following.
What they have created is an ‘accessible’ underground, which everyone felt like they could a part of without feeling like too much of a dick, or being compelled to attend drum and bass nights and dance like they were on pills to FEEL like a fan. And, it’s for this very reason that their debut album More Than A Lot, absolutely blew up.
Now, three albums in, can duo Saul Milton & Will Kennard still successfully walk the tightrope between commercial and underground? They more than managed to with second LP No More Idols which went platinum, and with tracks like ‘Blind Faith’ and ‘End Credits’, which were just absolutely perfect, was it any wonder?
The first we heard of Brand New Machine was lead single ‘Lost and Not Found’, which is particularly reminiscent of the band's biggest hits. It makes you feel as if life is rushing past in an almost apocalyptic manner, deep sadness set aside whooshing dance beats.
Another jewel is current single ‘Count On Me’ featuring vocals from Moko, it’s a veritable a feast of retro rave euphoria. In a very Chase and Status manner, they have really honed in on that expansive ‘hype’ sound they are famed, for while throwing in a dose of cheesy (albeit earwormingly catchy) 90’s house, something we haven’t ever heard from them before.
What this record embodies is the ability to supply a pick ‘n mix of the many strains of dance music, anything from a bit of techno on the album’s opener ‘Gun Metal Grey’, pop garage on ‘Blk and Blu’ and trip hop which takes centre stage on ‘Heaven Knows’, ‘Like That’, and ‘What Is Right’.
Brand New Machine, as a title, is an almost ironic play on words. It is nothing new, more a homage to dance music from the last two decades, and who better than the Chase and Status boys to take us on this journey.
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