big beat: THE BEST MUSIC EVER?

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the world begins and fucks everyone sloppily with that first track on better living through chemistry, it does.

― ethan, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Actually, I think you'll find that the true paragon is "Everybody Needs A 303". Or possibly "The Private Psychadelid Reel". No, I'm listening to "Everybody..." right now and it's pretty much the best song ever.

― Dan Perry, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

or Block Rockin' Beats...

― g, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Accuse me of loving cheese but I like Santa Cruz very much.

Also that song with Beth Orton off DYOH is great.

― Ronan, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

narrow and brief musical fads = fun while it lasts, but lets not get carried away.

Curiously there was a psychobilly record lable once called "big beat" - though obviously psychobilly is a more innovative, diverse and interesting genre than Big Beat.

― Alexander Blair, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

But Candy Del Mar on drums is hardly "big beat", hahaha.

― Simon, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the beth orton song on dig your own hole is amazing, that loop was created by god or something. psychobilly or whatever the fuck is terrible.

― ethan, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It beats the Beth Orton one on Surrender brutally and heavily.

And Setting Sun is way better than Let Forever Be.

In fact thinking about it more the singles from DYOH never got the saturation that the ones off Surrender did. Net result, give me Elektrobank above Out of Control any time.

― Ronan, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

actually, "Michael Jackson" is the greatest N. Cook track ever-- you're all wrong.

― M. Matos, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah yes, house for beer drinking lumberjacks or as somebody once remarked to me: the Baroque of House Music. :) Never got the hang of it myself, save 'Rockafella Skank' and 'Right Here, Right Now'. Chemicals got good again once they dumped those Shite Rockin Beats. 'Setting Sun' one of the most overrated singles of the 90s (mind you 'Let Forever Be' is even worse). I'll take the retro-rave of 'Hey Boy Hey Girl'/'Under the Inluence' over any of that Dig Your Own Anus.

― Omar, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

it all starts souding, uh, pretty wearily enthusiastic when you hear a 2-hr mix of it somewhere. I just can't stay "excited" like that for very long. But there are some good songs, I reckon. I like the Dave Clarke remix of "Chemical Beats", and that Boy's Own EP that's got One Too Many Mornings and Dope Coil on it. MMm... why isn't it all better tho? It's certainly the most "rock n roll" of electrified- future-music genres; it seems like it would have limitless potential.

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can't stand big beat, for me it will forever = cunts in Lambretta shirts...

― DG, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

LOL Omar. I still like much of 'Better Living through Chemistry', and 'Bentley Rhythm Ace' had its moments but like 'Exit Planet Dust' hasn't aged well. The lack of po-faced purity was refreshing, the mix-it-up/mash-it-up attitude fun, but the formula soon wore thin, it got stuck in a rut.

― stevo, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am w/DG on this one. Big Beat always brings to my mind meatheads beating up thee effete (This = a bad thing)

― Norman Phay, Friday, 19 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm sorry but can some on explain the term 'big beat' who/what artists does it encompass? does it include freq nasty/deejay punkroc/cut la roc/freddy fresh/jon carter/sonic mook experiment or is it merely the happier funkier more sample heavy end of things a la BRA/FBS/lo fi allstars.. etc I'm confused...

― el wanko, Saturday, 20 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's pretty much dead now.

Jon Carter is still an absolute legend though.

The future now is Stanton Warriors, as I see it.

― Ronan, Saturday, 20 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

as with many things it was a time and a place for me, nascent clubbing years 16 and 17 going out in brighton, fat boy killed it, after making the seminal album BLTC. search the brassic beats comps destroy everything that came out after 2nd fatboy album, inc you've come a long way baby, destroy also breaks and beats (whatever the fuck that is sub hip hop rubbish) will reserve judgement on the stanton warriors until I;ve seen them next month

― Ed, Sunday, 21 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Big Beat is the worse genre of music ever. leaden, wheezing crap with no redeeming features.

― gareth, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ONE redeeming feature, actually, viz "Decksandrumsandrockandroll".

Hi to gianfranco.

― Jeff, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Search: Live at the Heavenly Social Vol.2 mixed by Jon Carter.

― Andrew Farrell, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yeah definitely, thats a wicked cd. The Special Ed song is fucking amazing.

Ed, I am now very jealous cos Stantons are showing no signs of coming here. It'll be interesting to see what you think.

― Ronan, Monday, 22 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

ronan on the stanton warriors' 'da antidote', what is that film sample? i can't place it. i think it's a film sample at least, from the score of something i know i've seen.

― ethan, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'll check when I get home if its credited.

― Ronan, Friday, 14 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

After last night in Wanstead my earlier verdict on Big Beat = doubly true.

― DG, Saturday, 15 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes did something crawl down those lambretta shirt wearing ruffians throats and die?

― Ronan, Saturday, 15 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

stanton warriors?!?! are u insane?? what ing jesus f christs name has a bunch of arses trying to mix beats with 2step got to do with bigbeat?? i would disagree with bigbeat being the best music ever, who can say what the best music ever is? however, bigbeat sure aint dead. i wish uk garage was dead mind u!

― chewie, Tuesday, 18 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

where did it go ?

― s.r.w. (s.r.w.), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

the buzz fizzled like with most sub-genres. Fatboy Slim and a few others (Freestylers and what have you) went overground being the main catalyst perhaps. people started getting back into 4/4 grooves again or preferred the breaks sped up and more sophisticated (adam freeland etc.). its burst of popularity in '96 was akin to that of jungle in '94 - a brace of tracks hit the charts but most people got bored of it after a year or so. great fun while it lasted.

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

The best Fatboy Slim track was his remix of Wildchild's "Renegade Master"

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

10 big beat classics

Genaside II 'Narra Mine (Armand Van Helden mix)'
Death In Vegas 'Opium Shuffle (Monkey Mafia mix)'
Dee-Jay Punk Roc 'Dead Husband'
Chemical Brothers 'Piku'
Coldcut 'More Beats & Pieces'
Lo Fidelity All Stars 'Battleflag'
Fluke 'Atom Bomb'
Monkey Mafia ft Patra 'Work Mi Body'
Death In Vegas 'Dirt'
Super Dense Child 'Project Arthur'

if you think of big beat as being more 'electro meets punk meets Carry On samples' rather than 'lagerlouts spilling your pint and Norman Cook holding up signs saying 'don't you wish you were me?' then its much better

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Am I the only one who feels it, or is there really a revival of breaks underway? Adam Freeland and his fellow pale-faced progheads are finally looking out of their inward-looking scene and start having a bit of fun again (heard his recent remixes of Nirvana and the White Stripes? Not completely there yet, but it's coming!), Junkie XL has become fairly succesful by doing both old-fashioned big beat and more prog-type breaks, you have the Germans (Tomcraft, Moguai, etc) doing big room electro/breaks, Audio Bullys and Plump DJ's in the UK...

― Siegbran (eofor), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"The best Fatboy Slim track was his remix of Wildchild's "Renegade Master" "

was herr fattenboy even in the studio/country when his engineer did this?

― frenchbloke (frenchbloke), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Search: Live at the Heavenly Social Vol.2 mixed by Jon Carter

ages old thread ... older CD, listened to it only yesterday!!! still great!

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 18 June 2003 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

Have been visiting my hometown of Brighton this weekend, after catching up with old mates I had totally forgotten how much of a big beat fan I was! We used to clubbing every Friday night and explode with the freshness of the tunes. The drugs, the beats, the way it all felt so new. Do you think, 12 years later it was a moment in time that deserves recognition, or did you just have to be there to appreciate it? I just remember how much fucking fun I had! Goodtimes :)

― captain rosie, Saturday, 12 March 2011 22:31 (fifteen years ago)

2. Cannibal Ox: The Cold Vein
8. Missy Elliot: Miss E... So Addictive
11. Saul Williams: Amethyst Rock Star
12. Jay-Z: The Blueprint
37. Roots Manuva: Run Come Save Me
38. Buck 65: Man Overboard
44. Aesop Rock: Labor Days
lol 2001
― and what, Thursday, June 14, 2007 10:16 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― Whiney On The Goon (Whiney G. Weingarten), Saturday, 12 March 2011 22:32 (fifteen years ago)

OTM whiney

― captain rosie, Saturday, 12 March 2011 22:43 (fifteen years ago)

― 40% chill and 100% negative (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 13 March 2011 01:26 (fifteen years ago)

knew this was an ethan thread

― frogbs (flopson) (crüt), Sunday, 13 March 2011 04:53 (fifteen years ago)

Curiously there was a psychobilly record lable once called "big beat" - though obviously psychobilly is a more innovative, diverse and interesting genre than Big Beat.

― frogbs (flopson) (crüt), Sunday, 13 March 2011 04:54 (fifteen years ago)

Big beat was very much of its time, but it seems it filled the same space as say, Justice et al did 3 or 4 years ago, or whatever the kids are listening to now that's got the same rushy big compressed drums and busy distorted trebles everywhere that annoys "proper" dance fans. I suspect that in 2040 there'll be a good Nuggets-esque 4CD big beat box set.

― Yossarian's sense of humour (NotEnough), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 10:08 (fifteen years ago)

Big beats are the best, get high all the time.

― trippy funeral orgy scene (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 10:20 (fifteen years ago)

Big beat was very much of its time, but it seems it filled the same space as say, Justice et al did 3 or 4 years ago, or whatever the kids are listening to now that's got the same rushy big compressed drums and busy distorted trebles everywhere that annoys "proper" dance fans. I suspect that in 2040 there'll be a good Nuggets-esque 4CD big beat box set.
― Yossarian's sense of humour (NotEnough), Tuesday, March 22, 2011 10:08 AM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark

'the true continuum'

― BIG GERTRUDE aka the steindriver (history mayne), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 10:26 (fifteen years ago)

It's going to be called "Buggets"

― Mark G, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 11:55 (fifteen years ago)

Part of me's kind of unsure what Big Beat really was. It seems to conjure up horrible comedy indie-dance like Lo-Fi Allstars and Bentley Rhythm Ace in my mind, but there was also Fatboy Slim (who got famous well after the original craze). I've heard people (usually Americans) refer to Prodigy as Big Beat. And the first Chems album was supposedly Big Beat, but it sounded nothing like stuff on Skint records.

― farielan chosder bout a chagh an i ballme trantuming (dog latin), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 12:18 (fifteen years ago)

Some good discussion on big beat history and lineage in this thread:

best big beat song ever poll

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 12:24 (fifteen years ago)

Btw, I recently found this Westbam single that sounds pretty much like big beat, except that it was made in 1990.

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 12:26 (fifteen years ago)

anyone who calls The Prodigy "big beat" has no idea what they're talking about

― ancient, but very sexy (DJP), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 15:48 (fifteen years ago)

I dunno, at the time parts of Fat of the Land certainly felt like Prodigy was attempting to do their version big beat. Obviously it wasn't a huge stretch from their earlier sound ("Poison" especially), but I can't imagine them doing a tune like "Narayan" if The Chem Bros hadn't made "Setting Sun".

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 15:56 (fifteen years ago)

"their version of big beat"

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 15:56 (fifteen years ago)

"Setting Sun" and "Narayan" sound nothing alike

you might have an argument with "Leave Home"

― ancient, but very sexy (DJP), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 16:00 (fifteen years ago)

stanton warriors?!?! are u insane?? what ing jesus f christs name has a bunch of arses trying to mix beats with 2step got to do with bigbeat?? i would disagree with bigbeat being the best music ever, who can say what the best music ever is? however, bigbeat sure aint dead. i wish uk garage was dead mind u!
― chewie, Tuesday, December 18, 2001 1:00 AM (9 years ago) Bookmark

A+ post.

― No more war/No more hate/Got my girl swag on/Got my girl swag on (seandalai), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 16:05 (fifteen years ago)

I'd like to think that chewie now spends his time posting abusive Youtube comments.

― No more war/No more hate/Got my girl swag on/Got my girl swag on (seandalai), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 16:06 (fifteen years ago)

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