Friday 27 July 2012

Chemical Brothers - Theme for Velodrome


The Olympic committee have commissioned a number of tracks to be written for the Olympics, in addition to Muse's Survival being the official theme.  Theme for Velodrome is (unsurprisingly) the theme for the cycling.

Richly textured strings make way for a creepy robotic voice repeating "Vel-o-drome" like some sort of mechanical demon, followed by a frenetic synth ostinato that repeats like the endless turning of wheels.  The brothers have aimed to create something that suggests the "sense of speed, pace and drama" of cycling.  Dramatic doesn't begin to cut it.  Stylistically it's very Kraftwerk-esque (the grandfathers of techno themselves soundtracked the 2009 Tour de France), but equally wouldn't sound out of place on Daft Punk's Tron soundtrack.

Muse's rousing effort may be of operatic proportions, but the Chemical Brothers have channelled the determination and focus to win into a techno track imbued with urgency.

4/5

Listen: Alongside the Chemical Brothers track, the other official themes are Good Morning to the Night by Elton John vs Pnau; Good Life by Delphic; and Scream by Dizzee Rascal featuring Pepper.  Don't forget Mark Ronson and Katy B's Coca Cola effort too.