Electronica to save the world.

by Contributor

The History
Sprouting up from the soil of Caroline Records in 1993, Astralwerks really arrived on the scene in 1997, when they introduced the Chemical Brothers to America. In the ensuing hype, Astralwerks' name was batted around by countless dance-music devotees and industry wags as the label poised to usher in the new era of all-electronica, all-the-time.

Needless to say, that never quite happened the way it was supposed to. But Astralwerks has rounded up an impressive and diverse family of acts who approach electronica's future from many different angles.

The Sounds
Even as Astralwerks focuses on big, dumb, groovy and brilliant house (Basement Jaxx, Cassius, Les Rythmes Digitales), the bills still get paid by the big beat. Namely the big beat of Fatboy Slim, whose jacked tracks on "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" struck a chord with both those fully convinced and those suspicious of electronica's promise. The label also found room for French lounge hipsters Air and Scottish freak-out artists the Beta Band. —Andy Battaglia





More: on the Music page.