my Chems日本語
From the album Come with Us

Single14 January 2002Atomic number 18

Star Guitar

Star Guitar artwork
Artwork (quoted for review and commentary)2

Ground #4A1D2CInk 1 #E4E9EDInk 2 #E0E6EBAccent #8B2733Plate colours (taken from the artwork)

Contrast body 12.4:1 heading 11.4:1

Pulse 127 BPM (measured)

Listen

The video embedded on the official site1 Open on YouTube

Record

Released
14 January 20023
UK peak
No. 84
Notes
Video by the Gondry brothers, synchronised on graph paper, with the scenery modelled from everyday objects3
Notes
Uses Tom's guitar, a Parker MIDI Fly, processed into the computer5

Tracklist

  1. 1Star Guitar - Edit2
  2. 2Star Guitar2
  3. 3Star Guitar - Pete Heller's Expanded Mix2
  4. 4Star Guitar - Pete Heller's 303 Dub2
  5. 5Base 62

Music

BPM
127 BPM
Key
Am (8A)

Technology

Context

Testimony

“Star Guitar and Pioneer Skies happened when we got bored with the machines”

Ed Simons. On making Come with Us5

Reviews

“it's really, really nice”

NME, Jim Wirth6

View (DJ Naoyaman)

This song begins where they got bored with the machines.

Released on 14 January 2002, it reached No. 8 in the UK.34 Ed later said "Star Guitar" came about when they got bored with the machines. The shifting sound is Tom playing a Parker MIDI Fly guitar, sent through an effect into the computer.5

Michel and Olivier Gondry made the video: scenery outside a train window appears and vanishes in time with the track. Michel is said to have plotted the synchronisation on graph paper and modelled the landscape from everyday objects before shooting.73

Pitchfork's Scott Plagenhoef first wrote that it didn't leave much of an impression, and later called it a fantastic track he had grossly underrated.3

Rewrites like that make me a little happy. In this site's terms, it is a delayed reaction on the critic's side.

Translated from the Japanese original.

Afterwards

Own

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  1. The Chemical Brothers, “Official site: Star Guitar (video)”
  2. The Chemical Brothers, “Official site: Star Guitar (release page)”
  3. Wikipedia, “Star Guitar”
  4. Wikipedia, “The Chemical Brothers discography”
  5. Diffuser, “15 Years Ago: Chemical Brothers Ramp Up Their Sound on 'Come With Us'”
  6. NME, “NME: Star Guitar review”
  7. uDiscover Music, “'Come With Us': Behind The Chemical Brothers' Unbeatable Offer”