The Chemical Brothers

"Theme for Velodrome"

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Jul 20, 2012

As previously reported, a handful of English artists have contributed theme songs to the London 2012 Olympics. A while back, we got the sinister-sounding glam stomp "Survival" from Muse, and now electronic duo the Chemical Brothers have unveiled their cut, "Theme for Velodrome."

A symphonic string section ushers in the track in grand fashion, but the cycling-minded song eventually switches gears into a freewheeling blend of driving '80s electro beats and oscillating synth patterns. A robotic voice that announces "Vel…O…Drome" on the track may bring to mind Kraftwerk's similarly themed "Tour de France" composition, but the distorted talkbox effect kind of adds a jocky, "Living on a Prayer" feel to the piece.

You can check it out the BBC 1 radio rip down below.

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