Chase and Status No More Idols Review: A Controlled Explosion
This is my Chase and Status No More Idols vinyl review from my vinyl collection. All reviews on this site are from my own collection, and all views expressed are my own.
Album Details
Release Date: 28 January 2011
Label: RAM RECORDS
Tracklist:
- No Problem
- Fire In Your Eyes
- Let You Go
- Blind Faith
- Fool Yourself
- Hypest Hype
- Hitz
- Heavy
- Brixton Briefcase
- Brixton Briefcase
- Flashing Lights
- Embrace
- Time
- Midnight Caller
- End Credits
When the Underground Went Overground
When No More Idols dropped in 2011, it didn’t creep in. It blasted. Chase and Status weren’t aiming for the underground anymore. This was a full swing at the masses. And somehow, they pulled it off without losing their teeth.
The Jump from Cult to Chart
Before No More Idols, Chase and Status lived in clubs and raves. Their 2008 debut, More Than Alot, earned them respect in drum and bass circles. But this follow-up shot them into a much bigger space.
A Perfect Storm for Dance Music
The UK in 2011 was primed for it. Dubstep had bubbled into the mainstream. Drum and bass were no longer niche.
Pop stars flirted with dance music. Chase and Status stepped in, blending it all into a loud, hooky, and surprisingly sharp record.
Heavy But Polished
Let’s start with the sound. This record is dense. Every track is loaded with energy.
But unlike many EDM records of the time, No More Idols feels controlled. The drops hit, but never slop into chaos. The beats are tight. The mix is clean. You can hear the work behind it.
“Let You Go” with Mali opens the album with a surge. The synths pulse. The drums crack. Mali’s vocals float over the top, giving the track a strange mix of heartbreak and euphoria. It sets the tone.
Big emotions.
Bigger beats.
Smart Guests, Sharp Hooks
One of the smartest moves here is the guest list. Chase and Status pulled from multiple worlds. This kept the record from feeling one-note.
On “Blind Faith,” they pair with Liam Bailey. His soulful voice adds weight to the track’s anthemic feel. It’s one of the album’s strongest cuts. The hook latches on and refuses to let go.
Then there’s “Hitz,” featuring Tinie Tempah. The beat is dark and punchy, with Tinie snapping through his verses. It’s a pure flex track, and it works.
Elsewhere, Dizzee Rascal shows up for “Heavy.” The title fits. The beat slams and Dizzee sounds at home over the grinding bass.
These features help push the album into different spaces without losing its core.
Drum and Bass Roots Hold Strong
While No More Idols shoots for big moments, it never forgets where it came from. “Hypest Hype” featuring Tempa T brings pure grime energy. The rapid-fire vocals and racing drums feel raw and alive.
Tracks like “Time” with Delilah show another side. It’s smoother, slower, but still deeply rhythmic. Delilah’s haunting voice floats over sparse beats before the bass kicks in like a gut punch. It’s a perfect example of the duo’s ability to build tension.
Not Just for the Club
What made No More Idols stand out in 2011 and still does today is its range. It worked on the radio. It worked in clubs. It worked on headphones. The production is layered enough to reward close listening but immediate enough to hit on the first play.
Even tracks like “Brixton Briefcase” with Cee-Lo Green feel bold. It’s an odd pairing on paper. Cee-Lo’s voice is smoother than most of the guests, but the song leans into a funkier vibe. It’s not the album’s strongest cut, but it shows their willingness to experiment.
The Weak Spots
Not every track lands. “Flashing Lights” with Sub Focus and Takura feels a bit formulaic compared to the rest. The drop doesn’t hit as hard. The melody feels borrowed from better moments on the record.
There’s also a sense, at times, that the album stretches to fill its 15-track run. A tighter 10 or 12 might have hit even harder. But even at its weakest, the record never fully loses steam.
A Snapshot of Its Time
Listening now, No More Idols feels like a time capsule of early 2010s UK dance music. The genre cross-pollination. The embrace of grime, pop, dubstep, and drum and bass in one package. Few acts at the time managed to blend it as cleanly as Chase and Status did here.
This was also a moment where electronic acts weren’t afraid to aim for the charts. But Chase and Status didn’t water down their sound to do it. Instead, they sharpened it.
Vinyl Thoughts
No More Idols vinyl review
On vinyl, No More Idols shines. The bass feels warmer. The space between elements opens up. The drums hit with a bit more snap. For a record so reliant on low-end power, the format serves it well.
The artwork holds up, too. The black-and-yellow idol imagery pops on a full LP sleeve. It’s a strong package for collectors.
The Legacy
No More Idols set Chase and Status up for the next decade. It showed they could move between scenes. They weren’t stuck in drum and bass. They weren’t chasing pop either. They made their own space.
The record also helped open doors for other UK electronic acts to push into the mainstream without compromise. You can hear its fingerprints in later records by acts like Rudimental and Sigma.
Final Verdict
No More Idols remains one of Chase and Status’ strongest albums. It’s a rare mix of accessibility and edge. The songs hit hard but don’t feel disposable. The features are sharp. The production holds up over a decade later.
For anyone collecting UK electronic records, this one earns its place on the shelf.
I hope you enjoyed this No More Idols vinyl review, and if you have any questions or comments on it, please reach out to me. You can CONTACT me here.
If you like EDM then check out my post on EDM IN MOVIES.
