DAD rock is an established music genre, but what about its trendier cousin, dad rave? Here are the evergreen tracks now serving as a soundtrack to DIY and car journeys.
Where’s Your Head At, Basement Jaxx
The heavy bass hook really keeps the energy levels up while you’re painting the spare room, although you feel the credit should go to Gary Numan as there’s not much of a song without the sample of M.E.. You’d also prefer not to be reminded of your increasing resemblance to Chris Moyles in the video due to middle-aged spread.
Chime, Orbital
Once a track for taking Es to, you’ve discovered it’s also great for family car journeys. It’s catchy enough to stop you nodding off on the M40 on the way to Warwick Castle, but not hardcore enough to make you want to irresponsibly put your foot down with kids in the back. Orbital probably factored all this in when they were writing it.
Yeah, Yeah, Bodyrox feat. Luciana
The clever bassline and Luciana’s distinctive vocals are great for taking your mind off the tedium of cleaning the guttering. It’d be even better if Luciana herself was there. Not because you’ve carried a minor torch for her for two decades, you’d just really appreciate her holding the ladder.
The Day Is My Enemy, The Prodigy
‘The day is my enemy/ The night my friend’ go the lyrics. Sadly you’ll just have to imagine you’re a mysterious creature of the night like Blade or a hardcore clubber who goes to all-nighters. These days you’re in bed by midnight or you want to lie down on the floor and quietly die from exhaustion at work the next day.
Nothing Is Forever, Ultracynic
Catchy, bittersweet house hit. When you look back over the events of your life with the wisdom of age, remembering the lost loves, the ephemeral nature of your successes and the fleeting moments of true happiness, you have to agree with Ultracynic: nothing is forever. Except lawn moss, it appears.
Come Together – Hypnotone Brain Machine Mix, Primal Scream
Cool remix that does interesting things with the overplayed 1990 hit, giving it a trippy, hypnotic vibe. Feeling detached from reality is definitely the frame of mind you want to be in when faced with the misery of painting the skirting boards.
Human Nature, Gary Clail On-U Sound System
Dub/house crossover relic from a time when Adamski and Altern 8 roamed the Earth. Still, the extended Martin Luther King Jr sample about racism puts your own problems with flatpack furniture into perspective. Gary himself always seemed like a decent bloke, with his socially-aware lyrics and work with the homeless. He’d help you find that f**king Pozidriv screwdriver.
Destroy, The Prodigy
Not the Prodigy at their most innovative, but the minimalist lyrics consisting entirely of the word ‘destroy’ and the overbearing sense of menace make it ideal for mowing the lawn. You are become Death, destroyer of grass.
Born Slippy, Underworld
This misunderstood rave classic sounds like it’s telling you to get shitfaced (it’s really not) and became synonymous with Trainspotting. So it’s a morale-boosting reminder that you did drugs once and weren’t always shuttling ungrateful bastards to music lessons. Also Renton was still an estate agent in Trainspotting 2, which makes you feel better about your own mediocre career. Until you remember the film kicks off with him having a heart attack.
I Love It, Icona Pop
Pop rather than dance, but worth adding to any dad playlist because it’s insanely catchy. More importantly, the bizarre fact that it was written by Charli XCX in 2012 means you were technically ‘into’ Charli long before your own children, which proves you’re cool and bears smugly pointing out repeatedly until they’re sick of it.
