The Chemical Brothers - Hey Boy Hey Girl

What this video is

Released on 31 May 1999 as the lead single from 'Surrender,' 'Hey Boy Hey Girl' arrived at the peak of the UK's big beat-to-mainstream pipeline, when electronic acts like The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, and Prodigy had moved from underground raves to Top 5 chart positions and arena headlining slots. The single peaked at #3 on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for 10 weeks, and reached the top 10…

Why it matters

A landmark artifact of late-90s big beat, the video's tight editorial sync between the percussive track and skeletal visual payoffs defined a template for electronic music video production. Its practical-effects surrealism over a linear narrative — rather than pure abstraction — helped legitimize…

The director

dom&nic is the working name of British directing duo Nic Goffey and Dominic Hawley, who have been directing music videos and commercials since 1994. They met as teenagers at a comprehensive school in Wheatley, Oxfordshire. Their portfolio spans Oasis, David…