Fatboy Slim to reissue debut album "Better Living Through Chemistry"

Fatboy Slim is reissuing his debut album, Better Living Through Chemistry, to mark its 30th anniversary, with a new edition carrying rarities, B-sides and fresh remixes. The album, all remastered at half speed, arrives digitally September 25 and on CD and vinyl October 2.

Released in 1996, Better Living Through Chemistry was Norman Cook's first record under the Fatboy Slim name, following stints in Freak Power, Pizzaman, Mighty Dub Katz, Beats International and The Housemartins. The album blended hip-hop, funk, house, reggae and indie influences pulled from London's electronic scene, and grew directly out of Cook's Big Beat Boutique club nights at Brighton's Concorde venue, helping kick off the big beat movement that defined British dance music through the late 1990s.

The original record included the singles "Everybody Needs A 303," "Punk To Funk" and "Going Out Of My Head." Cook said the album captured him "figuring out what I was doing," adding, "I was making music for the dancefloor, the bedroom, the afterparty and anyone who'd listen."

The anniversary edition adds a new remix from Dutch producer Sem Jacobs, while the digital version also carries additional remixes from Peruvian artist Chinonegro and Defected favorite Ammo Avenue. Physical copies come with new liner notes from journalist Alexis Petridis, offering fresh perspective on the album's influence three decades on.

The reissue comes the same week Cook made local headlines for investing in The Pipeline, a Brighton venue, continuing his long-running ties to the city's electronic scene. Better Living Through Chemistry joins a busy month of dance music reissues tracked on the release calendar.