"Editorial abstract illustration evoking the emotional arc of a song titled "Setting Sun" by The Chemical Brothers. Noticeable climb from quiet to loud. layered composition, overlapping color planes. Mood: energetic, intense. Visual style: early-1990s alternative aesthetic, weathered film grain. Painterly, grainy film texture, muted palette with strategic accent colors. The composition should read left-to-right like a timeline — calm on one side, intensifying toward the other. Strictly no faces, no text, no logos, no literal objects, no band imagery. Pure color-field abstraction with emotional weight. 16:9 editorial format."
Balanced energy, right in the middle of 19,209 measured songs — measures out best for focus.
123
BPM
Setting Sun by The Chemical Brothers is 123 BPM — Allegro (fast).
Half-time 62 BPM · Double-time 246 BPM · released 1997
Fan image for "Setting Sun"
An abstract illustration of what this song feels like. Each image is built from a prompt — the text description fed to the image generator. Listeners submit their own prompts, upvote the ones that fit best, and the top-voted prompt drives the next regeneration. After 100 image votes, we make a new picture.
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Song DNA
Notes: The song features a driving beat with layered electronic textures and dynamic vocal samples, creating an immersive auditory experience. The energetic tempo and rhythmic variations contribute to a sense of movement and intensity.
Misophonia Triggers
Recommended for: energy movement workout
A high-energy electronic track that combines elements of rock and dance music, featuring prominent vocals and a pulsating rhythm.
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Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: energetic, intense
Traditions: big beat, electronic
Volume Warning
"Setting Sun" climbs hard.
Dynamic range 7/10 places this in our upper band. The opening volume that feels comfortable will not be comfortable at the climax. If you are setting this up for a focused listen, anchor your volume to the quietest section, not the loudest. The arc is the point of the song; if you blunt it by riding the volume knob, you lose what makes it work. The Chemical Brothers built the dynamic shape on purpose. Plan around it.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 7/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in The Chemical Brothers's catalog
We have 20 songs from The Chemical Brothers in the library. Of those, 0 are rated Safe, 13 Moderate, and 7 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 7/10 sits above the artist average of 6.8, making it the #2 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from Dig Your Own Hole
We have 2 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- Block Rockin' Beats — intense DR 7
1997 context
Released in 1997. We have 389 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.6/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1990s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
low-intensity Workout Music: Energy Without Overwhelm
low-intensity Workout Music: Energy Without Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on m…
The Calmest Songs We’ve Ever Measured
Out of 19,144 songs scored for intensity, these measure as the very calmest — the gentlest, steadies…
Even Flow: Pearl Jam’s Song for the Man Everyone Walks Past
Even Flow is Pearl Jam at full throttle — and underneath the riff is a portrait of a homeless man an…
How fast is "Setting Sun"?
123 BPM — Upbeat (dance-pop / running warm-up)
For running
Slow jog or recovery run pace. Matches a 120-140 stride-per-minute cadence.
For workouts
Steady cardio, power walking, light weights.
For daily life
Driving, getting ready in the morning, light party.
Browse more songs at 123 BPM.
When "Setting Sun" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
✗
Focus / studying
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
✓
Running / workout
Yes — 123 BPM sits squarely in the running / cardio band. Matches natural stride cadence.
✗
Sleep / winding down
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
✓
Driving / road trip
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
✓
Cooking / dinner background
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
~
Emotional release / catharsis
Not really — it's pleasant but doesn't hit hard enough for cathartic listening.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
low-intensity Workout Music: Energy Without Overwhelm
low-intensity Workout Music: Energy Without Overwhelm — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
A Sensory Guide to Every Radiohead Album — From Safe to Intense
A Sensory Guide to Every Radiohead Album — From Safe to Intense — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Classical Music for Sensory Sensitivity: What's Safe, What's Intense, and Why
Classical Music for Sensory Sensitivity: What's Safe, What's Intense, and Why — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
Why this rating
We rate this song Moderate because it falls between our Safe and Intense thresholds on at least one dimension. Moderate is the default for most well-produced music that has real arc but no surprise elements. Full rubric: methodology.
This song in the Music Studio
53/100 intensity
See how “Setting Sun” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-17. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
On our 19k-song scale this lands in the middle band — more energetic than 69% of songs, calmer than the other 31%. Its intensity reading of 53/100 comes from a dynamic range of 7/10, layered texture, mild shifts, and dynamic vocals. It shares this stretch of the spectrum with thousands of other tracks, so the finer fingerprint below is what really separates it.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is a fast, driving tempo: more extreme on that axis than 81% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Blueprint — Fugazi · 99%The Obvious Child — Paul Simon · 99%Happy — The Rolling Stones · 99%Drunk Girls — LCD Soundsystem · 99%
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Sleep3/10
Focus7/10
Workout6/10
Dinner7/10
Party / hype6/10
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1997 in context
The 389 songs we’ve measured from 1997 average a dynamic range of 6.6/10. At 7/10, this track is right in line with its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
Intensity53
Dynamics67
Tempo46
Surprise25
Density33
Predictability50
Vocal force75
Trigger load38
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Setting Sun"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Setting Sun" by The Chemical Brothers?
"Setting Sun" by The Chemical Brothers has a tempo of 123 BPM (Allegro (fast)). At half-time that is 62 BPM, and at double-time 246 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Setting Sun" by The Chemical Brothers?
"Setting Sun" by The Chemical Brothers rates as Moderate intensity. Dynamic range 7/10, mild sudden changes, layered texture. Moderate is the default for well-produced music with real arc but no surprise elements.
How loud is "Setting Sun" — what is its dynamic range?
"Setting Sun" has a dynamic range of 7/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "Setting Sun" have sudden or surprising changes?
"Setting Sun" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "Setting Sun" best for?
In our library "Setting Sun" is recommended for: energy, movement, workout. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Setting Sun" released?
"Setting Sun" is from 1997, on the album "Dig Your Own Hole". It appears in our 1990s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Setting Sun"?
We tag "Setting Sun" as energetic, intense. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Setting Sun"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Setting Sun" good for running?
Yes — at 123 BPM it sits in the running-cadence band (120-180 BPM). Match your stride to the beat and it keeps pace with most recreational runners.
Is "Setting Sun" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (7/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Setting Sun" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Contains transitions that will wake you up.
Should I listen to "Setting Sun"?
"Setting Sun" is Moderate intensity — fine for most listeners, but with enough dynamic activity that it works best as active listening rather than background.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
What this song means to people
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Where to next?
You know how this one feels — now go find the next one.