Underworld - Classic or Dud?

I recommmend _dubnobass..._ because that's the best Underworld album and it's a genuinely good album. _Second Toughest..._ isn't nearly as strong and hearing "Push Upstairs" and "Jumbo" put me off of getting _Beaucoup Fish_, which I'll admit might have been a mistake because "King Of Snake" and "Cups" both rank up there among the best songs they've ever done. (But is it another case where the single is stormin' and the album is limpid? I don't know.)

But "Beaucoup Fish" is worth getting. Both "Push Upstairs" improve the more familiar you are with them - both seem insanely repetitive to begin with, but I found both grew on me enormously once I went walking around the city with them on my headphones. Plus, you're missing out on "Cups" (deep house par excellence), "Bruce Lee" (hip hop meets Detroit techno), "Kittens" (a storming epic), "Something Like A Mama" (jungle-inflected track like "Pearl's Girl" with its tongue in its cheek) and of course "King Of Snake". It's a strong album.

Admittedly, I am biased (met them live several times) and I am more of an ambient/idm fan (ala FSOL & AFX) & some trance (Juno Reactor), and have been for over a decade, so there's your caveat and explanation of my fangirl-ishness.

I could listen to that all day. Or at least for about 4 minutes, when I'd get really irritated and want to bust up something. Still.

For the most part I find Underworld a bit boring but I still have their CDs because I like some of the songs. They're really not a classic or a dud, to be honest. They're more an existance.

Strange - that's what initially attracted me to Underworld; and was the first step I took towards electronic/dance music - I hadn't heard any interesting throwaway cutup soundbytes-strung-together fractured- narrative stuff before, and the music seemed to be the perfect accompaniment to this - I couldn't imagine Karl Hyde-isms succeeding over a guitar backdrop etc. And as someone a very long way away indeed from Underworld's BritCity; it seemed oh so very exotic&mysterious&sexy. Inauthenticity of musical tourism, and all that guff; but Underworld were something I could be palpably excited by; and a doorway to a whole new world of music, apologies for RAGING CLICHES.

And I love Karl Hyde's lyrics.

i like all of their albums but [i]dubnobass..[/i] is defintely my favourite. i love the fact that the albums contain pure dance floor killers next to more downtempo tracks like [i]dirty epic[/i] and [i] m.e[/i]

they are also jaw-droppingly fantastic live - i've seen them seven times - and they were really the pioneers of taking dance music into the live arena and in so doing paved the way for bands like [b] orbital, chemical brothers[/b] and [/b]the prodigy[/b] to follow in their footsteps.

there's plenty of their live gigs available on audiogalaxy including the superb european club gig. fans should also check out [url] http://www.underworldlive.com[/url] which is an official site where you can download soundboard recordings of some of their gigs as well as some recent studio stuff such as the blue mountain sessions.

Those two tracks are great. I think I need to live with them a little more before they really sink in, but so far they're much better than, say, the ambient tracks on the "Pearl's Girl" single. (None of them can touch "Tongue", though.)

now, on to my ancedote, which is about how the promo vinyl we got for 'King of Snake' was a 12" and os I put it on at 33 and it was SUPER FUNKY like WOW until Karl's vox came in and it sounded like he was a dying robot from planet Opium. So I put it on 45 and it turned into house music, which while quite good was not nearly as enjoyable as the 33 version.

echo...

I also went to one of the concerts (Broadcast on Radio 1!!!!!) at around the time of "Dubnobass...", (The same night as they found the body of Kurt Cobain!!!!) and it was grebt/GRATE/etc!!!!! Unlike the recent "live" album, it was one big long DJ mix style jam, mixing in various bits of their songs. The track on the live album which mixes "Cowgirl" and "Rez" is nearest equivalent- imagine a whole concert like that with most of the tracks from "Dubnobass..." and an early version "Born Slippy"!!!! (I've actually got a tape of it somewhere, taped of the radio...)

Anyways, Underworld is still classic because did I mention that "Tin There" is basically my favorite techno barnburner ever?

The kickass house/blues romp "Big Mouth" (with some guy named Philadelphia Slim whom I've never heard of on harmonica!!) is another awesome underrated early Underworld song. Underworld kicks ass.

(I'm sorry I won't pimp out that article ever again, this is the millionth time, prob haven't written anything decent for free since, it was 18 months ago)

But I must ask: If Underworld's a dud, who's classic?

...Ball ist rund. Spiel dauert 90 Minuten. Soviel ist schon mal klar. Alles andere ist Theorie...

I love how each record they make gets more and more minimal, but it doesn't diminish the impact at all.

With the benefit of hindsight, Darren Emerson leaving seems to have been beneficial.

That said, they are one of my faves.

I think it would ride pretty high in my best of the 90s, FWIW. For all I know I might have bypassed electronic music almost entirely if not for that album and 'In Sides'

"Juanite/Kiteless/Confusion The Waitress" would pass muster if it wasn't 8,000 years long.

Mencap, me too! I owe it al to STITI. It's the record that got me into electronic music, house music, DANCE music even.

gem, is that comp really worth buying? Couldn't I just burn it myself? What's the appeal?

'Rez' was a rare example of a video making me dislike the track more (which i initially thought was ok, then liked a lot) as opposed to the other way round. still prefer 'Cowgirl' tho.

Heh, the last three on there especially just kind of go by in a nameless haze (bringing us back to roxy's point).

not if you have all of the originals of course. but i don't. so it was for me.

There is nothing in the songs "Blueski", "Stagger" and "Juanita" (for example) that sounds anything like anything in the other two.

partly i think the danceability of second toughest is subtle yet powerful- the repetitive figures of the "juanita/kiteless" opening block at first just make you bounce around a little bit, jiggle a leg in your seat or whatever, but by later you're humming along with the vocoder and it picks up speed. this is opposed to the danceability of, say, "push upstairs," which just starts bashing down the door and forcing you to dance with the detroit-ness of it all and builds even more on that.

neither is a better approach.

OTM OTM OTM OTM and incidentally this is why "Pearl's Girl" is the only track on the album that works.

_Second Toughest..._ comes across like they took the miniscule edge of _dubnobass..._ and sanded it off of every track, leaving a completely innoffensive and uninvolving puddle of bland (with the SOLE exception of "Pearl's Girl"); the entire reason why most of those songs work better in a live situation is because beefed up through a gigantic club system with all of the live filter processing and feedback inherent in the setup the tracks regain bite and crispness. I first heard most of the _Second Toughest..._ material live at one of their shows in support of the album and was DEEPLY LET DOWN by the faceless blancmange that they put in the stores, so I basically turned back to the drum n bass CDs that were piling up next to my stereo and wrote them off for YEARS.

I've been meaning to listen to dubnobass and stiti again - it's been a while.

Spoonman
Juanita: Kiteless (preferably in some version that cuts the "To Dream of Love" part)
Eclipse
Minneapolis
Confusion the Waitress
Cherry Pie
Cups
Dark & Long
maybe Why Why Why

burn a CD-R, get the hits, and that should be about all that's necessary.

Rick and Karl will be presenting Tuesday night's show.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/johnpeel/thisweek/thisweek.shtml#sess1

(yes I recently downloaded the live BBC mp3s)

these days i'm always surprised how much i like '100 days off' whenever i re-listen to it. they fckn ruled didn't they?
they might again!

Wow; well that's certainly different from my opinion anyway. I often think that Banstyle/Sappys Curry is my favourite track of the '90s. Bland is the last thing I'd describe it as. The first half hour of that record I think are amongst the best half hour of music I've ever heard. Not to worry, we're obviously looking for different things in it.

Not to worry, we're obviously looking for different things in it.

Yeah, I've come to the conclusion that the particular itch that STITI scratches is an itch I pretty much have never had.

DOOT!

Seeyoolaaaaayta Seeyoolaaaaayta aHEPMEAnownowaHEPMEanownownooooooowww yeah...

Wonder why I never posted on this thread, actually. Great of course but I'm too under the weather to say more than that.

I like Underworld, but their remix of Depeche Mode's "Barrel Of a Gun" still leaves me quite cold.

chillout music innit

"alfie" looks like that guy from Lord of the Rings

Or a cut-rate 1970s Brian Eno.

http://www.underworldlive.com/index/shop.html

Sure I like their more mellow new tunes, but I still would absolutely kill to hear them do another total rockin' monster 12" banger like "Cowgirl" or "Cups" or "Spikee." Hell, NOBODY does totally rockin' monster 12" bangers anymore. Ah well.

Highly recommended. Hope the Euros are going to the Cocoon gig in October, it will be one for the ages.

1. Thing Happens
2. St Pancras
3. Sad Amira
4. Monkey One
5. Not Talking
6. Hungerford Bridge
7. We Love Bea
8. Happy Toast
9. Monkey Two
10. Will And Amira
11. Primrose Hill
12. So Ree
13. Mending Things
14. Broken Entered
15. Piano Modal
16. Counterpoint Hang Pulse

Roxor.

Going to see them March 28th!

I can't wait to hear whether they still have it live.

where, roxy?

I've spent the last year or two or three periodically obsessing over "Moaner."

SHE'S CALLING FROM AMERICA

Second Toughest is incredible, but I've somehow not managed to get into any other of their albums.

^^^ crazypants

second toughest seems like the most successful album of their career in terms of hanging together as one piece but their other stuff is awesome too

Which other album would you say is the pick of the bunch?

i would say beaucoup fish b/c it doesn't have any weak tracks at all, though dubnobasswithmyheadman has a couple of the most epic peaks.

I would also say Beaucoup Fish even though I don't like "Bruce Lee", partially because "Cups" in and of itself outepics everything on STITI and the albums structure has pretty much perfect build and release.

I'll give BF another listen. Still wish they'd gone ahead and called it Tonight, Matthew, We're Going to be Underworld (a joke which would not have survived the Atlantic crossing at all).

awesome: U2 or one of their crew selecting STITI to be blasted out over the PAs before their soldier field show in '98.

this band somehow became my drunken jukebox selection standby, mostly BF tracks

that does not really bode well for BF's overall shelf life unfortunately

They certainly represent value for money in terms of track lengths!

i hope to find a bar which has their riverrun EPs on the jukebox for that reason alone ^_^

I have played "Cups" at bars before. It's only lasted to the awesome coda once. ;_;

haha if I ever find a bar that has "thing in a book" in the mp3 options I will become even more infamous and despised

"lovely broken thing"

h++p://✧✧✧.meg@u✧✧✧@✧.c✧✧/es/?d=9SUCDX2P

wait

well you guys can figure that out

One of the best live bands I've ever experienced. Some smart arse will comment that I've obviously not seen too many live bands. Not true!

Unbelievably moving effort, by two fifty year old head nodders. Ok when I saw them Emmerson was on board too

Born Slippy
Dirty Epic
Jumbo
Pearl's Girl
Two Months off

Classy

where, roxy?

At a place called Center Stage in Atlanta.

God their new album sucks.

You're completely out of your gourd.

Given the identity of the poster, are you surprised?

I don't even know who he is.

the wit & wisdom of mr snrub

Well, kudos for using "aspie" before it was really popular?

"Moaner" is on Batman & Robin soundtrack. I just listened to it.

I thought it was a gimmick when i was ten.

What kinda gimmick?

the 'slowly building a song sound-by-sound' gimmick

Dudes, i saw them in Boston in september while i was vacationing there, it was awesome, but i wish they played some more old stuff.

I really hope that they come to Chicago again!

the limited 12's they put out a while back are pretty cool and i really, really dig their new album... their third best in my opinion... and to think i almost gave up on them!

tonight!

i am v. v. excited

Here's what they played --

Darc
Mowed Path
Juanita/Kiteless/Dream (!)
Crocodile
BS Nuxx
Jumbo + remix
Dirty Epic
Poem
Mo Move
Two Months Off
Born Slippy (Orig.)
Pearls Girl
Beautiful Burnout
Cowgirl/Rez

Encore: King Of Snake

Karl wore a blue sequined top.

NUXX hit hard, everyone in the place went nuts, amazing. Every segue brilliantly played. This show honestly ranks among the greatest experiences of my life. Like being in church (when I liked church)! /hagiography

: D

:D!

maybe i'll watch 'everything everything' again. i only saw underworld live in '99, twice in the space of 4 weeks, both at festivals.

man, i really want to see them again

This was especially great because it was in a relatively small venue! Still amazed they played in Atlanta.

Saw em 3 or 4 times back in early-mid nineties and they never played Dirty Epic. Lucky you

Oh, it made me feel lucky. That and Juanita/Kiteless, which I believe they played because people on the darktrain forums were geeking out over it and requesting it. They seem like the type of band who would be on that tip.

i would kill for juanita/kiteless... they have been playing dirty epic quite a bit since 2006 from what i hear.

I am teh jealous, Roxy. :-/ But happy for you too!

i really hope they're opening for radiohead, as rumored.
also on the rumor list: liars (yay!) grizzly bear (boo)

i'm getting Liars on the Radiohead tour, Houston TX show. i wish i was getting Underworld - enjoy the fuck out of both bands, but i've seen Liars i think 4 times (going back to 2001 or so), and Underworld zero.

did you get your tix from waste or ticketmaster?
i plan on getting mine (philly) through waste, but i've heard they usually go on sale at like 3:00 am, and sell out in 15 minutes. ticketmaster, usually less than a minute.

oh man, glad to hear the show was awesome roxy! <3

No 'Rez' no cred. (kidding)

I'd love to see them open for Radiohead (not actually see the show [though I would], but see that happen for them).

Can someone explain to me what, exactly, Darren Emerson was doing in Underworld, with examples provided from the recorded music? I can one sound in "River of Bass" that seems to be emanating from a DJ and aside from that I figure him for dead weight. If I'm out of it, enlighten me quick.

can HEAR one sound

You can haz one sound?

He did what Darren Price is doing now.

Vibes, like Bez.

He did what Darren Price is doing now.

Then why is he credited on albums?

He helped write the tunes.

I wondered what Darren Price was up to! Under The Flightpath is still a fantastic album.

He helped write the tunes.

Yes, this is actually incredibly ambiguous.

Listen to some of Emerson's own remixes and maybe you can pick up characteristics shared between those and Emerson-era Underworld. I think he got the sole credit for the remix of Massive Attack's 'Risingson' - maybe less intricate and progressive than what Smith might do, more simplistic and monotonous but also maybe more 'groovy'/dancefloor-focussed as a result.

He stopped them being shit like they became when he left

Like he actually knew about dance music. The new "Ring Road" single is so disapointing - can only be listened to in remix form.

^rong road more like

Steve, your suggestion is a good one. Any recommendations for Emerson stuff to download?

http://www.nme.com/news/underworld/47280

help

talk me down

I am home sick today and listening to Beaucoup Fish for probably the third time since it came out thanks to this thread. I am enjoying it!

Was a fan of Second Toughest for years and years in the late 90s. Used to listen to it every night going to sleep for quite some time. I pretty much have the album memorized to this day.

zz top used "juanita" as their intro music the other night, i shit u not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHs8LxPepKU

Underworld just debuted their new song on Radio 1.

okay, YES

Nice!

Joyous

Youth is wasted on the Jung

Love 'em

Radio edit is available free from Underworld Live.com

HELL YES!!!!

uhm, that's one of the best songs they've ever done. that video is uplifting.

this is great

http://www.kcrw.com/media-player/mediaPlayer2.html?type=audio&id=mbe

another new one! 1hr37mins in, called Good Day Today

omg

Scribble is a collaboration with (drum'n'bass artist) High Contrast and sounds like it. Good stuff.

Leo Had a Good Day Today

Great song, but the video kinda distracts from its awesomeness.

Second thought: vocals too high in the mix.

you are wrong on both accounts

NO U

Scribble sounds pretty good! I hope the full length version is similar to the second half of this live track it seems to be based on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xc2oiOl15k

One of the best videos I have seen. Seriously, no joke

The song's not bad either. Maybe even better

super excited

this is awesome

you are wrong on both accounts

― cutty, Friday, May 14, 2010 11:08 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

cutty is correct on both counts

okay i really like this but still feel like i might be missing something when you're calling it the "best video ever"

You're not high enough. :-)

listening to 'cups' ((((d-_-b)))) this group am i right

Addictive little number, ain't it?

The new one, that is.

Ah, apparently High Contrast is involved. That makes sense.

Just re-cued the drop after the breakdown about six times.

you guys check out Good Day Today yet?

yah seemed cool

okay i really like this but still feel like i might be missing something when you're calling it the "best vid

He's just loving music. Car passenger seat. Carl H - aged 78 Rocking out.
Zero bullshit

like i said earlier, the video is uplifting. the lyrics + the smile on his face... really great

Wow, this is the best Underworld track I've heard in 16 years! As always with Underworld, the vocals are totally useless though. They should've just dropped the singing altogether when they went techno. Thankfully, there's not much vocals on "Scribble", and they're buried deep into the mix, so they don't distract from what's awesome about the tune.

Cutty spot on.

It's been on a loop in our house tonight.

Two year old son loved it. Really did.Threw down some joyous shapes before nights

Wifey not so fussed with me, after the 45th play " look at his fucking lovely grinning face, sat in the passenger seat. And the tune, it's so simply beautiful"

She gone to bed rgertting who the fuck she got wrapped up with

Might give it another blast

hah i feel the same exact way. listening on repeat!! not getting old yet...

right there with you guys. sun is shining and i've got the 2 new underworld tracks in a playlist on repeat. heavenly way to usher in the summer

^^^^all this is otm

I am still here.

On a loop

Gorgeous

Serotonin bottled

this group would so capitalize off this 90s revival better than anyone
its nice 2 hear breakbeats again after all this disco revival

As always with Underworld, the vocals are totally useless though.

I think they're pretty touching on this. Like the harmonies on "You give me everything I need".

its nice 2 hear breakbeats again after all this disco revival

Hell yes.

i love the vocals on this btw

the vocals are a big part of what makes this

love the vocals, the way they soar over the rhythm is just wonderful. and they've been stuck in my head for the past 24 hours.

VERY PLEASED, UNDERWORLD, I WILL BUY THIS ALBUM FROM YOUR WEB SITE.

Haha, only just listened to/watched Underneath the Radar for the first time. Fuckin hell, unexpected. Quite good though.

Easily my single of the year so far. Like the vocals too.

Yeah this is great. Easily the best thing they've done since "Two Months Off"

What a great song! Kinda sounds more like "High Contrast feat. Underworld" though.

Serotonin bottled

reminds me hard of the last Underworld video from 2007:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBLJuHDu8s4

(which came out close to this Fall clip that made me think there was going to be a new wave of clips of Old Men Blatantly On Pills)

Haha, only just listened to/watched Underneath the Radar for the first time. Fuckin hell, unexpected. Quite good though.

BTW chap, I dug out and rebroadcast these a couple of years ago (and some champ captured them for youtube), check it out (two songs and an awkward interview "live" on oz telly in 1988)

even better:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERBcJoc274

no Alex Papps, no credibility

that was really great! how come I have never heard of this band before?

(underworld I mean. gonna make like aeneus now. )

After repeat listens, I continue to think the song is A+ material but the vocals drag it down to B-grade territory.

It's still *quite* good, mind.

9.3 then?

Unsure about the song rating, I'll have to give it some thought since, you know, I totally write for Pfork and they totally rank new singles according to their 10.0 album scale.

Your lame post gets a 2.4, though. Would not read again.

and you are still one of my very least favorite ilxors

dyao have you never seen trainspotting?

search for Underworld on Youtube and look for:

Born Slippy
Born Slippy NUXX
Cowgirl
Rez
Mmm Skyscraper I Love You
Pearl's Girl
Moaner
Jumbo
Push Upstairs
King of Snake
Two Months Off
Dinosaur Adventure 3D
Crocodile

prepare to get psyched about these guys

check beautiful burnout too.

Doot Doot in Welsh

xps will do so asap, and no I haven't watched trainspotting!

and you are still one of my very least favorite ilxors

Hey, I didn't do anything in this thread except talk about the new song. The lame joeks were unsolicited, I don't ask for that shit or take kindly to it in response. And I couldn't give two shits if you like me or not.

I will say, though, you were on fire in that Herbert thread. Really funny shit, even though you and most people took it entirely too seriously, considering the entire thread was a joke.

I'd add Juanita/Kitless/To Dream of Love to Dan's list.

OTM re: juanita!

def a POX thread I think

dan doesn't like STITI that's why he didn't list j/kiteless

I liked Freur back in the day and picked up the first Underworld album, only to be deeply disappointed. Never looked back.

But these songs - "Scribble" and especially the live version - wow! What else in their catalog sounds like that live version? The deep "bom bom bom" synths in the latter brings to mind one of my all-time favorite albums from Rain Tree Crow.

I must reassess my attitude towards this band entirely.

Second Toughest is my favourite!

yeah I know that like almost everyone on Earth disagrees with me and I do think that the STITI songs work well live (in fact, randomly going to one of their shows in 96 was what originally made me start investigating them more) but the album doesn't do it for me

listening to born slippy nuxx right now and it sounds so familiar, yet so fresh

what other british electronic music making duos am I missing out on (besides psb & I guess electronic)

Welcome to ILM, where you can read mr. McBoing-Boing's writings about bom bom bom.

what other british electronic music making duos am I missing out on

if this means you have missed out on Orbital, please stop missing out on Orbital

*stops missing out*

you may expand the criteria to trios because I only discovered portishead this year

(there is a thread of Orbital recommendations and/or an Orbital album poll somewhere on ILM but my personal choice is In Sides and I expect Mr HI DERE will have some suggestions too)

Leftfield's first album still sounds pretty good.

xpost - In Sides seconded

if this means you have missed out on Orbital, please stop missing out on Orbital

^^^^^^^^^^^ YES ^^^^^^^^^^^

Orbital poll
^ some discussion of favourite tracks and albums here, too lazy to be more helpful as I am leaving work in 2 minutes (hooray)

GMBB: you likely will adore Beaucoup Fish so I'd start there, then check the others in this order:

Second Toughest in the Infants
A Hundred Days Off
dubnobasswithmyheadman
Oblivion With Bells

xp: God yes, In Sides, amazing album; really everything from Orbital 2 through The Middle of Nowhere is top-shelf brilliant and everything else ranges from great to okay.

you've already been extremely helpful, thanks aps!

Thanks, HD, much more useful than Stan's response!

what other british electronic music making duos am I missing out on

Orbital, LFO, Autechre, Boards Of Canada, Plaid, The Orb, The Black Dog, FSOL, Global Communication, Leftfield, Slam, Chemical Brothers, System 7, Spooky, Meat Beat Manifesto, Renegade Soundwave, lol 90s...

being a British electronic music making duo became a criminal offence around 2001 (and the likes of Groove Armada and Basement Jaxx may not be of interest idk)

^ helpful post to counter my dislike of this High Contrast ft. Karl Hyde business

wait what boards of canada aren't actually from canada? you just totally blew my mind

and for some reason I've always thought of meat beat manifesto as an american third wave ska band. hah. well, that's a very helpful crumb trail, much thanks!

Sorry, Gerald.

jesus dyao! ha

and for some reason I've always thought of meat beat manifesto as an american third wave ska band.

what the FUCK

like, really?????????????? I cannot even begin to comprehend this

TBH, for quite some time I thought Meat Beat Manifesto was an American industrial band. That's what the name sounded like to me.

And speaking of electronic duos, don't forget the greatest of them all: Yello! (Not British, though.) You could even say they were predecessors of Underworld's 90s style with their combination of rhythmic not-quite-singing, melancholy synths and absurdist lyrics.

TBH, for quite some time I thought Meat Beat Manifesto was an American industrial band. That's what the name sounded like to me.

― Tuomas, Monday, May 17, 2010 5:19 PM (8 minutes ago) Bookmark

In the states that was the scene they were lumped in with for a long time

Alright, I've come around to the vocals on "Scribble" -- it's fantastic through and through. Still prefer not to see Hyde's fish-eye lense'd mug while he's driving around and mouthing the worlds.

Verdict: song = C, video = D.

Is that verdict for the radio edit that runs less than half the length of the full track or is that verdict for the version Tong played where he talked over the peak of the track then faded the end?

Radio edit.

Should I track down the full version?

Is this a scale from A to F or are we talking classicdud?

classicdud

In conjunction with the thread title, of course.

Ah. Now that you mention it, makes sense of course. I don't mind the video myself, the suspiciously happy man and the flashy colours don't clash with or divert the attention away from the uplifting music.

this just made me feel so good. haven't felt this way from a new song coming out in a long time. i don't mean that in a jaded way, just that this is just way above the rest. hello summer

:)

Heard this live @ Berlin (mainstream-ish gay club in chicago) at the very end of a saturday night (aka 5AM sunday morning) & shit was just XXXXXXXXXXXXD facemelting

by 'live' i mean, the dj played it

and by 'berlin' you mean the mainstream-ish gay club in chicago

jeez scribble is just a classic already imo

i agree sir

full video for Always Loved A Film is up too. Very uplifting. Grace got put up on iTunes UK by accident. All in all, Barking is shaping up to be huge. Can't wait. Have preordered the ltd box set with autographed/numbered print from Underworldlive.com Disc 2 has all the original versions and comes with a DVD.

jeez scribble is just a classic already imo

― ('_') (omar little), Thursday, August 5, 2010 2:53 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

otm

theyre such a big deal to me and have never fallen off or even really faltered in my opinion

<3 them so much, scribble 4ever

Scribble is great but I'm getting used to 'great first single + underwhelming album' by now.

if u are underwhelmed by underworld albums then i dont know what to tell you

i shall sb you instead

but he's a mod!

i mean it to sting

damn bell boy

I get what Matt is saying (lol obviously); I still am not a big booster of STITI or OWB although both contain songs I really love.

http://hotfile.com/dl/60655018/f9a8a62/Underworld-Essential_Mix_At_Privilege_(Ibiza)-DAB-08-08-2010-1KING.rar.html

Incredible live set from this weekend in Ibiza.

XD

this is too dope (nb im only 3 mins in)

man do i wish i was there in person for this!!!!!!!!1

oh man this is so f'in good

i lost track of these guys after 'a hundred days off' (which was good). am i missing out on much?

half good, half forgettable, new song "Scribble" is possibly the greatest thing they've done since Beaucoup Fish

which was when the slump started

oblivion with bells had "beautiful burnout" which was really great. but then it also had "ring road" which was cringey.

everything i've heard so far off of the new one is brilliant underworld.

how can the slump have started with their best record

Oblivion With Bells is a fantastic record. Even if you don't like Ring Road, there are songs like Best Mamgu Ever and Faxed Invitation that really show off their range. Hopefully everyone interested in the band have the RiverRun EPs and the extra tracks from the OWB sessions, Peach Tree and Loads of Birds.

"ring road" is the only single track they've ever done that i don't love

i go through periods where i only want to listen to underworld. i'm there right now...

Yay, can't wait to pick up this album. I fully credit this thread for making me dig out Everything, Everything for the first time in maybe six years. Criminally under-appreciated album that still sounds fantastic.

not sure it's under appreciated? at least not on this forum.

definitely not

Where are you people getting the leak from?

Who said there is one? Journalists get promos, don't think it's leaked yet.

Damn cultural elite.

Grace got 'released' on iTunes by accident. Scribble has leaked and been played on Radio1 lots. Always Loved A Film was Tong's Essential new tune a few weeks ago and the video is on YouTube. Bird 1 aka Strumpet has been played live since 07 and can be found on YouTube. Between Stars and Diamond Jigsaw are also on youtube. Louisiana = Jumping The Cran which was performed on one of their radio broadcasts from Lemonworld. Most of the album is out there in live form but the LP versions have been reworked so will sound a bit different. Between Stars, Scribble and ALAF are on the set posted above. Some are on the iTunes Live EP that got released last week.

Scribble has leaked

not sure if the band officially releasing it on their website counts as a "leak"

I'm talking about the single w/ album version, instrumental and Netsky remix.

That's for sale on iTunes, I believe.

ah, my use of the word leak was improper then. please forgive me.

we cant

essential mixxxxxxx is essential

ESSENTIAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsHo1Q3BPYY

it's like a glossy dubnobass... track

ginormous smiley face

ha, well done youtube for taking the still image from those 2 seconds of video

this is pretty nice but something about High Contrast's brand of glossiness (thanks Dan, that is exactly the word) which is slightly offputting to me - looking forward to a full album though

i'm not sure this track is by high contrast

You're right - Scribble was, this isn't. (Barking wiki)

Oh, right! It sounded... trebly enough. Whatever that means. I stand corrected.

Leaked

whispers
bad boy
elevator
agitator
new york girl
corkscrew hair
BANG

Anyone got an opinion on the new album yet? IMO it's their best in a long while, probably better than even Beacoup Fish to me. Very positive and uplifting stuff, it does lack some of the subtlety of their earlier work, but there's a lot of knockout tracks here. I count 4 legitimate singles, maybe even 5. I wish they could have put on one epic-length jam on there, maybe something like "Bamboo", but whatever. It's definitely very good.

Opinions have been expressed, they largely match your own:
Underworld - Barking (Sept 13 2010)

Lots of discussion here:

Underworld - Barking (Sept 13 2010)

And to answer succinctly, it's one of the best albums I've heard all year.

wow, search function did not turn up that thread...thanks

hey guys if u didnt know ilxor really likes this album

hey guys here is a 7-year-old post where deej the critical genius of all things hip-hop admits to liking the smashing pumpkins!! looooooooool

Ned, let's talk about your 136 Albums of the 90s.

\Oo/ i still like selected works

great 'zing'

stfu

no

Not sure how deej's Underworld zing is any better/worse than my SP zing...?

Frankenstein stage play soundtrack imminent

I adore Underneath The Radar!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JqMUYLV9L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Am I the only one?

Oh, and when Googling I came across the video for the title track, which I had never seen before...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5vQP_RFccY

It's eightiesriffic!

a lot more continuity with their later sound than i expected!

I really like the two albums they did as Freur. Kind of like OMD or Depeche Mode but more fun. As for the first era of Underworld I'm not really sold on the albums (Underneath the Radar is okay), but they do have good songs - "Stand Up", "I Need a Doctor", "Underneath the Radar", "Mercy", "Change the Weather", and "Glory! Glory!" are all good fun

everything everything.......prob one of my favourite albums ever, rediscovering via spotify. they put a shame on the other 90s dance act by dint of how real and raw and true to...ecstasy, their sound is. everything everything is a perfect album.

My copy of Frankenstein showed up last week. Really great listen but even better in context of the play. If you don't have Breaking and Entering yet, get it ASAP. If you like the ambient side of underworld, B&E is going to please you. I play it more than any other UW album now.

i never bothered with anything after two hundred days or whatever it was called. am i wrong not to bother?

Barking is great. Oblivion With Bells isn't but has some good tunes.

you know what's good? the pig & dan mix 2 of 'play pig'. i think it's mix 2 anyway, the one on the 12".

The Pete Heller mix of Peggy Sussed rules too. I really like Oblivion With Bells and Barking. The River Run Projects have some great songs mixed with some mediocre experimental things. The RRP 12"s all have great mixes on them but they're hard to find. They've done three soundtracks that are all good if you like ambient UW. You really need to get their webcast from 06 called underworld vs. Misterons. It's 1.5hrs of UW jamming versions of some classic tracks and new stuff. Killer versions, required listening.

okay "Dirty Epic" is just the greatest thing they ever did

it hits every single one of their strengths and sustains the awesome for 10 straight minutes

totally agree. Dirty + Dirty Guitar just make the whole experience that much more enjoyable. they opened one of the shows I saw in 07 with Dirty Epic. truly incredible.

So actually sitting down and listening to their Isles of Wonder soundtrack for the first time. That Evelyn Glennie collaboration really is something.

I was actually kind of surprised by the High Contrast tunes. Not at all what I expected out of him and quite good besides. The new UW stuff is great, not that you'd ever know it's them. Good remixes too. But the fact that there's three Arctic Monkeys tunes on it kind of puts me off. Just delete all the non-UW non-High Contrast stuff and you've got a neat album though.

alright, this thread inspired me to pull out the old Underworld discs. i'm surprised by how well dubnobass has held up. not a single element out of place. I think the rub against techno (at this time, especially), was how it's mostly just discordant elements that come together but don't really form anything above the sounds. This album (and actually, every Underworld album) is a great counterpoint to that. Some bad lyrics (thinking of the "number cruncher" line) but many many more good ones. And what DJP posted about Dirty Epic is totally OTM. everything about that one works.

High Contrast wrote a great 3 part blog post on his Olympic experience on his blog. Recommended reading.

I relistened to 2nd Toughest and, surprisingly, didn't hate it. I still feel like the recorded versions of most of the songs aside from "Rowla" and "Pearl's Girl" don't have the same impact that they do in a live setting (ESPECIALLY "Confusion The Waitress", which really kills the momentum of the album) but I have a much smaller chip on my shoulder about the actual album than I used to

I still rank it behind all of their other albums though, except maybe Oblivion With Bells

I never really had a problem with "Confusion". You kind of need to listen to it on good headphones to catch all the little things that go on on that album. It just captures SO MUCH of what was great about the whole 90's electro scene (dubnobass did too, but kind of had its own sound)

I humped the OWB thread, that albums a lot better than I thought it was upon release. Definitely one of those "cast aside all expectation and come in with an open mind" type albums. When it first came out I was just upset it didn't have "Silver Boots" or "You Do Scribble" on it.

Going to have to give OWB another chance someday.

It's really the only outlier from their overall consistency for me.

I totally can vibe with OWB up unti "Ring Road" pops up, at which point all of the good will I've built up over the preceding songs evaporates and I have to tap out

It really strikes me as if they said to themselves "what if we took the one or two redeeming qualities in 'Bruce Lee' away and stuck the result in the middle of the new album?"

As for Second Toughest, it's what got me hooked on Underworld and will always be my sentimental favorite. Though "Stagger" will probably always zero plays on my iTunes.

Underworld were given the Innovation in Sound Award last night for their work on the Olympics.

http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/258303/slide_258303_1667730_free.jpg

I think I said upthread, I first heard the 2nd Toughest material by walking into a live gig blind that I heard about from a dude hanging out in my apartment with one of my roommates; I had the "Born Slippy" single and knew about their Change The Weather/Underneath The Radar era and wanted to see what their show was about. The whole thing floored me. I ran out and bought the album the next day and the entire thing just felt... weak, and non-present.

I love Oblivion With Bells! Best Mamgu Ever is one of Rick Smiths finest 'Reich-ian' repetitive piano pieces and a track I can listen to over and over again. Faxed Invitation is also a sleeper worth spending time with. Glam Bucket was absolutely HUGE when played live but it's a case of 'guess you had to be there' because it can come across flat on the album. Overall it's a really solid record and my only complaint is Holding The Moth. That track was much stronger live before the album was released but they over worked it and it came out sounding stilted and awkward.

xpost so we're basically saying the same thing. First taste was the sweetest taste.

Personally I don't have a problem with "Ring Road". I was okay with "Bruce Lee" and "Trim" too. Obviously not the best UW has to offer but as a one-off thing I don't have a problem with it. The chorus is good, at least. Agreed about "Glam Bucket" too. It's like "Twist" from AHDO, it's decent enough on the album but it feels like they really figured out what to do with the track live. Then again UW is really much different live and in studio. In the studio everything is perfected in its own way (I really like the studio version of "Holding the Moth"!), but yes it does lose some of its spontaniety.

"Best Mamgu Ever" is the one track that's been hitting me very hard lately and honestly I think it's one of their ten best. I'm a huge fan of the "Big Sister" EP they did and this is really just an extension of that. The way the vocals are mixed in is really astounding, but like all great UW tracks it just builds up under your nose, before you know it there's a long guitar solo and like three vocal parts. Those three final tracks on OWB are all fantastic ("Good Morning Cockerel" is really a beautiful thing. No way do Orbital or the Chems or Fluke do something like this).

i like the iciness of STITI, it's definitely colder in sound but it feels like a 2 AM train ride through an endless metropolis to me which probably hits me more than their warmer or plurier stuff.

I agree. I think the thing that I like so much about "Juanita" in album form is its majestic restraint, i.e. those alternating chords in half-heard choral background instead of juicy synthesizer hits.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Brfp118S0

Karl Hyde solo album in the offing:

http://www.factmag.com/2013/01/24/underworlds-karl-hyde-announces-solo-album-edgeworld-stream-the-first-track-inside/

balls

Lanois!

well sort of

It is isn't it? It's also a little bit Talk Talk-ish, and a little bit like Small Hours by John Martyn

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01828/edgelands_main_1828410f.jpg

^ guessing that this book provided some of the inspiration for the project

Listening to the sample again, he should obviously have released this thing in late autumn/early winter

that sample really doesn't reveal a whole lot. but I do really like the ambient side of the group; the I'm a Big Sister EP and Rick's Bungalow With Stairs release are both excellent listening 30 minutes before bedtime

although Bungalow really creeps me out

Pre-ordered. Can't wait. Cut Clouds sounds beautiful.

http://www.karlhyde.com/

frogbs, do you like the Breaking and Entering soundtrack? I'm equally excited for Rick Smiths new soundtrack for the Danny Boyle film.

not as much as the two releases I mentioned; it's a little too much "background" for me, though some of the tracks ("Happy Toast" in particular) are real stunning

Track sounds lovely.

That book is awful, by the way.

The album is very nice.

great to see them (among very few other dance/electronic type bands) in BBC6's Best 100 Songs Of The Last 10 Years poll yesterday, keeping their end up at number 77 with Two Months Off amid the nu-folk and skinny indie kids.

For a moment I thought one track sampled Hans Appelqvist.

don't know if this was covered but barking is still pretty awesome

djh, what album are you talking about? breaking and entering or the new Karl Hyde?

i'm a little relieved at how well Barking has held up for me over 15+ listens. it's crazy that as a 14-year old my favorite groups were Underworld, the Chems, and Orbital. and now those three are responsible for some of my favorite albums of the last couple years. I figured they were all cooked!

again though let me stress how fucking incredible Oblivion With Bells is; it sinks in the way AHDO never quite did.

I will never understand how people underrate AHDO the same way I will never understand how people underrate Come With Us.

what do you like so much about it? i love the first two tracks and the last two - the middle section is what gets me. I like parts of it such as the wobbly off-beat rhythm on "Little Speaker" or the ambience of "Twist" (the live versions blow this out of the water by the way) but a lot of it feels uninspired for this band...particularly "Dinosaur Adventure" which seems like an analgam of past UW successes constructed just for single purposes; "Sola Sistim" doesn't really go places and much of "Little Speaker" is kinda lame, especially as the bass drowns out everything else. I still like the album and think it's actually quite good for a post-2000 release from an electronic act but it was definitely a drop off from the first three. Come With Us I'd rate on the same level - not as good as the first three, does have some great tracks, just not enough substance for me

"Twist" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, right behind "Luetin" and "Two Months Off"

Basically techno samba is one of my favorite things in the world

Luetin and Trim are the two sleeper-keepers for me. Their Peel versions are great too. Mo Move is also killer. Frogbs OTM re: live version of Twist being superior to the album version. DA3D is a track I never play but I think Chicken Lips did a decent remix.

Yes on all of that. Plus, "Sola Sistem" is maybe my very favorite of their atmospheric downtempo mood setters.

Sure "Dino Adventure" is sort of epic-on-autopilot, but most of the remaining album is good to great. Even at their best, almost everything they've done since is adequate to good.

And Come With Us doesn't remotely flag until Side B. Genuflect before "Star Guitar" or gtfo.

I like "Trim" as well. But it's kind of a minor track. I dunno, maybe not liking "Sola Sistem" much is why I don't really see it as being that great an album. Seems like a pretty key piece. As for Come With Us - you said it, I like "The Test" a lot but the second half really seems low on ideas.

Brotherlovesdub: apologies for slow reply. The Karl Hyde album.

Is it in the vein of Louisiana from Barking? Mostly downtempo?

Not a million miles from that. Not bangin'. But very good.

(Haven't got Barking and had never heard Louisiana before - glad to have heard it - Thanks)

DUDE GET BARKING, IT RULES

I have done as you instructed.

djh, if you like that vibe from UW, you should check out their remix of Manic Street Preachers. took a few plays for me but this is one of my favorite tracks they've done recently (and I like most of what they do). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiyfisEvo7U

mildly OT (totally different vibe) but you just inspired me to search "underworld remix" on youtube and, damn, i haven't heard this drum club remix for a long time, it is amazing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X6U10V6ftk

That Soundsystem remix is great. The remixes UW did between 93-95 were really incredible. Zion Train, St. Etienne - Cool Kids of Death, Orbital - Lush, Spooky Schmoo etc etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G13i_pIfQbo

No love for 8 Ball in this thread makes me sad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6TNriSWRW0

Granted, a lot of my love for 8 Ball comes from how I still perceive it as the last truly great Underworld track. They've released some decent material since, but nothing that compares to their '90s output.

If they'd ended their run with 8 Ball, I wouldn't have minded at all.

Completely agree on 8 Ball. Loved that song, and then A Hundred Days Off came out and I was hugely disappointed. I've enjoyed some of their stuff since then, but it all feels really flat compared to their 90s stuff.

I dont really agree with that but it's a case where their 90's output was so good that you can't really blame them for not living up to it. Underworld from 1993-1999 was such an insane run. As for 8 Ball it's disappointing that it's going to remain kind of an obscurity, I would have loved it on AHDO. But they've definitely done great stuff since - most of OWB is incredible, Barking is very very good, the second and third Riverrun EPs...not to mention a lot of the stuff that's gone unreleased (thinking mostly of Silver Boots and Bamboo...)

I listened to OWB again for the first time in years a few months ago and was startled by how great it was right up until "Ring Road" started, at which point I went "oh yeah, I forgot what a horrible momentum killer this song is" and turned it off

I don't know that I've played the second half of the album more than three times

that's definitely a mistake - the three tunes that end the album are ace. I love each one of them. To be honest I was never that bothered by Ring Road (or Bruce Lee, or Trim), I like the chorus fine, but it is quite an odd choice for the middle of an album.

"Trim" is okay; I really really hate "Bruce Lee" too

think "8 Ball" is really meh tbh.

I love 8 Ball. Really great song and strangely very epic as well. One of my favorite 'walking around the city' songs.

"8 Ball" is fine, I just wish it didn't take 4 minutes for it to get going.

The big problem I have with most moody mid-tempo Underworld songs that morph into dance jams is that none of them are as good as "mmm skyscraper" or "Dirty Epic"

although very few songs are as good as "Dirty Epic" so that's probably unfair

I especially like (Dirty Guitar Mix).

yeah "Dirty Epic" does give me some serious "this may be the greatest song ever" vibes when it's on

The Boy With The Jigsaw Puzzle Fingers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH11yG9MtwY

trying to put my finger on what this reminds me of and I can't figure it out. sounds lovely though

So, what else have I missed since Oblivion With Bells (or thereabouts)?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h2-hbv5U2U

There were a couple nice tracks from the Olympics soundtrack.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2013/apr/02/karl-hyde-underworld-outer-edges-trailer

10. Dancing On The Graves Of Le Corbusier’s Dreams [Bonus Track]
11. Final Ray Of The Sun [Bonus Track]
12. Slummin’ It (Eno Mix) [Bonus Track]
13. Cut Clouds (Figures Remix) [Bonus Track]

ordered the ltd edition vinyl with 12x12 signed litho.

so, new Hyde album is really quite excellent and lovely, though I wish he hadn't done with the bonus track thing, because "Dancing" and "Final Ray" are really great

seriously, I think I like "Should Have Been a Painter" as much as any UW track I can think of right now

Oh man, I'm going to have to wait for 1 hour 58 minutes to hear this!

Yes, this is excellent. Mediocre reviews, but then I think Underworld are one of these bands where what they do/want to do is not what they're famous for doing.

It's the vocals that let this down - not that they are anything particularly shocking given Underworld's previous form, but they feel a lot more intrusive on this.

The bonus tracks didn't really add much for me ...

Live version of 8 Ball from Union Chapel on YouTube is wonderful.

"The Night Slips Us..." is a profoundly beautiful song.

http://thequietus.com/articles/12083-karl-hyde-underworld-favourite-albums

^ I found this quite endearing

Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue
If I was trying to be cool I’d say Bitches Brew, but this is the seminal album really, isn’t it?

^^^ awesome

He could've listed both and it would've been even cooler.

I like that he thanks the UK PR for Rune Grammofon on the album sleeve.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkushEk_JCA

Video of Hyde and his solo band doing "8 Ball"...fucking brilliant!!

Awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mss2tv8PYBw

why u no embed, secure YT

That's pretty cool. Wonder how long it takes to start feeling repetitive.

if you're driving in Midwest Karl comes on to sing 'corn corn corn corn Stuckey's'

Dubno is 20 years old today.

Blimey

It was used to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Mac.

one of my ten favorite albums. as far away now as Autobahn was back then :)

The quality of music from Hyde/Smith/Emerson from 92-94, loosely the 'Dubno' era, is extremely high. I wish they could arrange a comprehensive remix anthology from this era.

hard to think of any electronic group putting out as much great music as UW did from 1992-1997

Orbital
The Orb
Prodigy
Aphex Twin
Squarepusher
Mike Paradinas
Luke Vibert
Coldcut

just off the top of my head and not considering labels (Moving Shadow, Suburban Base, Reinforced, R&S, early XL, +8, etc etc)

Meant to say "over a five year span" there. I think both the Orb and Orbital come really close. Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, and Paradinas certainly did a lot of music in there but I don't think all of it is great. I don't know much about the others. But I admit that I probably overrate Underworld - for them it's two of my all-time favorite albums, a handful of classic, non-album singles ("Dark Train", "Rez", "Nuxx"), some excellent side releases (Dark and Long, with the magnificant "Thing in a Book", and Pearl's Girl, which was practically a whole new album in itself), plus a lot of really good single tracks - "Spikee", "Why Why Why", the original "Born Slippy", and so on. None of those guys did so much great stuff outside of the albums!

underworld created an unbelievably deep and rich catalog in that era simply by remixing themselves a lot

Jaxx did tons within 5 years fwiw.

yeah I know a lot of those are supposed to be remixes but they're often so different from the source material that you almost wouldn't know. the three mixes of "Born Slippy" are so different that I would have never guessed they sprung from the same thing. even when it's more obvious (say "Rowla" and "Cherry Pie") the overall mood is so different that it doesn't quite register as just a "remix"

exactly

The remixes they did for other people from 92-95 are killer too. Spooky, Simply Red, Bjork, dreadzone, Orbital, mental Generation, Massive Attack etc etc etc

hard to think of any electronic group putting out as much great music as UW did from 1992-1997

UR

xp Lush 3.3 and Soundsystem are two of my all time favourite remixes

Brian Eno and Karl Hyde are releasing an album together on Warp this spring. I loved Bebop Hurry and think this collaboration will yield a few great songs so i've preordered the vinyl already.

http://warp.net/records/enohyde/enohyde.com

Does anyone remember who Underworld was touring with in the US for Underneath the Radar in 88? I saw them in Cleveland; pretty sure they were the openers for a UK band -- maybe Mighty Lemon Drops?

was it the Eurythmics?

Mighty Lemon Drops did tour the US in 88 but the only listing I could find said they were opening for Love and Rockets.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/10367142_10152103259101960_6289136037550289382_n.jpg

Ha ha ha, I was just looking at that photo… for reasons that are too complex to go into here.

couldn't resist cross-posting it, it's so amazing!

What is that?

Freur

Thx. Amazing photo. Hard to tell what decade that's from, tho. Is that the 60's?

such a great frown out of the guy between Rick & Karl

that's actually John Cusack

Oh yes:

http://www.underworldlive.com/news/2014/06/dubnobasswithmyheadman-20th-anniversary-re-issue-show-2/

People are talking about that on the Dubnobass thread.

needed a lift so decided to listen to Underworld and Underworld only this week. can recommend so far. never would have tried that 5 (!) cd version of dubno otherwise, and it has some great moments.

I know the feeling, I remember playing "Ouch Ouch" on replay for nearly an hour

Oich Oich? or is there an alterate Ouch Ouch version?

uh.......no :(

(seriously though, lets get that 5-disc STITI box coming???)

There is a 'jam' version from their old website. It's pretty good too.

seriously though, lets get that 5-disc STITI box coming

I've got my $59.95 set aside.

Et volia:

http://www.borndirty.org/2015/09/second-toughest-in-the-infants-2015-deluxesuper-deluxe/