UNKLE
Encyclopedia
Unkle are a British
musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle
and Tim Goldsworthy
. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow
and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.
of the Japan
ese hip hop
crew Major Force (later Major Force West). They also brought on board a host of collaborating artists, including Money Mark
(keyboard player for the Beastie Boys
), the Scratch Perverts
and Japanese
clothes designer Nigo and Takagi Kan (both also of Major Force). Their first release in 1994 was the EP
The Time Has Come, on Lavelle's recording label Mo' Wax
.
In 1995, while working on their debut album, Lavelle and Goldsworthy disagreed over the direction the music was taking. Goldsworthy wanted to continue with the Mo' Wax house
style of earlier tracks, while Lavelle wanted to bring in singers, hip hop
and rock
artists. Goldsworthy left the group and went on to work with Belfast
DJ and producer David Holmes
and also co-founded The DFA with James Murphy.
From these early sessions, Berry Meditation and several tracks with Money Mark and Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato Jr.
were subsequently released as singles, and several without Lavelle surfaced on the album Major Force West in 1997. In early 1998 three exclusive Japanese EPs were released, Last Orgy 3, marking the last of the early Unkle material to surface.
to work on the debut album, and essentially discarded all previously recorded material. Lavelle and Shadow released Psyence Fiction
in 1998 to critical acclaim. The album included collaborations with an all-star lineup including Thom Yorke
(Radiohead
), Mike D (Beastie Boys
), Kool G. Rap, Jason Newsted
(Metallica
), Badly Drawn Boy
and Richard Ashcroft
(The Verve
).
Shadow left the group after touring Psyence Fiction and was replaced by turntablist group the Scratch Perverts, who deconstructed the album and performed it live on turntables in 1999. Also in 1999, former producer Richard File
remixed the track "Unreal", adding vocals by Ian Brown
, and the resulting track was released as the single "Be There".
On 1 February 1999, Lavelle and the Scratch Perverts appeared on the Radio 1 program The Breezeblock
, utilising "5 turntables". The set was largely based around tracks from Psyence Fiction, with some of them reworked live by Lavelle for the live performance. The Scratch Perverts' contribution consisted of scratching over the top of the U.N.K.L.E. tracks, a deconstructed version of 'Be There', and some solo interludes.
This highlighted a new, more electronic direction the group had taken, and featured a number of tracks from Psyence Fiction, remixed in an ambient
style.
Richard File co-produced, played and sang on the second album, Never, Never, Land
, released in 2003. The album again featured a number of high-profile contributors, including Ian Brown
, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age
), Robert Del Naja
(Massive Attack
) and Mani
(The Stone Roses
, Primal Scream
) among others.
Lavelle and File continued releasing mixes as Unklesounds. The mix album Edit Music for a Film: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction
, featuring movie samples
and tracks from film soundtracks, was created for the After Dark 2004 event at the ICA London
. A single CD version was handed out at the event, and it was released officially as an extended two disc set in 2005.
In September 2006, Global Underground released Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats
, a CD box set of remixes and bonus tracks from the Never, Never, Land sessions, including tracks previously only available on the original DVD
release of the album. It also contained remixes of a track mooted for their next album, featuring Ian Astbury
of The Cult
, titled "Burn My Shadow".
War Stories
, the third album from Unkle, was released in summer 2007. The album again featured a number of guests including Josh Homme, Gavin Clark
, Robert Del Naja
, Ian Astbury
, The Duke Spirit
, Autolux
and Neil Davidge
. Following the release of the single "Hold My Hand", Pablo Clements (of The Psychonauts) became an Unkle member.
In March the Lazarides Gallery in London
showcased War Paint, an exhibition of artworks inspired by the recent Unkle album War Stories, with works from Robert Del Naja
, Warren du Preez, Nick Thornton Jones, Will Bankhead and Ben Drury
.
Unkle began touring the UK with Zoot Woman
and Sebastian and Mr. Flash from Ed Banger Records
. The concert, set across four acts, featured live performances from past Unkle contributors including Badly Drawn Boy
, Liela Moss from The Duke Spirit
, Gavin Clark
and Joel Cadbury from South
.
Unkle's fourth full album titled End Titles... Stories for Film
was released in July 2008. It includes collaborations from Chris Goss
, Black Mountain
, Philip Sheppard, Dave Bateman, Joel Cadbury, and James Griffith (Lake Trout)
. The album is described in the sleeve notes by Lavelle as "not a new album in the usual sense, but new music that has been inspired by the moving image." As such, it can be considered a companion piece both to War Stories but also to the earlier Unklesounds mix, Edit Music for a Film.
15 December 2008, saw the release of “End Titles… Redux” (limited to 3000 CDs from official UNKLE stores and digitally from 14 December). This release features seven re-interpreted tracks from the album ‘End Titles… Stories For Film’ plus 2 never before released tracks “When Once It Was” and “A Perfect Storm”. The exclusive package is a 6 panel soft-pack with a 12 page booklet with images by Robert Del Naja
.
Upon the release of the single Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix)
in August 2009, Unkle disclosed they had already begun recording their next studio album, Where Did the Night Fall
, which was released in May 2010. This also included an all-star cast of performers including: Mark Lanegan, The Black Angels, Sleepy Sun
, and Katrina Ford. As well as ELLE J and Gavin Clark. The album is also available as a digital download from UNKLE's site.
It was announced on 18 April 2011 that Unkle would headline the Dance Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
. They will be performing a world-exclusive audio-visual DJ set at the festivals, playing songs from their back catalogue alongside remixes of other artists' songs as well as Unkle's own material. They will be performing under the name UNKLE Sounds.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle
James Lavelle
James Lavelle is a DJ, electronic recording artist and record label boss.-Early years:Born into a family with a strong tradition of music, Lavelle first began by learning the cello with his grandmother in Oxford....
and Tim Goldsworthy
Tim Goldsworthy
Tim Goldsworthy is a British record producer, DJ and recording artist, living and working in New York City since 1999.Originally a musician/producer for UNKLE, Goldsworthy co-founded James Lavelle's Mo' Wax label...
. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.
First incarnation (1994–1996)
Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined by Masayuki Kudo and Toshio NakanishiToshio Nakanishi
Toshio Nakanishi aka Tycoon-to$h is a musician and an artist who is best known as the founding member of Plastics in 1976. He was a part of techno pop fever in Japan and first pioneer of Japanese Hip Hop scene with Major Force...
of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
crew Major Force (later Major Force West). They also brought on board a host of collaborating artists, including Money Mark
Money Mark
Mark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...
(keyboard player for the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
), the Scratch Perverts
Scratch Perverts
The Scratch Perverts are a collective of turntablist DJs from London, formed in 1996 by Tony Vegas, Prime Cuts and DJ Renegade.-Biography:The Scratch Perverts originally consisted of 4 members; Tony Vegas, Renegade, First Rate and Mr Thing. The Scratch Perverts later expanded to an 8-member...
and Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
clothes designer Nigo and Takagi Kan (both also of Major Force). Their first release in 1994 was the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
The Time Has Come, on Lavelle's recording label Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax
Mo' Wax was a UK-based record label owned by James Lavelle, who founded it in the early 1990s with Tim Goldsworthy. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. The label came to recognition for being at the forefront of trip hop, turntablism and alternative rap during the mid-90s...
.
In 1995, while working on their debut album, Lavelle and Goldsworthy disagreed over the direction the music was taking. Goldsworthy wanted to continue with the Mo' Wax house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
style of earlier tracks, while Lavelle wanted to bring in singers, hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
artists. Goldsworthy left the group and went on to work with Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
DJ and producer David Holmes
David Holmes (musician)
David Holmes is a Northern Irish DJ, musician and composer.-Career:Holmes began djing in Belfast from the age of 15. His first hit was the song "DeNiro", with Ashley Beedle, in 1992. In the early to mid 1990s he ran two club nights in the Belfast Art College known as Sugar Sweet and Shake Yer Brain...
and also co-founded The DFA with James Murphy.
From these early sessions, Berry Meditation and several tracks with Money Mark and Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato Jr.
Mario Caldato Jr.
Mario Caldato, Jr. is a Brazilian record producer and studio engineer best known for his work with the Beastie Boys and Tone Loc. Born February 24, 1961 in São Paulo, Brazil, he and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1963...
were subsequently released as singles, and several without Lavelle surfaced on the album Major Force West in 1997. In early 1998 three exclusive Japanese EPs were released, Last Orgy 3, marking the last of the early Unkle material to surface.
Second incarnation (1997–1999)
Lavelle drafted in DJ ShadowDJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
to work on the debut album, and essentially discarded all previously recorded material. Lavelle and Shadow released Psyence Fiction
Psyence Fiction
-Samples:*"Intro "**Quannum MCs – "Blue Flames"**Massive Attack – "Teardrop"**Air – "All I Need"**Invisibl Skratch Piklz – "Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs...
in 1998 to critical acclaim. The album included collaborations with an all-star lineup including Thom Yorke
Thom Yorke
Thomas "Thom" Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Radiohead. He mainly plays guitar and piano, but he has also played drums and bass guitar...
(Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
), Mike D (Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
), Kool G. Rap, Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
(Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
), Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
and Richard Ashcroft
Richard Ashcroft
Richard Paul Ashcroft is an English singer-songwriter. He was the lead singer and occasional guitarist of alternative rock band The Verve from their formation in 1990 until their split in 1999, and continues as a lead vocalist working with guitars and keyboards...
(The Verve
The Verve
The Verve were an English rock band formed in 1989 in Wigan by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bassist Simon Jones, and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboardist Simon Tong later became a member. Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to shoegazing and space...
).
Shadow left the group after touring Psyence Fiction and was replaced by turntablist group the Scratch Perverts, who deconstructed the album and performed it live on turntables in 1999. Also in 1999, former producer Richard File
Richard File
Richard File is a musician and producer, best known for his work with James Lavelle as part of Unkle. He has also released singles under the aliases DJ Aura and Forme.-Career:...
remixed the track "Unreal", adding vocals by Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
, and the resulting track was released as the single "Be There".
On 1 February 1999, Lavelle and the Scratch Perverts appeared on the Radio 1 program The Breezeblock
The Breezeblock
The Breezeblock was a weekly radio programme on BBC Radio 1 that premiered on 17 February 1997 and focused on electronic music. The show's earliest broadcasts were unmixed and featured individual songs, some of which were recordings of live sessions from BBC's Maida Vale Studio...
, utilising "5 turntables". The set was largely based around tracks from Psyence Fiction, with some of them reworked live by Lavelle for the live performance. The Scratch Perverts' contribution consisted of scratching over the top of the U.N.K.L.E. tracks, a deconstructed version of 'Be There', and some solo interludes.
Third incarnation (2000–2007)
In 2001, Lavelle and File resurfaced as Unklesounds, with a DJ mix created for Japanese radio entitled Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats?Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats?
Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats? is an UNKLE soundscape DJ mix, originally recorded for Radio Ape in Japan, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Beats was the first in a line of a series of UNKLESounds mixes...
This highlighted a new, more electronic direction the group had taken, and featured a number of tracks from Psyence Fiction, remixed in an ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
style.
Richard File co-produced, played and sang on the second album, Never, Never, Land
Never, Never, Land
Never, Never, Land is the second album by the British electronic music act UNKLE, released on . On an expanded edition entitled Never, Never, Land Revisited was released. The original album debuted at #71 in Australia...
, released in 2003. The album again featured a number of high-profile contributors, including Ian Brown
Ian Brown
Ian George Brown is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses, which broke up in 1996 but are confirmed to reunite in 2012. Since the break-up of the Stone Roses he has pursued a solo career...
, Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
), Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
(Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
) and Mani
Gary Mounfield
Gary Manny "Mani" Mounfield , is an English rock bassist of The Stone Roses and Primal Scream. He has a distinctive playing style that combines a fast moving rock style with a dance rhythm or dub groove...
(The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
, Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
) among others.
Lavelle and File continued releasing mixes as Unklesounds. The mix album Edit Music for a Film: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction
Edit Music for a Film: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction
Edit Music for a Film: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Reconstruction is a 2 Disc UNKLE Sounds Set mixing together various musical styles, movie soundbites and UNKLE production. This was done for the 'After Dark' event in the ICA, London. James Lavelle put together a mix of soundtracks from...
, featuring movie samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and tracks from film soundtracks, was created for the After Dark 2004 event at the ICA London
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
. A single CD version was handed out at the event, and it was released officially as an extended two disc set in 2005.
In September 2006, Global Underground released Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats
Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats
Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats is a remix album by Unkle, released in 2006 by Global Underground. Spanning four discs, it is a compilation of remixes of tracks from the album Never, Never, Land, and also contains remixes of a track featuring Ian Astbury from the...
, a CD box set of remixes and bonus tracks from the Never, Never, Land sessions, including tracks previously only available on the original DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release of the album. It also contained remixes of a track mooted for their next album, featuring Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
of The Cult
The Cult
The Cult are a British rock band that was formed in 1983. They gained a dedicated following in Britain in the mid 1980s as a post-punk band with singles such as "She Sells Sanctuary", before breaking mainstream in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band with singles such as "Love...
, titled "Burn My Shadow".
War Stories
War Stories (album)
War Stories is the third album from Unkle. The album was released in Japan on 20 June 2007 Europe and the UK on 9 July 2007, followed by a 24 July release date in North America. War Stories debuted at #58 in Australia. The album was promoted by three singles: "Burn My Shadow", "Hold My Hand" and...
, the third album from Unkle, was released in summer 2007. The album again featured a number of guests including Josh Homme, Gavin Clark
Clayhill
Clayhill are a British 3-piece folk band comprising Ali Friend, Ted Barnes and vocalist Gavin Clark. They released their debut album, Small Circle in 2004, and have released 2 E.P.s and a further L.P. Mine at Last in 2006...
, Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
, Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury
Ian Astbury is an English rock musician and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist for the rock band, The Cult.-Pre-Cult:...
, The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit are an English rock band based in London. Their sound has been seen as a melding of many influences ranging from the alternative noise of 1980s/90s guitar bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3, the tremulous rock n roll of bands such as The Gun Club and The...
, Autolux
Autolux
Autolux is an avant-garde rock group consisting of Eugene Goreshter , Greg Edwards and Carla Azar...
and Neil Davidge
Neil Davidge
Neil Davidge, , is a record producer, songwriter, film score composer, musician and occasional backing vocalist. Once an associate of dance producers, DNA, he is best known as the long-term co-writer, producer and key sonic facilitator for the music production outfit Massive Attack...
. Following the release of the single "Hold My Hand", Pablo Clements (of The Psychonauts) became an Unkle member.
Fourth incarnation (2008 – present)
In January 2008 Unkle released More Stories, containing a mix of B-sides, remixes, unreleased War Stories session tracks, and music composed for the film Odyssey In Rome. The same month, Richard File announced he was leaving Unkle after 10 years' collaboration to pursue work with his new band, We Fell to Earth.In March the Lazarides Gallery in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
showcased War Paint, an exhibition of artworks inspired by the recent Unkle album War Stories, with works from Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
, Warren du Preez, Nick Thornton Jones, Will Bankhead and Ben Drury
Ben Drury
Ben Drury , is a British freelance designer.He was art director of Mo' Wax recordings and has worked extensively in the music industry, creating album artwork for Turin Brakes and Dizzee Rascal amongst others...
.
Unkle began touring the UK with Zoot Woman
Zoot Woman
Zoot Woman are a British electronic music band consisting of Adam Blake, Johnny Blake and Stuart Price.Known for their live shows, the group has gained a worldwide following. With the album Living In A Magazine Zoot Woman established themselves on the music scene.Credited by many within the...
and Sebastian and Mr. Flash from Ed Banger Records
Ed Banger Records
Ed Banger Records is a French electronic music record label run by Pedro Winter. It was founded in 2002 as a division of Headbangers Entertainment. The label is home to French electronic acts Justice, SebastiAn, Daft Punk, Cassius, Uffie, Krazy Baldhead, DJ Mehdi, Mr Oizo, Mr...
. The concert, set across four acts, featured live performances from past Unkle contributors including Badly Drawn Boy
Badly Drawn Boy
Damon Gough is an English alternative music singer/songwriter. He was born on 2 October 1969, in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. He grew up in the Breightmet area of Bolton, Lancashire, England....
, Liela Moss from The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit
The Duke Spirit are an English rock band based in London. Their sound has been seen as a melding of many influences ranging from the alternative noise of 1980s/90s guitar bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3, the tremulous rock n roll of bands such as The Gun Club and The...
, Gavin Clark
Clayhill
Clayhill are a British 3-piece folk band comprising Ali Friend, Ted Barnes and vocalist Gavin Clark. They released their debut album, Small Circle in 2004, and have released 2 E.P.s and a further L.P. Mine at Last in 2006...
and Joel Cadbury from South
South (U.K. band)
South were a British rock band. The band consisted of Joel Cadbury, Brett Shaw, and Jamie McDonald. Each member was a multi-instrumentalist and they shared duties on guitars, bass, percussion, keyboards. Cadbury was responsible for the lead vocals.-Career:...
.
Unkle's fourth full album titled End Titles... Stories for Film
End Titles... Stories for Film
End Titles... Stories for Film is the fourth studio album from British electronic music act Unkle, inspired by feature films created since Unkle's previous 2007 album War Stories, released on...
was released in July 2008. It includes collaborations from Chris Goss
Chris Goss
Christopher Ryan Goss, born August 17, 1958, is an American record producer and musician.-Selected discography:Throughout his career Goss has worked with a wide range of musicians in various genres.* 1988 - Masters of Reality by Masters of Reality...
, Black Mountain
Black Mountain (band)
Black Mountain is a Canadian rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band is composed of Stephen McBean, Amber Webber, Matt Camirand, Jeremy Schmidt and Joshua Wells.-Overview:...
, Philip Sheppard, Dave Bateman, Joel Cadbury, and James Griffith (Lake Trout)
Lake Trout (band)
Lake Trout are a rock band based in Baltimore. Their music is a combination of rock, ambient, jazz, and many other styles, including influences from post-rock and post-punk. The band has released six albums since its inception, four in-studio and two live...
. The album is described in the sleeve notes by Lavelle as "not a new album in the usual sense, but new music that has been inspired by the moving image." As such, it can be considered a companion piece both to War Stories but also to the earlier Unklesounds mix, Edit Music for a Film.
15 December 2008, saw the release of “End Titles… Redux” (limited to 3000 CDs from official UNKLE stores and digitally from 14 December). This release features seven re-interpreted tracks from the album ‘End Titles… Stories For Film’ plus 2 never before released tracks “When Once It Was” and “A Perfect Storm”. The exclusive package is a 6 panel soft-pack with a 12 page booklet with images by Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
.
Upon the release of the single Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix)
Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix)
Heavy Drug is an EP released by British electronic music act Unkle. According to James Lavelle, the track was born during a late night session, when he and his brother, Adian Lavelle, were working on serveal remix projects, which resulted in what they called a "happy accident"...
in August 2009, Unkle disclosed they had already begun recording their next studio album, Where Did the Night Fall
Where Did the Night Fall
Where Did the Night Fall is the fifth regular studio album from British electronic music act UNKLE, released on .-Background:As a documentation of the work on the album, on April 13, 2009, James Lavelle, UNKLE's mastermind, started an official "UNKLE Blog"...
, which was released in May 2010. This also included an all-star cast of performers including: Mark Lanegan, The Black Angels, Sleepy Sun
Sleepy Sun
Sleepy Sun is a psychedelic rock band from San Francisco, California made up of singers Bret Constantino and former singer Rachel Fannan, guitarists Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss, bassist Jack Allen, and drummer Brian Tice.-Biography:...
, and Katrina Ford. As well as ELLE J and Gavin Clark. The album is also available as a digital download from UNKLE's site.
It was announced on 18 April 2011 that Unkle would headline the Dance Stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
. They will be performing a world-exclusive audio-visual DJ set at the festivals, playing songs from their back catalogue alongside remixes of other artists' songs as well as Unkle's own material. They will be performing under the name UNKLE Sounds.
Studio Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
BEL (Vl) Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
CH | GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Dance |
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| 1998 | Psyence Fiction Psyence Fiction -Samples:*"Intro "**Quannum MCs – "Blue Flames"**Massive Attack – "Teardrop"**Air – "All I Need"**Invisibl Skratch Piklz – "Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs... |
4 | 15 | — | — | 22 | — | — | 107 | — |
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| 2003 | Never, Never, Land Never, Never, Land Never, Never, Land is the second album by the British electronic music act UNKLE, released on . On an expanded edition entitled Never, Never, Land Revisited was released. The original album debuted at #71 in Australia... |
24 | — | 57 | 82 | — | — | — | — | 6 | |
| 2007 | War Stories War Stories (album) War Stories is the third album from Unkle. The album was released in Japan on 20 June 2007 Europe and the UK on 9 July 2007, followed by a 24 July release date in North America. War Stories debuted at #58 in Australia. The album was promoted by three singles: "Burn My Shadow", "Hold My Hand" and... |
56 | — | 66 | 84 | 50 | 58 | 99 | — | — | |
| 2008 | End Titles... Stories for Film End Titles... Stories for Film End Titles... Stories for Film is the fourth studio album from British electronic music act Unkle, inspired by feature films created since Unkle's previous 2007 album War Stories, released on... |
70 | — | — | 174 | 82 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2010 | Where Did the Night Fall Where Did the Night Fall Where Did the Night Fall is the fifth regular studio album from British electronic music act UNKLE, released on .-Background:As a documentation of the work on the album, on April 13, 2009, James Lavelle, UNKLE's mastermind, started an official "UNKLE Blog"... |
42 | — | — | 102 | 73 | 94 | — | — | 7 | |
Other Albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Do Androids Dream of Electric Beats (Rare 3 Disc Mix Set) |
| 2006 | Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats Self Defence: Never, Never, Land Reconstructed and Bonus Beats is a remix album by Unkle, released in 2006 by Global Underground. Spanning four discs, it is a compilation of remixes of tracks from the album Never, Never, Land, and also contains remixes of a track featuring Ian Astbury from the... (4 Disc Box Set) |
| 2008 | More Stories More Stories (album) More Stories is a selection of UNKLE works and remixes created during the War Stories era. The album was released in Japan on 16 January 2008, followed by a 31 January release date in Australia.... (B-Sides Compilation) |
| 2008 | End Titles… Redux |
| 2011 | Where Did The Night Fall - Another Night Out |
Appearances
| Albums | Appearances in media |
|---|---|
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| Songs | Appearances in media |
| Sunna Sunna (band) Sunna are an Hard rock/Industrial rock band from Bristol, England. They released their third album, After the Third Pin on the 3rd October, 2011.- History :... - I'm Not Trading I'm Not Trading "I'm Not Trading" is a song by the British industrial music/hard rock band Sunna with an unorthodox '5' beat time signature.- Track listing :#"I'm Not Trading" - 3:50#"Grave " - 4:06#"I'm Not Trading " - 4:11... (UNKLE - In Utero) |
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| Lonely Soul |
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... and the PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... game Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed is an award-winning historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. The bulk of the game takes place during the Third Crusade, with the plot revolving around a sect known as the Secret Order of... . The Beach (film) The Beach is a 2000 adventure drama film directed by Danny Boyle and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland, which was adapted for the film by John Hodge. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and features Tilda Swinton, Robert Carlyle, Virginie Ledoyen and Guillaume Canet... . Misfits (TV series) Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television series about a group of young offenders forced to work in a community service programme, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm. The first series started broadcasting on 12 November 2009 on E4, and was... episode 1. |
| The Healing |
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| Reign |
A-League The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company... season of the Football Federation of Australia. |
| Glow |
Push (2009 film) Push is a 2009 American science fiction thriller film directed by Paul McGuigan. The film stars Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle, Cliff Curtis, Joel Gretsch and Djimon Hounsou... . |
| Safe in Mind (Please Take This Gun From Out My Face) |
Lucozade Lucozade is an umbrella name for a 6 series of energy and sports drinks, produced by GlaxoSmithKline in Gloucestershire. The former company became part of Beecham and, after the mergers of SmithKline and Beecham in 2000, GlaxoSmithKline.... . |
| Eye For An Eye |
Prison Break Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an... on Channel Five. |
| Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and... – No One Knows (UNKLE Remix) |
Race Driver: GRID Race Driver: Grid is the most recent addition to the TOCA Touring Car series, which is published and developed by Codemasters... , Test Drive Unlimited Test Drive Unlimited Test Drive Unlimited is an arcade-style racing game, the 9th game of the Test Drive series, it features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and a terrain modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oahu that features some 1000 miles of roads and highways. Test Drive Unlimited is the ninth main... and SSX 3 SSX 3 SSX 3 is a snowboarding extreme racing game published by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Sports BIG, which was released in late 2003. It is the third installment in the SSX series, and is THX approved. Like the previous installments, the game was critically acclaimed... . The Bourne Ultimatum (film) The Bourne Ultimatum is a 2007 American spy film directed by Paul Greengrass and loosely based on the Robert Ludlum novel of the same title. This film is the third in the Bourne film series, being preceded by The Bourne Identity and The Bourne Supremacy... . |
| Leap of Faith |
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| Chemistry |
Spooks Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a... . Downloadable content Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,... in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2010, Microsoft Windows in March 2011 and Mac OS X in May 2011... . |
| Keys To The Kingdom |
Heroes (TV series) Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the... season 1. CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... on Channel Five. Deception (2008 film) Deception is a 2008 drama/thriller film, directed by Marcel Langenegger and written by Mark Bomback. It stars Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, and Michelle Williams. The film was released on April 25, 2008 in the United States.-Plot:... . |
| Price You Pay |
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| Restless |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... on Channel Five. Need for Speed Need for Speed is a series of racing video games published by Electronic Arts and developed by several studios including Canadian-based company EA Black Box and British-based Criterion Games... : ProStreet, the song became an "EA Electronic Arts Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers... Track". Colin McRae: Dirt 2 Colin McRae: Dirt 2 is a racing game released in September 2009, and is the sequel to Colin McRae: Dirt. This is the first game in the McRae series since McRae's death in 2007. It was announced on 19 November 2008 and features Ken Block, Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust, and Dave Mirra... . CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... episode 401, "Can You Hear Me Now?". Top Gear (current format) Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style... Season 15, Episode 5 - VW Touareg vs Snowmobiles. Misfits (TV series) Misfits is a British science fiction comedy-drama television series about a group of young offenders forced to work in a community service programme, where they obtain supernatural powers after a strange electrical storm. The first series started broadcasting on 12 November 2009 on E4, and was... series two, episode two (Fake Blood Remix). |
| Burn My Shadow |
Fuel (2009 video game) Fuel is a racing video game developed by Asobo Studio and published by Codemasters, released on June 2, for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and June 5, for Microsoft Windows.-Gameplay:... video game by Codemasters Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986... . CSI: NY CSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes... episode 414, "Playing with Matches". Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a historical third person, stealth action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2010, Microsoft Windows in March 2011 and Mac OS X in May 2011... . Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG... . |
| Hold My Hand |
21 (2008 film) 21 is a 2008 drama film directed by Australian director Robert Luketic and stars Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, Laurence Fishburne, Kate Bosworth, Liza Lapira, Jacob Pitts, and Aaron Yoo. The film is inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team as told in Bringing Down the House, the... . |
| Mayday |
Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system... . Top Gear (current format) Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style... Season, 15 Episode 3 - Four Door Supercars. |
| Broken |
The X-Files: I Want to Believe The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a 2008 science fiction-thriller directed by Chris Carter and written by both Carter and Frank Spotnitz. It is the second feature film based on The X-Files franchise created by Carter, following the 1998 film... . |
| Awake The Unkind |
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| Heaven |
Fully Flared Fully Flared is a street skateboarding video by Lakai, directed by Ty Evans, Spike Jonze and Cory Weincheque. In 2007, it won "Best video of the Year" at the Transworld Skateboarding Awards, and Guy Mariano won both "Best Street" and "Best Video Part" at the same event.The video's release was... skateboarding video. Dirt 3 Dirt 3 is a rallying video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series, developed and published by Codemasters. However, the "Colin McRae" tag has been completely removed from this iteration... teaser. |
| Trouble In Paradise (Variation on a Theme) |
BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands... 'See How It Feels' television commercial. Top Gear (current format) Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style... Season, 14 Episode 3 - Lancia's Seven Great Cars Tribute. |
| With You in My Head (featuring The Black Angels The Black Angels (band) - History :Formed in May 2004, the band's name derives from the Velvet Underground song "The Black Angel's Death Song".In 2005, the Black Angels were featured on a dual-disc compilation album of psychedelic music called Psychedelica Vol.1 from Northern Star Records... ) |
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| Ian Brown - F.E.A.R. (UNKLE Remix) |
Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited, or Codemasters is a British video game developer founded by Richard and David Darling in 1986... (Main Intro Theme and Developers Diary Trailers 1-5). |
| Heavy Drug (Surrender Sounds Mix) |
Skins (TV series) Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death... series 4, episode 3 "Cook" |
| The Answer |
Drive Angry Drive Angry is a 2011 American action film starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Patrick Lussier. It was released on February 25, 2011.- Plot :... Dirt 3 Dirt 3 is a rallying video game and the third in the Dirt series of the Colin McRae Rally series, developed and published by Codemasters. However, the "Colin McRae" tag has been completely removed from this iteration... |
| Synthetic Water |
Top Gear (current format) Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style... Season 13, Episode 5 - Jaguar XFR vs BMW M5 Review. Lewis Hamilton Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire... on the BBC's coverage of the Formula 1 2011 Turkish Grand Prix 2011 Turkish Grand Prix The 2011 Turkish Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 DHL Turkish Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race held on 8 May 2011 at Istanbul Park in Istanbul, Turkey. It was the fourth round of the 2011 Formula One season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by the championship leader,... . |