Underworld (band)
Encyclopedia
Underworld are a British
electronic
group, and principal name under which duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded together since 1980.
and reggae
-inspired sounds of The Screen Gemz while working together in a diner in the city of Cardiff
, where both had been studying. They were then joined by bass
player Alfie Thomas, drum
mer Bryn Burrows, and keyboardist
John Warwicker and formed a proto-electroclash
/new romantic
band whose name was a graphic squiggle, which was subsequently given the pronunciation Freur
. The band signed to CBS Records
, and went on to release the albums Doot-Doot
in 1983, and Get Us out of Here
in 1986. The band disbanded in 1986.
y electropop sound. The band signed to Sire Records
and released the album Underneath the Radar
in 1988, and following the departure of Burrows the album Change the Weather
in 1989. This version of the band disbanded in 1990. (The Underworld of this period is now often referred to as "Underworld Mk1".)
, and after several minor releases and remixes as Lemon Interupt and Steppin' Razor readopted the Underworld moniker. They produced danceable techno
as a trio ("Underworld Mk2").
The addition of Emerson completed Underworld's techno/rock fusion and seemed to moderate some of the poppier elements in the original duo's work. Their first album, dubnobasswithmyheadman
, was considered more accessible than the group's earlier material and crossed a large spectrum of dance music. The signature Hyde lyrics were in place: poetic, hypnotic and whispered; mixing conventional songwriting with the use of found material
from overheard conversations, answering machine recordings and the like. Hyde had been the lead singer in Underworld Mk1. But the original Hyde/Smith dance material was lyric-free as was most of the electronic music emerging from the aftermath of acid house
.
, was their second studio album with Emerson and achieved a degree of commercial success, due in part to its release coinciding with that of the film Trainspotting
. The film featured "Dark & Long (Dark Train)", as well as the band's most commercially successful track to date, "Born Slippy NUXX", which was originally released only as a B-side of a single and does not appear on the Second Toughest album. Both the single and the album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno
, house
, drum and bass
and pop music
to spectacular effect.
"Born Slippy .NUXX" is one of Underworld's best-known tracks, and is celebrated as one of the greatest dance tracks of the decade. It was originally released in 1995 as a b-side to "Born Slippy
", but failed to catch on until it was included in Trainspotting. The track has since sold over a million copies, and appeared on countless compilations
, mashups
, and remix
es.
in 1999, Hyde declared in his interviews that he had sorted out earlier problems with alcoholism
but all the members admitted that the sessions had been fraught with problems, with the individual members working in their own studios and only communicating via mixes of the raw material passed back and forth on DAT
. After the release of the album a large number of mixes of the album tracks seemed to surface on singles, magazine promotional CDs and similar ephemeral formats perhaps indicating the number of revisions the tracks had gone through to get to the point where they were acceptable to all three. The album's name derives from a sample of a Cajun fisherman in Louisiana on the track "Jumbo
". The band originally wanted to call the album Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be Underworld (a catchphrase used by contestants on the UK ITV
programme Stars in Their Eyes
), but were persuaded by their record company, Junior Boy's Own
, that the name would not be easily understood outside the UK. Finally, after all the singles had been released, a boxset, Beaucoup Fish Singles, which was a retrospective of all 4 singles came out.
Underworld embarked on a spirited and well-received tour in 1999, which resulted in a live CD and DVD drawn from several dates on the tour. Called Everything, Everything
, the project captured the live Underworld experience very faithfully. A companion DVD was released separately soon after the album's release. The DVD features live footage of the band mixed with videography and artistic effects by the design group Tomato. The DVD also features several songs not on the album: "Moaner", "Puppies", "Kittens", and "Rowla". The disco scene in Vanilla Sky
features Underworld's 1993 hit "Rez".
, released to general approval. Despite its status as the band's first studio album since Emerson's departure, its general sound and feel was, perhaps surprisingly for many Underworld fans, not completely dissimilar to the previous albums on which Emerson had had input.
A 2 disc anthology was released in 2003, called 1992-2002, which covered the previous Underworld MK2 to Underworld MK3 era. This was the first appearance on an album of previously unavailable single tracks and B-Sides, such as "Bigmouth", "Spikee
", "Dirty", and "8 Ball".
In late 2005 they released two compilations of new songs with accompanying photographs on Underworld Live, Lovely Broken Thing
and Pizza for Eggs
. These were only released online, with no physical release (except for a promo CD).
On 5 June 2006, they released their third instalment in the Riverrun series, I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and This Is My Horse
.
On 10 July 2006, they released a special retrospective mix, called The Misterons Mix
, which is composed of tracks from the three previous Riverrun releases. This was an exclusive free download for those customers that had purchased all three previous Riverrun releases.
In September 2006, Underworld released five limited edition (10,000 copies each) 12" vinyl releases, containing remixes of various Riverrun tracks. These tracks were also made available for purchase by digital download on the Beatport
website.
In 2006, Underworld and Gabriel Yared
composed the music score to Anthony Minghella
's film Breaking and Entering
. The soundtrack
was released in the UK on 6 November, and in the USA on 5 December.
, was released on 16 October 2007. The first single from the new album, "Crocodile
", was released on 5 September 2007. U2
's drummer Larry Mullen Jr helped out on the track Boy, Boy, Boy.
Underworld completed the soundtrack to the Danny Boyle
film, Sunshine
, in late 2006. Well over a year after the film's release, the official soundtrack was released on iTunes on 25 November 2008. The soundtrack is a collaboration with composer John Murphy
.
On 16 June 2007, Underworld were forced to cancel their show at the Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece. Approximately 30 masked Greek anarchists stormed the stadium while the Beastie Boys
were performing. Rick Smith was one of the people injured in the ensuing violence, and he was taken to a nearby Athens hospital for treatment.
On 19 October 2007, Underworld cancelled the remaining dates of their European tour due to illness in the band. The tour was picked up again on 28 January 2008, with a concert in Cologne, followed by 16 dates in Europe, including some festivals.
On 8 August 2008, Underworld appeared at the All Points West Music & Arts Festival
festival in Liberty State Park
, New Jersey. Radiohead
dedicated their final song "Everything in its Right Place
" to Underworld with a special remix.
Karl Hyde appeared with Brian Eno
on the final day of the Eno curated Luminous Festival at Sydney Opera House. "Pure Scenius" consisted of three live improvised performances on the same day, featuring Eno, Hyde, Australian improv trio The Necks
, electronic artist Jon Hopkins
and guitarist Leo Abrahams
.
Underworld has released two new series via their underworldlive.com site, in mp3 and WAV formats. The tracks are 020202, and the phonestrap/autotrader series.
On 3 July 2009, Underworld debuted a new song tentatively titled "Between Stars" at the Montreux Jazz Festival
. Shortly before that, a post was made on the band's diary page showing a piece of paper with the song's first verse on it.
On 8 August 2009, a show at Los Angeles' Forum was canceled in circumstances eerily similar to those that led to the group canceling the show in Athens 2 years prior. Some of the crowd were climbing down the seats and onto the main floor, a potential safety hazard. The group apologized on their website for having the show called off.
On 8 March 2010 Mark Knight and D. Ramirez released the single 'Downpipe', which featured vocal contributions from Underworld's Karl Hyde. The song, released on Mark Knight's Toolroom Records label, has a music video featuring the "Playhouse", a lighting setup on Liberty Hall, the tallest building in Dublin.
, a drum and bass
DJ from Cardiff
. On 14 May, the full version of "Scribble" was featured on Pete Tong
's Radio 1
radio show, declaring it as Essential New Tune
of the week. The group also released a video clip for "Scribble" on YouTube
. It has been commercially released on 28 June as the lead single from their latest album.
On 7 June 2010, Underworld announced the details of their eighth studio album, Barking
, which was released on 13 September 2010 in the UK. The album features collaborations with German trance
producer Paul van Dyk
and British house artists Mark Knight and D. Ramirez
, among others.
In December 2010 it was announced that Underworld will be reuniting with Trainspotting
director Danny Boyle
to write the musical score for his production of Frankenstein
at the Royal National Theatre
. The production was broadcast as a part of National Theatre Live
on 17 March 2011, with an imminent soundtrack release announced on Underworld's website on 2 March 2010.
In February 2011 Underworld confirmed that they will be playing a huge London summer show on Saturday 27 August on Clapham Common as headliners of South West Four.
... at a time when the eyes of the world are on China
". The album was issued on 5 August via iTunes
and on 19 August in music stores around the world.
Remixes in the Lemon Interupt/Steppin' Razor period included such varying acts as Shakespears Sister
, Saint Etienne
, Björk
and Simply Red
.
" came in at #65 in Triple J
's Hottest 100 Of All Time, voted by the Australian public.
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...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group, and principal name under which duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded together since 1980.
Early years: 1979–1986
Hyde and Smith began their musical partnership with the KraftwerkKraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
-inspired sounds of The Screen Gemz while working together in a diner in the city of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, where both had been studying. They were then joined by bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player Alfie Thomas, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
mer Bryn Burrows, and keyboardist
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
John Warwicker and formed a proto-electroclash
Electroclash
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
/new romantic
New Romantic
New Romanticism , was a pop culture movement in the United Kingdom that began around 1979 and peaked around 1981. Developing in London nightclubs such as Billy's and The Blitz and spreading to other major cities in the UK, it was based around flamboyant, eccentric fashion and new wave music...
band whose name was a graphic squiggle, which was subsequently given the pronunciation Freur
Freur
Freur was a band featuring Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, who went on to found the successful electronic act Underworld. It was their second band, following their art school collaboration, The Screen Gemz.-History:...
. The band signed to CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
, and went on to release the albums Doot-Doot
Doot-Doot
Doot-Doot is the debut studio album by Freur and was released in 1983. The cassette version of the album included four extra tracks.- CD release :The album was unavailable on CD until the 1993 reissue by Oglio Records in the United States...
in 1983, and Get Us out of Here
Get Us Out of Here
Get Us out of Here is the second and final studio album by Freur and was released in the Netherlands and Germany in 1986. The cassette version of the album included five extra tracks.- CD release :...
in 1986. The band disbanded in 1986.
Underworld Mk1: 1987–1990
In 1987 Hyde, Smith, Thomas, Burrows and bass player Baz Allen formed the band Underworld which tried a more guitar-oriented funkFunk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
y electropop sound. The band signed to Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
and released the album Underneath the Radar
Underneath the Radar
Underneath the Radar is the debut album by Underworld, released in 1988 . The album was a success in both Australia and the US . The title track of the album was released as a single which reached top five on the ARIA singles charts and number seventy-four on the U.S...
in 1988, and following the departure of Burrows the album Change the Weather
Change the Weather
Change the Weather is the second album released by Underworld, in 1989. It contains the single"Stand Up", which became the band's biggest US hit, peaking at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1989...
in 1989. This version of the band disbanded in 1990. (The Underworld of this period is now often referred to as "Underworld Mk1".)
Darren Emerson joins the duo: 1991–1994
After a break (to concentrate on, among other things, art/design project Tomato), Hyde and Smith recruited Essex DJ Darren EmersonDarren Emerson
Darren Emerson is a dance music DJ, and former member of the UK electronic music outfit, Underworld.-Career:Emerson began mixing Hip-Hop records at the age of 14, and by 16 was DJing regularly at local venues...
, and after several minor releases and remixes as Lemon Interupt and Steppin' Razor readopted the Underworld moniker. They produced danceable techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
as a trio ("Underworld Mk2").
The addition of Emerson completed Underworld's techno/rock fusion and seemed to moderate some of the poppier elements in the original duo's work. Their first album, dubnobasswithmyheadman
Dubnobasswithmyheadman
Dubnobasswithmyheadman is the third album by Underworld, released in 1994 after the band made the transition from synth pop to progressive house...
, was considered more accessible than the group's earlier material and crossed a large spectrum of dance music. The signature Hyde lyrics were in place: poetic, hypnotic and whispered; mixing conventional songwriting with the use of found material
Found art
The term found art—more commonly found object or readymade—describes art created from undisguised, but often modified, objects that are not normally considered art, often because they already have a non-art function...
from overheard conversations, answering machine recordings and the like. Hyde had been the lead singer in Underworld Mk1. But the original Hyde/Smith dance material was lyric-free as was most of the electronic music emerging from the aftermath of acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
.
Trainspotting breakthrough: 1995–1997
The band's 1996 album, Second Toughest In The InfantsSecond Toughest in the Infants
Second Toughest in the Infants is the fourth album by Underworld, and the second in their classic "MK2" lineup with Darren Emerson. With this album, Underworld expanded on their progressive palette, while developing their signature sound of abrasive beats and anthemic melodies...
, was their second studio album with Emerson and achieved a degree of commercial success, due in part to its release coinciding with that of the film Trainspotting
Trainspotting (film)
Trainspotting is a 1996 British satirical/drama film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The movie follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life...
. The film featured "Dark & Long (Dark Train)", as well as the band's most commercially successful track to date, "Born Slippy NUXX", which was originally released only as a B-side of a single and does not appear on the Second Toughest album. Both the single and the album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, 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...
, drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
to spectacular effect.
"Born Slippy .NUXX" is one of Underworld's best-known tracks, and is celebrated as one of the greatest dance tracks of the decade. It was originally released in 1995 as a b-side to "Born Slippy
Born Slippy
"Born Slippy" is a single by Underworld originally released in 1995, which has never appeared on an album by the group. The track is instrumental and features no lyrics. It is often confused with the more popular vocal track, "Born Slippy .NUXX", because of the similar name. However, they are...
", but failed to catch on until it was included in Trainspotting. The track has since sold over a million copies, and appeared on countless compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, mashups
Mashup (music)
A mashup or bootleg is a song or composition created by blending two or more pre-recorded songs, usually by overlaying the vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental track of another...
, and remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es.
Beaucoup Fish era: 1998–2001
After the release of fifth studio album Beaucoup FishBeaucoup Fish
Beaucoup Fish is the fifth album by Underworld, released in 1999. Following the huge success of the single "Born Slippy .NUXX" from its use in the film Trainspotting, Beaucoup Fish was Underworld's most anticipated release. It spawned several successful singles, including "Push Upstairs", "Jumbo"...
in 1999, Hyde declared in his interviews that he had sorted out earlier problems with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
but all the members admitted that the sessions had been fraught with problems, with the individual members working in their own studios and only communicating via mixes of the raw material passed back and forth on DAT
Digital Audio Tape
Digital Audio Tape is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a compact audio cassette, using 4 mm magnetic tape enclosed in a protective shell, but is roughly half the size at 73 mm × 54 mm × 10.5 mm. As...
. After the release of the album a large number of mixes of the album tracks seemed to surface on singles, magazine promotional CDs and similar ephemeral formats perhaps indicating the number of revisions the tracks had gone through to get to the point where they were acceptable to all three. The album's name derives from a sample of a Cajun fisherman in Louisiana on the track "Jumbo
Jumbo (song)
"Jumbo" is a song by Underworld that appears on the album Beaucoup Fish. The single peaked on the UK Singles Chart at #21. - CD : Junior Boy's Own; JBO5007193 Part 1/2 :# "Jumbo " – 4:07# "Jumbo " – 8:26...
". The band originally wanted to call the album Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be Underworld (a catchphrase used by contestants on the UK ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
programme Stars in Their Eyes
Stars In Their Eyes
Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...
), but were persuaded by their record company, Junior Boy's Own
Junior Boy's Own
Junior Boy's Own is a London, UK-based record labelTerry Farley joined Andrew Weatherall, Cymon Eckel, Pete Heller and Steven Hall to form Boy's Own Recordings , then in 1992 Terry Farley and Steven Hall began Junior Recordings Ltd., which started to use the label Junior Boy's Own. The label is...
, that the name would not be easily understood outside the UK. Finally, after all the singles had been released, a boxset, Beaucoup Fish Singles, which was a retrospective of all 4 singles came out.
Underworld embarked on a spirited and well-received tour in 1999, which resulted in a live CD and DVD drawn from several dates on the tour. Called Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything is a live album by Underworld, released September 12, 2000 on V2. The album is named after the lyrics in one of the songs, "Cowgirl".A companion DVD was released separately soon after the album's release...
, the project captured the live Underworld experience very faithfully. A companion DVD was released separately soon after the album's release. The DVD features live footage of the band mixed with videography and artistic effects by the design group Tomato. The DVD also features several songs not on the album: "Moaner", "Puppies", "Kittens", and "Rowla". The disco scene in Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky
Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American psychological thriller film directed, co-produced and co-written by Cameron Crowe. The film is an English-language remake of the 1997 Spanish movie Abre los ojos , the screenplay for which was written by Alejandro Amenábar and Mateo Gil...
features Underworld's 1993 hit "Rez".
Back to a duo: 2002–2003
After the release and promotion of Everything, Everything, Emerson decided to leave Underworld to focus on his solo projects and record label. Hyde and Smith decided to continue, once again, as a duo. They recorded a new album, A Hundred Days OffA Hundred Days Off
A Hundred Days Off is a 2002 album by Underworld. The album produced two UK Singles Chart entries: "Two Months Off", which reached no. 12 and "Dinosaur Adventure 3D", which reached no. 34...
, released to general approval. Despite its status as the band's first studio album since Emerson's departure, its general sound and feel was, perhaps surprisingly for many Underworld fans, not completely dissimilar to the previous albums on which Emerson had had input.
A 2 disc anthology was released in 2003, called 1992-2002, which covered the previous Underworld MK2 to Underworld MK3 era. This was the first appearance on an album of previously unavailable single tracks and B-Sides, such as "Bigmouth", "Spikee
Spikee
"Spikee" is a non-album single by Underworld, originally released in 1993 in the UK. It entered the UK chart at #63 on 18 December 1993 for one week.- 12": JBO / JBO 17 :# "Spikee" – 12:34 # "Dogman Go Woof" – 12:13...
", "Dirty", and "8 Ball".
The RiverRun Project and soundtracks: 2004–2006
While touring in the summer and fall of 2005, the duo was joined on stage by Darren Price, a DJ and producer well known by the band who had remixed Underworld releases in the past. During their tour, they released a 3xCD set called Live in Tokyo, which was sold after the concert in Japan. Copies were also later sold online.In late 2005 they released two compilations of new songs with accompanying photographs on Underworld Live, Lovely Broken Thing
Lovely Broken Thing
Lovely Broken Thing is the first in a series called The RiverRun Project by Underworld, released online on November 9, 2005. The download-only package is a zip file containing a 192kbit/s encoded mp3 file, 177 black-and-white photographs, and a PDF of the CD insert.- Track listing :Lovely Broken...
and Pizza for Eggs
Pizza for Eggs
Pizza for Eggs is the second in a series called Riverrun by Underworld, released 7 December 2005 online. The download-only package is a zip file containing a 192kbit/s encoded mp3 file, 444 black-and-white photographs, and a PDF of the CD insert....
. These were only released online, with no physical release (except for a promo CD).
On 5 June 2006, they released their third instalment in the Riverrun series, I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and This Is My Horse
I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and This is my Horse
I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and This Is My Horse is the third in a series called Riverrun by Underworld, released June 5th, 2006 online...
.
On 10 July 2006, they released a special retrospective mix, called The Misterons Mix
The Misterons Mix
The Misterons Mix is a free mix for the people that bought all three of the Riverrun series by Underworld, released 2006 online.-MP3: underworldlive.com, UWR-0600014-1:# "Peach Tree"# "Vanilla Monkey"# "Lenny Penne"# "Billy Goat"...
, which is composed of tracks from the three previous Riverrun releases. This was an exclusive free download for those customers that had purchased all three previous Riverrun releases.
In September 2006, Underworld released five limited edition (10,000 copies each) 12" vinyl releases, containing remixes of various Riverrun tracks. These tracks were also made available for purchase by digital download on the Beatport
Beatport
Beatport is an online music store specializing in electronic dance music and culture. Beatport is a privately held company owned and operated by Beatport LLC and based in Denver, Colorado.-History:...
website.
In 2006, Underworld and Gabriel Yared
Gabriel Yared
Gabriel Yared is a Lebanese composer, best known for his work in French and American cinema.Born in Beirut, Lebanon, his work in France included the scores for Betty Blue and Camille Claudel. He later began working on English language films, particularly those directed by Anthony Minghella...
composed the music score to Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella
Anthony Minghella, CBE was an English film director, playwright and screenwriter. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors at the British Film Institute between 2003 and 2007....
's film Breaking and Entering
Breaking and Entering (film)
Gabriel Yared and Underworld collaborated on the film's original music score.-External links:* at TIFF, by Andrea Miller /CANOE Live...
. The soundtrack
Breaking and Entering (soundtrack)
Breaking and Entering: Music from the Film is the soundtrack album for the film Breaking and Entering and was released by V2 Records on November 6, 2006, almost two months before the film's theatrical release in the U.S....
was released in the UK on 6 November, and in the USA on 5 December.
Oblivion with Bells: 2007–2009
Underworld's seventh studio album, Oblivion with BellsOblivion with Bells
Oblivion with Bells is the seventh studio album from Underworld, released on in Japan, in the EU and in the USA. Due to the success of lead single "Crocodile" and the use of "To Heal" as a central theme in the film Sunshine, Oblivion With Bells has sold over 93,000 copies worldwide, as of 23 May...
, was released on 16 October 2007. The first single from the new album, "Crocodile
Crocodile (song)
"Crocodile" is a song by electronic band Underworld, and was released as a single on September 12, 2007, in Japan first, in order to promote their upcoming album, Oblivion with Bells. On September 5, Underworld released the music video for "Crocodile" on their website. This song, as well as its...
", was released on 5 September 2007. U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's drummer Larry Mullen Jr helped out on the track Boy, Boy, Boy.
Underworld completed the soundtrack to the Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
film, Sunshine
Sunshine (2007 film)
Sunshine is a 2007 British science fiction film directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland about the crew of a spacecraft on a dangerous mission to the Sun. In 2057, with the Earth in peril from the dying Sun, the crew is sent to reignite the Sun with a massive stellar bomb with the mass...
, in late 2006. Well over a year after the film's release, the official soundtrack was released on iTunes on 25 November 2008. The soundtrack is a collaboration with composer John Murphy
John Murphy (composer)
John Murphy is an English film composer. He is a self taught multi-instrumental musician who began his career in the 1980s working notably with The Lotus Eaters, Thomas Lang and Claudia Brücken....
.
On 16 June 2007, Underworld were forced to cancel their show at the Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece. Approximately 30 masked Greek anarchists stormed the stadium while 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....
were performing. Rick Smith was one of the people injured in the ensuing violence, and he was taken to a nearby Athens hospital for treatment.
On 19 October 2007, Underworld cancelled the remaining dates of their European tour due to illness in the band. The tour was picked up again on 28 January 2008, with a concert in Cologne, followed by 16 dates in Europe, including some festivals.
On 8 August 2008, Underworld appeared at the All Points West Music & Arts Festival
All Points West Music & Arts Festival
The All Points West Music & Arts Festival was an annual music and arts festival held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. First held in August 2008, it is hosted by Goldenvoice/AEG Live events, the same company that hosts the similar annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival...
festival in Liberty State Park
Liberty State Park
Liberty State Park is located on Upper New York Bay in Jersey City, New Jersey, opposite the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The park opened in 1976 to coincide with bicentennial celebrations and is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry.-Geography and...
, New Jersey. 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...
dedicated their final song "Everything in its Right Place
Everything in Its Right Place
"Everything in Its Right Place" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, written by lead singer Thom Yorke in 1999. It was recorded with producer Nigel Godrich in Batsford later the same year...
" to Underworld with a special remix.
Karl Hyde appeared with Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
on the final day of the Eno curated Luminous Festival at Sydney Opera House. "Pure Scenius" consisted of three live improvised performances on the same day, featuring Eno, Hyde, Australian improv trio The Necks
The Necks
The Necks are an experimental jazz trio from Sydney, Australia, comprising Chris Abrahams on piano and Hammond organ, Tony Buck on drums, percussion and electric guitar and Lloyd Swanton on bass guitar and double bass...
, electronic artist Jon Hopkins
Jon Hopkins
Jon Hopkins is a London-based producer and musician who writes and performs his own melodic electronica and dance music. After starting his career performing keyboard for Imogen Heap, he's produced or contributed to albums by Brian Eno, Coldplay, David Holmes, and others...
and guitarist Leo Abrahams
Leo Abrahams
Leo Abrahams is a British musician, composer, and producer. He has collaborated with a multitude of professional musicians, including Brian Eno, Imogen Heap, Jarvis Cocker, Carl Barât, and Paul Simon. After attending the Royal Academy of Music in England, he started his musical career by touring as...
.
Underworld has released two new series via their underworldlive.com site, in mp3 and WAV formats. The tracks are 020202, and the phonestrap/autotrader series.
On 3 July 2009, Underworld debuted a new song tentatively titled "Between Stars" at the Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
. Shortly before that, a post was made on the band's diary page showing a piece of paper with the song's first verse on it.
On 8 August 2009, a show at Los Angeles' Forum was canceled in circumstances eerily similar to those that led to the group canceling the show in Athens 2 years prior. Some of the crowd were climbing down the seats and onto the main floor, a potential safety hazard. The group apologized on their website for having the show called off.
On 8 March 2010 Mark Knight and D. Ramirez released the single 'Downpipe', which featured vocal contributions from Underworld's Karl Hyde. The song, released on Mark Knight's Toolroom Records label, has a music video featuring the "Playhouse", a lighting setup on Liberty Hall, the tallest building in Dublin.
Barking: 2010–present
On 13 May 2010, the band released a track called "Scribble" for download on the band's site. The track shares elements with "You Do Scribble", an unreleased song which they featured many times since 2005 in their live performance shows. The track is made in collaboration with High ContrastHigh Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
, a drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
DJ from Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. On 14 May, the full version of "Scribble" was featured on Pete Tong
Pete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
's Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
radio show, declaring it as Essential New Tune
Essential Selection
The Essential Selection was a radio show on Friday evenings on BBC Radio 1, hosted by Pete Tong. It started in early 1991 and showcased the latest electronic dance music, with an emphasis on house...
of the week. The group also released a video clip for "Scribble" on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. It has been commercially released on 28 June as the lead single from their latest album.
On 7 June 2010, Underworld announced the details of their eighth studio album, Barking
Barking (album)
Barking is the eighth studio album by British electronica group Underworld, released on 2 September 2010. The lead single, "Scribble", produced with Welsh drum and bass producer High Contrast, was released on 28 June 2010...
, which was released on 13 September 2010 in the UK. The album features collaborations with German trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
producer Paul van Dyk
Paul van Dyk
Matthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
and British house artists Mark Knight and D. Ramirez
D. Ramirez
D. Ramirez is an English house producer and DJ. He has used a variety of pseudonyms including The Lisa Marie Experience , Cordial, Finger Fest and Rambo...
, among others.
In December 2010 it was announced that Underworld will be reuniting with Trainspotting
Trainspotting (film)
Trainspotting is a 1996 British satirical/drama film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The movie follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life...
director Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle
Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...
to write the musical score for his production of Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
at the Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
. The production was broadcast as a part of National Theatre Live
National Theatre Live
National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London, which broadcasts live via satellite, performances of their productions to movie theaters, cinemas and arts centres around the world.-About:...
on 17 March 2011, with an imminent soundtrack release announced on Underworld's website on 2 March 2010.
In February 2011 Underworld confirmed that they will be playing a huge London summer show on Saturday 27 August on Clapham Common as headliners of South West Four.
Charity
In 2008 the band participated in an album called Songs for Tibet, "to express our support for the Tibetan peopleTibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
... at a time when the eyes of the world are on China
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
". The album was issued on 5 August via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and on 19 August in music stores around the world.
Discography
- Underneath the RadarUnderneath the RadarUnderneath the Radar is the debut album by Underworld, released in 1988 . The album was a success in both Australia and the US . The title track of the album was released as a single which reached top five on the ARIA singles charts and number seventy-four on the U.S...
(1988) - Change the WeatherChange the WeatherChange the Weather is the second album released by Underworld, in 1989. It contains the single"Stand Up", which became the band's biggest US hit, peaking at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1989...
(1989) - DubnobasswithmyheadmanDubnobasswithmyheadmanDubnobasswithmyheadman is the third album by Underworld, released in 1994 after the band made the transition from synth pop to progressive house...
(1994) - Second Toughest in the InfantsSecond Toughest in the InfantsSecond Toughest in the Infants is the fourth album by Underworld, and the second in their classic "MK2" lineup with Darren Emerson. With this album, Underworld expanded on their progressive palette, while developing their signature sound of abrasive beats and anthemic melodies...
(1996) - Beaucoup FishBeaucoup FishBeaucoup Fish is the fifth album by Underworld, released in 1999. Following the huge success of the single "Born Slippy .NUXX" from its use in the film Trainspotting, Beaucoup Fish was Underworld's most anticipated release. It spawned several successful singles, including "Push Upstairs", "Jumbo"...
(1999) - A Hundred Days OffA Hundred Days OffA Hundred Days Off is a 2002 album by Underworld. The album produced two UK Singles Chart entries: "Two Months Off", which reached no. 12 and "Dinosaur Adventure 3D", which reached no. 34...
(2002) - Oblivion with BellsOblivion with BellsOblivion with Bells is the seventh studio album from Underworld, released on in Japan, in the EU and in the USA. Due to the success of lead single "Crocodile" and the use of "To Heal" as a central theme in the film Sunshine, Oblivion With Bells has sold over 93,000 copies worldwide, as of 23 May...
(2007) - BarkingBarking (album)Barking is the eighth studio album by British electronica group Underworld, released on 2 September 2010. The lead single, "Scribble", produced with Welsh drum and bass producer High Contrast, was released on 28 June 2010...
(2010)
Remixes by Underworld (Darren Emerson, Rick Smith, Karl Hyde)
For a complete list of the remixography, see Underworld discography.Remixes in the Lemon Interupt/Steppin' Razor period included such varying acts as Shakespears Sister
Shakespears Sister
Shakespears Sister/Shakespear's Sister is a British-based synth-pop-rock band formed by Irish-born singer–songwriter Siobhan Fahey in 1988, with plaudits including a BRIT Award and Ivor Novello Award. It was Fahey's first musical outing since leaving Bananarama, and initially a solo project...
, Saint Etienne
Saint Etienne (band)
Saint Etienne are an English Pop group comprising Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs. They are named after the French football team AS Saint-Étienne.-History:Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs were childhood friends and former music journalists...
, Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
and Simply Red
Simply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
.
Hottest 100 of all time
In 2009 "Born Slippy .NUXXBorn Slippy .NUXX
"Born Slippy .NUXX" is a 1996 single by the band Underworld.It was preceded in January 1995 by the single "Born Slippy", which featured the ".NUXX" mix as a B-side. The band has stated that the pounding, relentless rhythm and shouted lyrics of the track were originally meant "as a joke", and the...
" came in at #65 in Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
's Hottest 100 Of All Time, voted by the Australian public.
Band members
- Karl Hyde (b. 10 May 1957, WorcesterWorcesterThe City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
) - vocals, guitars (1986–present) - Rick Smith (b. Richard Smith, 25 May 1959, Ammanford, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
) - keyboards (1986–present) - Darren Price - keyboards, mixing and live assistant (2005–present)
- Darren EmersonDarren EmersonDarren Emerson is a dance music DJ, and former member of the UK electronic music outfit, Underworld.-Career:Emerson began mixing Hip-Hop records at the age of 14, and by 16 was DJing regularly at local venues...
(b. 30 April 1971, HornchurchHornchurchHornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
, EssexEssexEssex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
) - keyboards and mixing (1991–2000) - Alfie Thomas - guitar (1986–1990) (also in Freur)
- Bryn Burrows - drums (1986–1988) (also in Freur)
- Baz Allen - bass (1986–1990)
- Pascal Consoli - drums (1989–1990)
Studio Equipment
- Akai MPC2000 percussion sampler.
- Akai S3200XL sampler.
- ARP 2600 modular synth.
- Casio FZ1 sampler.
- Clavia Nord Lead.
- Emu Orbit sound module.
- Korg ER1 drum machine.
- OSC Oscar synthesizer.
- Peavey PC6100X MIDI Command Station.
- Quasimidi Technox sound module.
- Roland TR909 drum machine.
- Roland JP8000 synthesizer.
- Yamaha DX7 MkI synthesizer.
- Apple Mac G4 with Recycle and Logic Audio version 4.5.
- 64-channel, 24-bit Digidesign Pro Tools system.
- TL Audio VTC 24-channel in-line desk.
- Behringer Ultrafex 2 enhancer.
- BSS DPR901 compressor.
- DBX 160S compressor/limiter (x2).
- Drawmer DS201 noise gate.
- Focusrite ISA115HD EQ (x2).
- Neve 33609C stereo compressor/limiter.
- Roland SRV330 reverb unit.
- Sony V77 multi-effects.
- TC Electronic Finalizer Plus.
- Yamaha SPX90 multi-effects.
- Access Virus synth.
- Akai S3200 sampler.
- Behringer Composer compressor/limiter.
- Behringer Ultrafex 2 enhancer.
- Clavia Nord Lead synth.
- Joemeek VC1 voice channel.
- Novation DrumStation drum module.
- Sherman Filterbank.
- Sony MP5 multi-effects.
- Spirit Absolute 4P monitors.
- Waldorf Microwave XT synth.
- Yamaha SPX90 multi-effects.
- Native Instruments Maschine.
External links
- Underworld Live
- Underworld Athens Website
- Underworld Live Exclusive Interview / FAQ
- [ftp://ftp.swcp.com/pub/users/lazlo/discographies/freur Discography: Freur/Underworld/Lemon Interupt] - Detailed discography to 1999
- Unofficial FAQ
- Band History page
- The Underworld Gigography
- Underworld at Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
- Karl Hyde of Underworld interviewed in Chaos Control Digizin (Fall 2007)
- Underworld Gig Review at UKEventsnet
- Karl Hyde, on Underworld and the New Anthology Album: An Autobiographical Poetry - 2003 Interview with Karl Hyde in JIVE Magazine, written by Jewels