Description

Underworld rose from the semi-successful '80s synth-pop outfit known as Freur to become one of the great innovators in electronica. While the group's sound can easily be whittled down to its core elements--trance, dub, ambient, and a certain punkish fervor--the sum of Underworld's parts adds up to something more. Underworld's X factor may be Karl Hyde's vocals. With his half-spoken, half-shouted incantations, Hyde sings like a twisted gospel ranter gone mad in the DJ booth.

Biography

Based in Romford, Essex, England, Underworld arose from the ashes of Freur in the late 80s. Their debut album as Underworld, a funk rock affair produced by Tom Bailey of the Thompson Twins, found some success, particularly in the USA. A second album followed, before key members Karl Hyde (guitar/vocals) and Rick Smith (keyboards) brought this line-up to an abrupt end during a 1990 tour supporting the Eurythmics. Hyde worked with Deborah Harry, before returning to England to reform Underworld as a predominantly dance music-orientated band with Smith and DJ Darren Emerson. Their first releases were the privately distributed "The Hump" and "Dirty", the latter released as Lemon Interrupt. They had their first success as Underworld in early 1993 with "Mmm Skyscraper ' I Love You" and later that year with "Rez", both of which became popular with the dance fraternity. While the latter was a straightforward dance track that arranged a few analogue riffs, regular four-on-the-floor drums as well as more busy tribal-sounding percussion, into various build-ups and breakdowns, "Mmm Skyscraper ' I Love You" was a more varied and carefully structured track which introduced Hyde's vocals into a rich, psychedelic techno sound.
During this time the band gained respect in wider circles by performing live at various events including Megadog and the MIDI Circus and achieved further recognition and popularity in 1993 when they released the album Dubnobasswithmyheadman. Building on the same kind of diversity as "Mmm Skyscraper '" the album featured a broad ranging techno style which was at times deep and psychedelic, and other moments melodic and almost pop-like, and was always characterized by Hyde's fragmented lyrics. Mixing elements of what were unreconcilable styles including ambient, house, techno and dub with pop sensibilities, it appealed to a broad audience and was hailed by some of the rock press as the most important dance album of the time, while purists had reservations about them diluting their techno sound. Much of the sound from this innovative album continued to have resonance in music produced into the late 90s.
In June 1995, Underworld received an enthusiastic response when they played a number of dates in America with the Chemical Brothers, the Orb and Orbital. In the same year they released a single "Born Slippy", which gained mass exposure on the soundtrack to the ultra-hip movie, Trainspotting and was subsequently re-issued in 1996 when it became a chart hit. Second Toughest In The Infants, which introduced breakbeats and elements of drum 'n' bass into the sound, was even more successful than its predecessor, despite being a darker and sometimes more claustrophobic set. That year they also headlined a number of dance and rock festivals, including Reading and Tribal Gathering's Big Love.
Underworld have remixed a number of artists including Björk, Simply Red and Orbital, and continue to DJ around the UK. At the same time Hyde and Smith have been involved with the art and design collective Tomato which has experimented with various innovative multi-media projects, as well as various commercial projects including advertising and promo videos. In 1998, Underworld and Tomato combined in a series of performances aimed at blurring the lines between bands and visual artists. In March 1999, Beaucoup Fish was released to rave reviews and became a major success. The following April Emerson announced his decision to leave the band to work on solo projects, although they did release the first Underworld live album in September.
DISCOGRAPHY: Underneath The Radar (Sire 1988)**, Change The Weather (Sire 1989)***, Dubnobasswithmyheadman (Junior Boy's Own 1993)****, Second Toughest In The Infants (Junior Boy's Own 1996)****, Beaucoup Fish (Junior Boy's Own/V2 1999)****, Everything, Everything (Junior Boy's Own/V2 2000)***, A Hundred Days Off (Junior Boy's Own/V2 2002)***.
COMPILATIONS: Back To Mine (DMC 2003)****, 1992-2002 (Junior Boy's Own 2003)****.
VIDEOGRAPHY: Everything, Everything (Junior Boy's Own 2000).

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