Riverrun

In case you don't have it.  Even if you do, I think you'll like this version.

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Underworld Live Tokyo (2005)

I was South of home this past week (probably spent more time in the airport, another adventure...) and completely lost interest in the shuffle. I needed intensive focus to try and read and the shuffle was a distraction.  

Listened to some incredible long players on the trip, that deep dive into an album's passion and it reinvigorated my appreciation for the album. Some of them are here already but hope to provide some "guidance" here for the others.

This was one of them. Been on an UW trip lately - think it's due to the mood elevation - and this is an incredible experience of their sound live for those of us who have never had the opportunity to actually be there.  

Apparently this set goes on sale on their website occasionally, without warning, so until then...

Part1//Part2

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Underworld - Two Months Off (2002)

With the release of Karl Hyde's first solo album (waiting patiently for my vinyl order) I've been revisiting Underworld full tilt lately and it's been non-stop mood elevation. Theirs is a sound that is like no other. First discovered them when "Cowgirl" dropped and have been a fan ever since.

Easily one of my favorite Underworld tracks, this one always elevates my mood and takes me away to that happy place.  There are literally more than a dozen variations - singles, maxis, etc. - of this track. This one is from Australia/New Zealand which contains a few remixes of the song plus some bonus tracks which is what makes it interesting.

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P.S. For an incredible version of this track and some other classics, check out their performance on KCRW.

Rick Smith - Bungalow With Stairs 1 (2010)

The Underworld duo are involved in much more than just music. Rick Smith, the producer backbone of the Underworld sound, also does project work as Bungalow With Stairs. This album was released with one of Karl Hyde's art installations in Tokyo as a limited edition CD of the exhibit soundtrack to those who attended.  

I knew nothing about this release until doing some virtual digging. For some reason, I'm on an Underworld kick and have been for a while now. Karl Hyde's upcoming release is the tip of the iceberg. I suppose it has to do with recapitulating my past and enjoying their artistry as it evolves as they age as well.

Apparently made up of older material (you'll recognize a few snippets that would later end up on Beaucoup Fish) as well as manipulated spoken word samples, you'll discover that "ambient" sound that lies lurking behind all of Underworld's music, that sound that adds soul to the ecstasy their music invokes.  

You can learn more about the design collective Tomato which the duo were part of founding in 1991 here. You'll instantly recognize the album artwork.

Fascinating.  Highly recommended. 

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Karl Hyde - Upcoming Release

April 2013 will see the release of Karl Hyde's debut solo LP, Edgeland. It features nine tracks that were recorded over a year in London with multi-instrumentalist and producer Leo Abrahams (whom Karl met whilst collaborating with Brian Eno). Edgeland is a graceful and meditative collection that explores the limitless possibilities of what late film director Anthony Minghella christened 'esoteric Underworld' - something that's existed on record since dubnobasswithmyheadman. 

If you didn't know it, for much of my life I've been fascinated with abandoned buildings, landscapes and architecture.  Maybe it's the darkness, the longing for times gone by or just that I've found there to be peace and solace in those things that others pass by but as you can see in this video, Karl Hyde shares a similar passion.  You can read more about it here.

I've pre-ordered this on vinyl and am pretty stoked.  There has always been an underlying melancholy to be found in the musical bliss of Underworld and they somehow strike a perfect balance of the two sides of the human spirit.

Edgeland is released in Japan on April 10th and across the rest of the world on April 22nd on deluxe CD/DVD, standard CD, download and 12" vinyl. It is available for physical pre-order at www.underworldlive.com/store.

Underworld - DAT Compilation (1993)

In anticipation of Karl Hyde's upcoming solo release and as a matter of course, Underworld is always on my radar.  Though not a fanatic by any means, I can tell you that no other artist (except maybe Moby or Paul Oakenfold) can take me back to "those days" when I first really discovered music that was nothing like the classic rock diet of the suburbs and was set free.

Not so long ago I stumbled across this one, the demo tapes that would become Dubnobasswithmyheadman.  And, as it always does, it all came flooding back...

Couple of unreleased tracks here and, for those who know the album well, some rougher cuts of the tracks from the original release.

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Part1//Part2

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