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Underworld
Background information
Also known as	Lemon Interupt, Steppin' Razor, Mr. and Mrs. Christmas
Origin	Romford, Essex, England, UK
Genre(s)	Electronic, techno, progressive house, progressive trance, alternative dance
Years active	1986–present
Label(s)	Junior Boy's Own, V2, Wax Trax!, Sire, underworldlive.com, Traffic, Different Recordings
Associated acts	The Screen Gemz, Freur
Website	underworldlive.com
Members
Karl Hyde Rick Smith Darren Price
Former members
Baz Allen Bryn Borrows Alfie Thomas Darren Emerson

Underworld is the principal name under which British electronic music duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded since the late 1980s. The band is perhaps best known for "Born Slippy .NUXX", a track made popular in the hit 1996 Danny Boyle film Trainspotting. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... , Romford is a large suburban town in Greater London, England and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Havering. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Electronic music (disambiguation). ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... Progressive electronica is a collection of electronic music genres which draw upon progressive music, generally, and include the sub-styles of progressive trance, progressive house, progressive techno and progressive breaks. ... Progressive electronica is a collection of electronic music genres which draw upon progressive music, generally, and include the sub-styles of progressive trance, progressive house, progressive techno and progressive breaks. ... Alternative dance (known primarily as indie dance in the United Kingdom) is a term used for the genre of music combining elements of dance-pop (or other forms of electronic dance music such as house or techno) and alternative rock genres such as indie pop. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Junior Boys Own is a London, UK based record company, now a subsidiary of V2 Records. ... V2 Records (or V2 Music) is a record label that was started in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI. Over the years V2 acquired Junior Boys Own, Gee Street Records, Blue Dog Records, and Big Cat Records. ... Wax Trax! Records was a record label in the United States. ... Sire Records Company is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. ... underworldlive. ... Freur is the name of the first band of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, of present band Underworld. ... Darren Price is a DJ, and a member of Underworld, an electronic music group. ... Darren Emerson (born April 30, 1971 in Hornchurch, England) is a dance music DJ, and one-time member of the UK techno band Underworld. ... For other uses, see Electronic music (disambiguation). ... Born Slippy . ... Danny Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and film producer, best known for his work on films such as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. ... Trainspotting is a 1996 Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning cult classic film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. ...

History

Early years: 1981–1986

Hyde and Smith began their musical partnership with the Kraftwerk and reggae-inspired sounds of The Screen Gemz while studying together at Cardiff Art College. In 1983 they recorded two albums for CBS Records with a proto-electroclash new romantic band whose name was a graphic squiggle, which (this being a relatively unknown band and many years before Prince became "Love Symbol") was soon given a pronunciation, Freur. Kraftwerk (pronounced [], German for power station) is a German musical group from Düsseldorf that has made key contributions to the development of improvisational rock and electronic music, most notably within the latter categorys sub-genres which later became known as synthpop, electro, techno, house and IDM. Early musical... Reggae is a music genre developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... Columbia Records is the oldest continually used brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... “The Artist” redirects here. ... The correct title of this article is . This articles title contains characters or symbols not found in Unicode. ... Freur is the name of the first band of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, of present band Underworld. ...

Underworld MK1: 1987–1990

Freur disbanded in 1986. In 1987 members of Freur created the band Underworld and tried a more guitar-orientated funky electropop sound on two albums (see: Underworld discography) for Sire Records before disbanding in 1990. (The Underworld of this period is now often referred to as "Underworld Mk1".) For other uses, including related musical genres, see Funk (disambiguation). ... Electropop (also called Technopop) is a form of synth pop music that is made with synthesizers, and which first flourished from 1978 to 1981. ... Underworld discography: // As The Screen Gemz Singles I Cant Stand Cars / Teenage Teenage (1979) As Freur Please see Freur. ... Sire Records Company is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. ...

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 Emerson, 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"). Tomato is an art design collective co-founded at the turn of the 90s by nine guys based in London, two of whom are Rick Smith and Karl Hyde of the electronic music group Underworld. ... Darren Emerson (born April 30, 1971 in Hornchurch, England) is a dance music DJ, and one-time member of the UK techno band Underworld. ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ...

Album cover of Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1993).

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. Image File history File links Underworld. ... Image File history File links Underworld. ... Dubnobasswithmyheadman is a 1993 (see 1993 in music) album by Underworld. ... Dubnobasswithmyheadman is a 1993 (see 1993 in music) album by Underworld. ... Fountain by Marcel Duchamp. ... . The Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer, which provided the electronic squelch sounds often heard in Acid House tracks A yellow smiley face is considered the emblem of acid house. ...

Trainspotting breakthrough: 1995–1997

Album cover of Second Toughest in the Infants (1996).

The band's 1996 album, Second Toughest In The Infants, 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. The unusual name of the album as released derives from a comment made by Smith's six-year old nephew Simon Prosser when asked on his progress at school. Image File history File links Second_Toughest_in_the_Infants. ... Image File history File links Second_Toughest_in_the_Infants. ... Second Toughest in the Infants is a 1996 album by Underworld. ... Second Toughest in the Infants is a 1996 album by Underworld. ... Movie poster for Trainspotting Trainspotting is a 1996 black comedy film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh about a group of heroin addicts in Edinburgh and their passage through life. ... Born Slippy . ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb,deenbee, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ...

"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 the 1996 film Trainspotting. ".NUXX" has since appeared on countless compilations, mashups, and remixes. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Born Slippy . ... Trainspotting is a 1996 Academy Award-nominated, BAFTA-winning cult classic film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. ... A compilation album is an album (music or spoken-word) featuring tracks from one or multiple recording artists, often culled from a variety of sources (such as studio albums, live albums, singles, demos and outtakes. ... Bastard pop is a musical genre which, in its purest form, consists of the combination (usually by digital means) of the music from one song with the a cappella from another. ... A remix is an alternative version of a song, different from the original version. ...

Beaucoup Fish era: 1998–2001

Album cover of Beaucoup Fish (1999).

After the release of third studio album Beaucoup Fish 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. Image File history File links Underworld. ... Image File history File links Underworld. ... Beaucoup Fish is a 1999 (see 1999 in music) album by Underworld. ... Beaucoup Fish is a 1999 (see 1999 in music) album by Underworld. ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... Digital audio tape can also refer to a compact cassette with digital storage. ... It has been suggested that Jumbo the Circus Elephant be merged into this article or section. ... Independent Television (generally known as ITV, but also as ITV Network) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK. Since 1990 and the Broadcasting... Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars. ... Junior Boys Own is a London, UK based record company, now a subsidiary of V2 Records. ... Beaucoup Fish Singles is a CD box set that includes the four Beaucoup Fish (1999) CD Singles condensed onto 3 X CD5 for the US Market. ...

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. Everything, Everything is a live album by Underworld, released September 12, 2000 on V2. ...

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".

Back to a duo: 2002–2003

Album cover of A Hundred Days Off (2002).

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 Off, 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. Image File history File links Underworld. ... Image File history File links Underworld. ... A Hundred Days Off is a 2002 (see 2002 in music) album by Underworld. ... A Hundred Days Off is a 2002 (see 2002 in music) album by Underworld. ...

A 2 disc anthology was released in 2003, called 1992-2002, which covered the previous Underworld MK2 to Underworld MK3 era. An updated version of "Born Slippy .NUXX", called "Born Slippy .NUXX 2003" came out as a single. This was the first appearance on an album of previously unavailable single tracks and B-Sides, such as "Bigmouth", "Spikee", "Dirty", and "8 Ball". 1992-2002 is a double disc compilation album by Underworld, released November 3, 2003 on JBO. This album was released in conjunction with the single, Born Slippy . ... Born Slippy . ... Bigmouth / Eclipse is the second single released by Lemon Interupt, who are also known as Underworld, originally released in 1992. ... Spikee / Dogman Go Woof was a single by Underworld, originally released in 1993 in the UK. It entered the UK chart at #63 on the 18th Dec 1993 for one week. ... Dirty / Minniapolis is a single by Lemon Interupt, who are also known as Underworld, originally released in 1992. ... 8 Ball is a track by Underworld, originally released as limited vinyl only single in 2000 to promote its appearance on the soundtrack to the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach. ...

The RiverRun Project and soundtracks: 2004–2006

Hyde, Smith, and Price on tour in 2005

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, and later through a special online offer, copies were sold by the band to fans who could not be there. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Live In Tokyo 25th November 2005 is a 2005 (see 2005 in music) album by Underworld. ...

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 June 5, 2006, they released their third installment in the Riverrun series, I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and This Is My Horse. Lovely Broken Thing is the first in a series called Riverrun by Underworld, released 2005 online. ... Pizza for Eggs is the second in a series called Riverrun by Underworld, released 2005 online. ... Im a Big Sister, and Im a Girl, and Im a Princess, and This is my Horse is the third in a series called Riverrun by Underworld, released 2006 online. ...

On July 10, 2006, they released a special retrospective mix, called The Misterons Mix, which is comprised 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. The Misterons Mix is a free mix for the people that bought all three of the Riverrun series by Underworld, released 2006 online. ...

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. The 12-inch single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... Beatport is a US-based online music store based in Denver, Colorado that specializes in dance music and remixes. ...

In 2006, Underworld and Gabriel Yared composed the music score to Anthony Minghella's film Breaking and Entering. The soundtrack was released in the U.K. on November 6, and in the USA on December 5. Gabriel Yared (born 1949) is a Lebanese-French composer, best known for his work in French and American cinema. ... Anthony Minghella (born January 6, 1954) is an Academy Award-winning British film director, playwright and screenwriter. ... Breaking and Entering, a 2006 romantic drama, is Academy Award-winning director Anthony Minghellas first original screenplay since his 1991 feature debut, Truly, Madly, Deeply. ... The soundtrack for the film Breaking and Entering is going to be released by V2 Records on October 18, 2006. ...

Oblivion with Bells: 2007–present

Underworld have completed their fifth studio album, Oblivion with Bells, expected to be released in October 2007^[1]. The first single from the new album, "Crocodile", was released on September 5, 2007.^[2] A full world tour has been announced to support the new studio album. Currently, tour dates in the United States, Europe, and Japan are scheduled for this fall, with more shows expected in the future^[3]. Oblivion with Bells is the fifth studio album from Underworld, scheduled to be released in October 2007. ... 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. ... is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Underworld completed the soundtrack to Danny Boyle's latest film, Sunshine, in late 2006 [1], however a definitive release date for the soundtrack has so far been elusive, despite the film's release. The soundtrack is a collaboration with composer John Murphy. [2] The soundtrack for the 2007 Danny Boyle film Sunshine is a joint composition by the electronic band Underworld [1] and film score composer John Murphy [2]. Underworld has a long history of collaboration with Boyle, having been featured on the soundtracks to Boyles Trainspotting, A Life Less Ordinary, and... Danny Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and film producer, best known for his work on films such as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. ... Sunshine is a 2007 science fiction suspense film directed by Danny Boyle from a screenplay by Alex Garland. ... John Murphy is a prominent British film composer from the city of Liverpool. ...

On June 16, 2007, Underworld was forced to cancel their show at the Ejekt Festival in Athens, Greece. Approximately 30 masked Grecian anarchists, armed with CS gas, iron bars, and baseball bats, 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^[4].

Discography

Main article: Underworld discography

Underworld discography: // As The Screen Gemz Singles I Cant Stand Cars / Teenage Teenage (1979) As Freur Please see Freur. ...

Remixes by Underworld (Darren Emerson, Rick Smith, Karl Hyde)

Remixes in the Lemon Interupt/Steppin' Razor period included such varying acts as Shakespears Sister, Saint Etienne, Björk and Simply Red. For a complete list of the remixography, see Underworld discography. Shakespears Sister (originally Shakespears Sister) was a band formed by Irish-born former Bananarama singer/songwriter Siobhan Fahey and American musician Marcella Detroit. ... Saint Etienne are an English indie dance act, fronted by Sarah Cracknell (born April 12, 1967, Chelmsford, Essex). ... This article is about the musician. ... Simply Red are an English pop band. ... Underworld discography: // As The Screen Gemz Singles I Cant Stand Cars / Teenage Teenage (1979) As Freur Please see Freur. ...

Band members

• Karl Hyde (b. 10 May 1957, Worcester, Worcestershire) - vocals, guitars (1986-present)
• Rick Smith (b. Richard Smith, 25 May 1959, Ammanford, Wales) - keyboards (1986-present)
• 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)
• Darren Emerson (b. 30 April 1971, Hornchurch, Essex)- keyboards and mixing (1991-2000)
• Darren Price - keyboards, mixing and live assistant (2004-present)

is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Worcester (pronounced ) is a city in the West Midlands of England. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ammanford (Welsh: Rhydaman) is the fourth largest town in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales with a population 5,299 according to the 2001 census. ... This article is about the country. ... Darren Emerson (born April 30, 1971 in Hornchurch, England) is a dance music DJ, and one-time member of the UK techno band Underworld. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Hornchurch is a town in the London Borough of Havering in East London. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ...

Trivia

• Underworld has not had a US Top 40 single (highest position was #69 for "Stand Up" in 1989).
• Freur provided the original music for the 1985 Denholm Elliot film Underworld (aka Transmutations).
• The title track from Underworld Mk1's debut album Underneath the Radar was chosen for the opening scene in the Miami Vice season 5 debut episode in 1989.
• Baz Allen (Underworld Mk1) is now in D-Influence.
• Hyde played guitar on Debbie Harry's 1991 tour. The Wembley gig on this tour was broadcast live on Radio One and has been bootlegged.
• Hyde played guitar on PIG (Raymond Watts)'s album The Swining.
• Freur appeared in Tim Pope's "I Want To Be A Tree" video.
• Former Big Brother 2006 Australia housemate Danielle Foote released a cover of Underworld's "Underneath the Radar" as her debut single.
• The song "Big mouth" is used on the opening and closing credits of argentina's reality cop show: "policias en acción"

Underworld is a poorly-received 1985 British horror film, written by Clive Barker and James Caplin, and starring Denholm Elliott, Miranda Richardson, Steven Berkoff, Larry Lamb, Ingrid Pitt and Art Malik, in which a mad doctor keeps his mutants underground. ... For the 2006 movie, see Miami Vice (film). ... Deborah Ann Harry (born July 1, 1945, in Miami, Florida) is a Grammy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated musician most famous for being the lead singer for the punk rock/new wave band Blondie. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with PIG. (Discuss) Raymond Watts, an early member and periodic collaborator of KMFDM and the man behind PIG, has been a visible part of the industrial music scene since the early 1980s. ... The Swining is a 1993 album released by Raymond Watts as P.I.G. It was released exclusively in Japan, being re-released in the United States by Cleopatra Records in 1999 as part of The Swining/Red Raw & Sore. ... Tim Pope is an award-winning film director most famous for his music videos (especially for The Cure), but also for having directed feature films and for having a brief pop career. ... Big Brother 2006 was the sixth series of Big Brother Australia, and was aired on Network Ten. ... Danielle Foote, born June 8, 1987 in Adelaide, Australia, is a singer and former Big Brother Australia 2006 housemate. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Underworld Live
• Underworld at MySpace
• Official Traffic label website for Underworld
• The "official unofficial fan website"
• Discography: Freur/Underworld/Lemon Interupt - Detailed discography to 1999
• Unofficial FAQ
• Band History page
• Underworld at Rolling Stone
• Karl Hyde of Underworld interviewed in Chaos Control Digizine (Fall 2007)]

• Karl Hyde, on Underworld and the New Anthology Album: An Autobiographical Poetry - 2003 Interview with Karl Hyde in JIVE Magazine, written by Jewels