“underworld”
Underworld
Beaucoup Fish
JBO/V2
This eagerly-awaited album is everything you love about Underworld thrown into a blender and supplemented with tomatoes, carrots, and some heavy-duty funk. Underworld has always been one of the more “accessible” techno bands, because they avoid the faceless nature of the genre and make the music a bit more human with the inclusion of vocals. This does not imply that Underworld is by any means watered-down. They mix together many elements and come up with an album, not just a collection of tracks. “Cups” gets the album started off in a soft, warm, and floaty way. Then “Push Upstairs,” the first single, lets go with a dark, throbbing house beat. The quirky electronics of “Jumbo” give way to “Shudder/King of Snake” which sounds the most Underworld-like of all the tracks. “Winjer” and “Skym” bliss-out in a delicate way. “Bruce Lee” cuts through the haze built by the last two tracks with a sharp hip-hop beat. This is perhaps the biggest departure from the Underworld sound on the entire album. Then comes “Kittens,” which I think is the high point of the album. It distills 10 years of techno into one track. “Push Downstairs” is a slower, more deliberate mix of “Push Upstairs”.
“Something Like a Mama” and “Moaner” round off the album in classic Underworld style. This album is perfect for the electronic neophyte and experienced groovers.
