Underworld 1992 - 2002 CD - Import

After numerous musical incarnations in the 1980s, the British duo of vocalist Karl Hyde and guitarist Rick Smith finally struck a winning chord by joining forces with DJ Darren Emerson in the early 1990s. Immersing their compositions in a dense, layered sound driven by gradually building beats, samples, and keyboards, the trio issued two singles--the rowdy, harmonica-laden "Bigmouth" and the synth-saturated "Dirty." This pair of songs leads off the group's retrospective, which proceeds to chronicle Underworld's ascension to electronica superstar heights.

This two-disc collection pulls out the big guns with tracks from DUBNOBASSWITHMYHEADMAN, Underworld's acclaimed 1993 release. In fact, the remaining songs on disc one are all culled from this era, which yielded the epic "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You," and other stand-out tracks such as "Rez" and "Dark and Long." Disc two showcases Underworld's most glorious moment--"Born Slippy" (from the TRAINSPOTTING soundtrack), a masterpiece of infectious beats, waves of keyboards, distorted vocals, and bizarre, free-associative lyrics. Topping things off are tracks such as "Pearl's Girl," (oddly enough, the only track from the excellent SECOND TOUGHEST IN THE INFANTS), "Shudder/King of Snake," the rare "8 Ball," and a track recorded after the departure of Emerson, "Two Months Off," nicely tying together a decade of techno innovation.

Two CD compilation from the Electronica trio. For well over 10 years, Underworld have been defining Dance music. They've been pioneers for three generations of clubbers and music fans and those of us who've seen them live will never forget the experience. To celebrate this landmark achievement, Underworld 1992-2002 is a double CD collection of their greatest records. Whether you are a dancefloor enthusiast or armchair traveler, Underworld creates music that transcends any category you want to place them in. 16 tracks including 'Born Slippy', 'Two Months Off', 'Spikee' and many more.

Import edition.Spin (3/04, p.94) - "This two-disc retrospective may be their best release: all of those trippy rave classics wrapped in a minimalist package whose layout is beautiful and just barely readable."
Entertainment Weekly (12/5/03, p.98) - "...Underworld deserve their propers for consistently delighting ravers and electrophiles with inspired, often pioneering productions....these tunes still assault the senses like tidal waves of techno magic." - Rating: A-
CMJ (11/17/03, p.8) - "...Underworld's productions pretty much sum up the best of what dance music is all about..."