History Music / UnderworldBand

* The phrase ''Oblivion With Bells'' appears on "Faxed Invitation"
* The field recording that begins "Jumbo" appears to be where the phrase ''Beacoup Fish'' originates[[note]]It's of two Americans from Louisiana, who uses the slang "bookoo", taken from the French word "beaucoup" ("bow-COO") which means "a lot"[[/note]].

* BSide : The band has an insane number of these, with some [=EPs=] in their early days being even longer than their proper studio albums.

* ElectronicMusic: All their music is made electronically, though they have incorporated guitar lines and effects at several points throughout their career.

* LoopedLyrics: Crazycrazycrazycrazycrazy...

** ''Barking'' signaled a return to synthpop, and was their first album to feature an array of guest producers, including Mark Knight and High Contrast.

* OldMaster: Underworld have been going strong for ''thirty years,'' with the longest-serving members having performed for even longer prior to that. The group has shown no signs of slowing down, and they're largely considered one of the most legendary electronic groups in existence for this very reason: any electronic producer worth his or her weight has given some sort of tribute to Underworld at some point.

* RefrainFromAssuming: Their two greatest hits, "Dark & Long (Dark Train)" and "Born Slippy .NUXX", are actually ''remixes''. The original songs actually sound nothing like their remixes. Not helping matters is that other musicians have dropped the "(Dark Train)" and ".NUXX" parts of the names when covering or remixing their work.
* RemixAlbum: Averted on ''Barking'', as the band decided to farm out the tunes to different remixers and then make THAT the actual album, much to the chagrin of their hardcore fans. To this day the originals still remain unreleased (if they exist at all), though the box set did include a disc of them in various stages of development.
* ShoutOut: The names of several Underworld tracks are actually taken from greyhounds that raced at Romford Greyhound Stadium. "Born Slippy", "Pearl's Girl" and "Sappy Curry".

* UpToEleven: Arguably the Drift Series, in which the band, frustrated by their slow pace of work, challenged themselves to release 5 EPs of original music in one year (plus videos and other bonus material). It's resulted in some of the best music the band has ever done.
* WordSaladLyrics: Underworld runs on this due to Hyde's very colourful metaphors in his poetry (a line in "Moaner", a song about a relationship gone south, is "I am a rack of ribs left alone in a full moon.") Despite the oblique nature of the lyrics, they're usually about experiences in everyday life. "Born Slippy .NUXX", whose lyrics were actually published after the song's popularity, are about Karl giving Music/BillBailey - whom he didn't know at the time - £5 to "get a round in." "Pearls Girl" is about watching cars passing by a hotel room and a fire visible on a nearby beach. "8 Ball" is simply about meeting ordinary people and receiving a hug Karl didn't know he needed that day.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/underworld_01_4785.jpg]]

* 2019 - ''Drift Songs''

* The field recording that begins "Jumbo" appears to be where the phrase ''Beacoup Fish'' originates.

* ElectronicMusic: All their music is made electronically.
* EpicRocking: Many of their songs (and almost all of their remixes for other artists) go on for over ten minutes. "Dark & Long" takes the cake, with two mixes that run over 20 minutes each, and another that's a few seconds short of 18. It also says something that their greatest hits albums only have one or two songs under 7 minutes in length.

** ''Second Toughest in the Infants'' opens with their two longest non-remixed songs back to back: the 16:36 "Juanita : Kiteless : To Dream of Love", followed by the 15:22 "Banstyle/Sappys Curry". The lead single off of that album, "Pearls Girl", runs 9:38.
** ''Appleshine Continuum'' (with The Necks), from Drift Episode 2, is more or less a live jam session that goes over 47 minutes.
** A staple of their live shows for most of TheNineties, thanks to heavy use of FadingIntoTheNextSong and bridges between songs. The 'European Club Gig' bootleg, recorded in 1996, has its first soft break at the 80 minute mark, with the first real break coming at the 80 minute, at which point Karl Hyde announces a brief break of 15-20 minutes!
* GratuitousRap: All of ''Ring Road''. It was not particularly well received.
* {{Improv}}: Most of their live performances feature heavy improvisation, especially in the early years as they didn't have much material to work with otherwise.

* LiveAlbum : ''Everything, Everything''

** The recent ''Drift'' series has seen Underworld record music in a variety of styles they never before touched, including improvisational jazz ("A Very Silent Way"), New Age ("Molehill"), soul ("Dune"), and whatever the hell "Hundred Weight Hammer" is.

* OneHitWonder: To the world at large, they're known primarily for "Born Slippy .NUXX" (which in popular consciousness will be reduced to simply "Born Slippy"), which remains a staple of their setlist today. Though their style has long since moved on, interviews and promo pieces for the band still mention the song.

** A lot of early compositions were based off each other, most obviously "Cowgirl" which was born because Karl wanted to find a way to add lyrics to "Rez".

* WordSaladLyrics: Most of the time, due to Hyde's very colourful metaphors in his poetry ("I am a rack of ribs left alone in a full moon," he sang on "Moaner", a song about a relationship gone south.) The lyrics to "Born Slippy .NUXX" were released publicly after its single release, so people knew just what the hell he was singing about.

* NamesTheSame: To the public at large, Underworld's signature hit single is called "Born Slippy". The ''actual'' "Born Slippy" was an instrumental track featuring no lyrics, a January 1995 single that has never appeared on an album, although it was added as "Born Slippy (original instrumental version)" to the 2015 Super Deluxe reissue of ''Second Toughest in the Infants''. It is a separate song from its initial B-side "Born Slippy .NUXX" -- which became a massive hit single 18 months later on the back of its use in the ''Film/Trainspotting'' soundtrack. The latter song however can be readily found listed just as "Born Slippy" on compilations (including the ''Trainspotting'' OST album), in 'best of the '90s' articles and the like, and will invariably be referred to as such by radio [=DJs=]. To the casual listener discovering the presence of that ".NUXX" in the full title, it will look like a baffling typo.

* BSide : The band has an insane number of these, with some EPs in their early days being even longer than their proper studio albums.

* NamesTheSame: To the public at large, Underworld's signature hit single was called "Born Slippy". The ''actual'' "Born Slippy" was a January 1995 single that has never appeared on an album by the group, although it was added as "Born Slippy (original instrumental version)" to the 2015 Super Deluxe reissue of ''Second Toughest in the Infants''. The track is instrumental and features no lyrics. It is separate to its B-side "Born Slippy .NUXX", with its memorable Hyde vocal, which later became a massive hit single on the back of its use in the ''Film/Trainspotting'' soundtrack. The latter song however can be readily found listed just as "Born Slippy" on compilations, in 'best of the '90s' articles and the like, and will invariably be referred to as such by radio DJs. To the casual listener discovering the presence of that ".NUXX" in the full title, it will look like a baffling typo.

** A stable of their live shows for most of TheNineties, thanks to heavy use of FadingIntoTheNextSong and bridges between songs. The 'European Club Gig' bootleg, recorded in 1996, has its first soft break at the 80 minute mark, with the first real break coming at the 80 minute, at which point Karl Hyde announces a brief break of 15-20 minutes!

** The recent Drift series has seen Underworld record music in a variety of styles they never before touched, including improvisational jazz ("A Very Silent Way"), New Age ("Molehill"), soul ("Dune"), and whatever the hell "Hundred Weight Hammer" is.
* OldMaster: Underworld has been going strong for ''thirty years,'' with its longest members having performed for even longer prior to that. The group has shown no signs of slowing down, and they're largely considered one of the most legendary electronic groups in existence for this very reason: any electronic producer worth his or her weight has given some sort of tribute to Underworld at some point.
* OneHitWonder: To the world at large, they're known primarily for "Born Slippy .NUXX", which remains a staple of their setlist today. Though their style has long since moved on, interviews and promo pieces for the band still mention the song.

By the start of TheNineties, Smith began collaborating by a young DJ named Darren Emerson, who was keen on working in a professional studio; Smith in turn wanted to feed his interest in UK club culture. Smith introduced Emerson to Hyde and the rest is history. Underworld returned in 1992 with a string of hit acid house and techno singles -- some under the name Lemon Interrupt -- before releasing their third album, 1994's ''dubnobasswithmyheadman''. It is this phase, dubbed "Underworld [=Mk2=]", that the band is most famous for, releasing two additional, highly acclaimed albums and a plethora of singles, exploring breakbeat, {{trance}} and hardcore techno. Two of their most famous songs come from this period: "Dark and Long (Dark Train)" and "Born Slippy .NUXX", two songs which propelled Underworld into international fame after their use in Danny Boyle's film adaptation of Literature/{{Trainspotting}}.

Underworld's music has been featured in numerous films and television shows, and the band have enjoyed a special relationship with director Danny Boyle, who has used their music in nearly all of his films -- to the point where they have written exclusive songs for them. The duo have also composed film scores, including those for ''Breaking and Entering'' and ''{{Film/Sunshine}}''.

* 2011 - ''Frankenstein'' (stage play directed by Creator/DannyBoyle)

Underworld is a British electronic group featuring duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith since around 1987. The band's music ranges from [[HouseMusic House]], {{Trance}}, electro-pop and pretty much everything in between. Hyde and Smith had worked together in a bunch on New Wave and synthpop bands including The Screen Gemz and Freur, before moving on to their own funkier brand of synthpop under the name Underworld. This phase of their career, now called "Underworld Mk1", produced two decent albums with moderate chart success, even opening for Music/{{Eurythmics}} on a 1989 tour.

By the start of TheNineties, Smith began collaborating by a young DJ named Darren Emerson, who was keen on working in a professional studio; Smith in turn wanted to feed his interest in UK club culture. Smith introduced Emerson to Hyde and the rest is history. Underworld returned in 1992 with a string of hit acid house and techno singles -- some under the name Lemon Interrupt -- before releasing their third album, 1994's ''dubnobasswithmyheadman''. It is this phase, dubbed "Underworld Mk2", that the band is most famous for, releasing two additional, highly acclaimed albums and a plethora of singles, exploring breakbeat, {{trance}} and hardcore techno. Two of their most famous songs come from this period: "Dark and Long (Dark Train)" and "Born Slippy .NUXX", two songs which propelled Underworld into international fame after their use in Danny Boyle's film adaptation of Literature/{{Trainspotting}}.

Emerson left Underworld in 2001 to focus on his own recordings and record label management, leaving Underworld as a duo. Smith and Hyde have continued to record under the moniker "Underworld Mk3", releasing (as of 2016) four additional albums and numerous [=EPs=] of new material. Underworld also directed the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in London. They reside in Essex, UK and are part of the art collective Tomato, which has provided all of the artwork and photography for their albums.

* ShoutOutToShakespeare: "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM0fiegRbTg And I Will Kiss]]" and "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mec8GZkEpD4 Caliban's Dream]]" are references to ''Theatre/TheTempest'', both used during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in the segment celebrating the GrandUnifiedTimeline/FirstIndustrialRevolution and the lighting of the Olympic Flame, respectively.

* ShoutOutToShakespeare: "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM0fiegRbTg And I Will Kiss]]" and "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mec8GZkEpD4 Caliban's Dream]]" are references to ''Theatre/TheTempest'', both used during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in the segment celebrating the IndustrialRevolution and the lighting of the Olympic Flame, respectively.

'''Underworld''' is a British electronic group featuring duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith since around 1987. The band's music ranges from [[HouseMusic House]], {{Trance}}, electro-pop and pretty much everything in between. Hyde and Smith had worked together in a bunch on New Wave and synthpop bands including The Screen Gemz and Freur, before moving on to their own funkier brand of synthpop under the name Underworld. This phase of their career, now called "Underworld Mk1", produced two decent albums with moderate chart success, even opening for Music/{{Eurythmics}} on a 1989 tour.

* {{Improv}}: Most of their live performances feature heavy improvisation, especially in the early years as they didn't have much material to work with otherwise. And then there's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX2EDuYvn3g this]].

Emerson left Underworld in 2001 to focus on his own recordings and record label management, leaving Underworld as a duo. Smith and Hyde have continued to record under the moniker "Underworld Mk3", releasing (as of 2015) three additional albums and numerous [=EPs=] of new material. Underworld also directed the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in London. They reside in Essex, UK and are part of the art collective Tomato, which has provided all of the artwork and photography for their albums.

* ArcWords: "Rumford" pops up often.

'''Underworld''' is a British electronic group featuring duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith since around 1987. The band's music ranges from [[HouseMusic House]], {{Trance}}, electro-pop and pretty much everything in between. Hyde and Smith had worked together in a bunch on New Wave and synthpop bands including The Screen Gemz and Freur, before moving on to their own funkier brand of synthpop under the name Underworld. This phase of their career, now called "Underworld Mk1", produced two decent albums with moderate chart success, even opening for {{Eurythmics}} on a 1989 tour.

Emerson left Underworld in 2001 to focus on his own recordings and record label management, leaving Underworld as a duo. Smith and Hyde have continued to record under the moniker "Underworld Mk3", releasing (as of 2015) three additional albums and numerous EPs of new material. Underworld also directed the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in London. They reside in Essex, UK and are part of the art collective Tomato, which has provided all of the artwork and photography for their albums.

* 2012 - ''Isles of Wonder: Music for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games" (directed by Danny Boyle, with collaborations by High Contrast, the London Symphony Orchestra, Music/ArcticMonkeys, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Music/MikeOldfield and Music/EmeliSande, among others)

* {{Trance}}: "Born Slippy .NUXX", as an example.

** "A Hundred Days Off" began showcasing a trend into softer, more languid arrangements, with interests in Latin percussion and ambient music.

* 2012 - ''1992-2012''

'''Underworld''' is a British electronic group featuring duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith since around 1980. The band's music ranges from [[HouseMusic House]], {{Trance}}, electro-pop and pretty much everything in between.

Adopting the Underworld moniker for the first time when the members of the band ''Freur'' formed a new project after they disbanded in the 80's. This time is referred as Underworld "Mark 1" due to the first iteration actually sharing the fate of its members' previous act and disbanding.

Eventually Hyde and Smith reassumed the moniker of Underworld in the 1990's and the duo were joined by DJ Darren Emerson. "Mark 2" began Underworld's foray into the mainstream dance that emerged after the former popularity of acid house in the late 80’s.

In 1996 the band gained greater renown after being featured in Danny Boyle's film adapation of Literature/{{Trainspotting}} with tracks such as "Dark & Long (Dark Train)" and "Born Slippy .NUXX". The latter unexpectantly becoming their most successful and popular track ever.

Their most recent album is 2010's ''Barking'' after which they directed the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 UsefulNotes/OlympicGames in London. They reside in Essex, UK.

* 2000 - ''Everything, Everything''

* EpicRocking: many of their songs (and almost all of their remixes for other artists) go on for over ten minutes. "Dark & Long" takes the cake, with two mixes that run over 20 minutes each, and another that's a few seconds short of 18.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Music/{{dubnobasswithmyheadman}}'' signed the departure from SynthPop to straightforward ElectronicMusic (specifically {{Techno}}, big beat, {{Hardcore}} and {{Trance}})

* WordSaladLyrics: Most of the time. The lyrics to "Born Slippy .NUXX" were released publicly after its single release, so people knew just what the hell he was singing.

* ShoutOutToShakespeare: "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM0fiegRbTg And I Will Kiss]]" and "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mec8GZkEpD4 Caliban's Dream]]" are references to ''Theatre/TheTempest'', both used during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 OlympicGames in the segment celebrating the IndustrialRevolution and the lighting of the Olympic Flame, respectively.

Their most recent album is 2010's ''Barking'' after which they directed the music for the opening ceremony of the 2012 OlympicGames in London. They reside in Essex, UK.

* 1994 - ''{{dubnobasswithmyheadman}}''