Underworld – Oblivion With Bells
Jung | June 25, 2007
When Underworld released their last album “A Hundred Days off ” no onethought it would be nearly 2000 days
until the next one arrived. It hasn’t been acase of lazing around in the Essex countryside though as the last 5
years havethrown up the 1992-2002 anthology album, two major film scores (AnthonyMingellas’ “Breaking and
Entering” and Danny Boyles’ 2007 “Sunshine”), a self-published typographic journal “In The Belly of Saint Paul”,
a series of pioneeringdigital-only releases, internet-radio broadcasts, a groundbreaking live web-tvbroadcast and
gig in partnership with Apple and Frankfurts’ techno giantsCocoon and countless gigs around the world.
During all of this action Rick and Karl, with the aid of trusty laptops, a couple ofhome studios, Abbey Roads’
legendary facilities and a Pig Shed, have beencarefully developing ideas for the new album “Oblivion with Bells”,
an album thatwas finally completed in a flurry of activity and excitement in spring 2007.
True to form Underworld tread their own path through modern electronic musictipping a nod to current sounds,
styles and production techniques but neverafraid to let their song writing and musicianship shine out in this
digital world.
“Oblivion with Bells” draws heavily on Rick and Karls’ vast array of musicalinfluences (Nick Drake, Def Mix,
Ricardo Villalobos, Can, James Holden, Eno)and experiences performing worldwide to create a truly unique
Underworldjourney. The album kicks off like Saturday night with Sven Väth, Simian MobileDisco and Frankie
Knuckles all fighting to get on the decks, then takes you overthe flat fields of rural Essex, through Kings Cross
with its olympic dreams and piss stained alleys, ending blissed out in a hidden cove in Ibiza. Epic technonestles
next to frail acoustics, beatific prose next to sharp urban observation,amazing sound texturing mixed with
mobile phone recordings, rarely has theUnderworld palette been so rich.
The Summer of 2007 sees Underworld playing a handful of European festivaldates (where you can expect new
material to be debuted along side deepgrooves and some classics from the Underworld jukebox) ahead of their
tour, which kicks off in North America in September:





