release date: Oct. 25, 2024
format: digital (15 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Rick Smith, Esme Bronwen-Smith
label: Smith Hyde Productions - nationality: UK
Track highlights: 1. "Black Poppies" - 2. "Denver Luna" - 3. "Techno Shinkansen" - 4. "And the Colour Red" - 5. "Sweet Lands Experience" - 6. "Lewis in Pomona" - 9. "King of Haarlem" - 10. "Ottavia" - 14. "Iron Bones"
11th studio album by the more than 30 year-old electronic duo-project Underworld - consisting of Welsh-natives Rick Smith and Karl Hyde - following five years after their extensive Drift Series 1-project from 2019. Usually, Rcik Smith is sole producer on Underworld releases but here he has teamed up with Esme Bronwen-Smith, who happens to be Rick's daughter but also an opera-singer in her own rights and someone who contributes with vocals on four tracks (tracks #5-7, and #10). The album has a total running time exceeding 68 minutes.
If the condensed Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition perhaps should be regarded as a contemporary electronic compilation of sorts - given its origins of being selected material of more than 40 compositions - this new album is more of a traditional species that bonds with much earlier releases such as A Hundred Days Off (Sep. 2002) and even Second Toughest in the Infants (Mar. 1996) by emphasizing progressive electronic sound structures with raving drum and bass dancefloor-friendly party-music, which isn't only that but it should invite huge crowds to excercise their feet and legs.
Strawberry Hotel is a fine example of how these two experienced musicians have understood to keep the flame burning by producing new and relevant music for younger generations, and it's really a pleasure to listen to Karl Hyde sounding like he did on albums made three decades ago.
Highly recommended.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Uncut 4,5 / 5, Record Collector, 👍The Guardian, Mojo 4 / 5, SputnikMusic 3,7 / 5 stars ]
