release date: Jan. 24, 1994
format: cd (1998 reissue)
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Underworld
label: JBO (Junior Boy's Own) - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Dark & Long" - 2. "Mmm Skyscraper I Love You" - 4. "Spoonman" - 6. "Dirty Epic" - 7. "Cowgirl"
3rd studio album by Underworld released on the newly-established electronic label Junior Boy's Own. The album is also known as the band's first as mk2 ['Underworld make 2'], where the band has become a trio as Darren Emerson joined Karl Hyde and Rick Smith in 1990. With Emerson, the band completely reshaped its profile and began experimenting with electronic techno music.
An outspread misconception states that Emerson was the mastermind behind the early successful years of Underworld, and that Hyde and Smith only profited from his direction when he left the two in 2000. The truth is that Hyde and Smith are credited as songwriters of all compositions on this album, whereas Emerson is only credited on two. Also, after the first incarnation of Underworld had dissolved, the new trio started out making electronic music together, rather than one person showing the others what new styles could accomplish. Some early singles were released by Lemon Interupt and some performances were also credited Steppin' Razor.
Now, the album is not one of my favourites, though. I really enjoy Underworld and its take on house but I never really liked the electronic shape of trance and original techno all that much, but for what has now become a trio this is a U-turn in musical style, and the music was welcomed as innovative.
Dubnobasswithmyheadman was released to positive reviews reaching number #12 on the national albums chart list, and it became Underworld's breakthrough and a prize-winning album that showed a new direction to follow.
I really don't know of their two earliest albums: "Underneath the Radar" (1988) and "Change the Weather" (1989), but from what I've read, these two releases were new wave and funk-styled, which seems aeons away from this, although, some tracks here contain funky elements. This was highly experimental for the trio - and Underworld has stuck to electronica and house in different disguises on all their albums to follow.
Now, the album is fra from bad, but it's really more of 'putting a finger in the air' to see where to go to from here.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, NME 4 / 5 stars ]
