release date: Nov. 1, 2019
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,94]
producer: Rick Smith
label: Smith Hyde Productions - nationality: Wales, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Appleshine" - 2. "This Must Be Drum Street" - 3. "Listen to Their No" - 4. "Border Country" - 6. "Schiphol Test" - 7. "Brilliant Yes That Would Be" - 9. "Imagine a Box" - 10. "Custard Speedtalk"
10th studio album by Underworld following three years after Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future (Mar. 2016) is much more than 'just' another studio album. Actually, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith has produced the album on the basis of their one-year project named "DRIFT", initiated Nov. 2018 through Oct. 2019, which saw the duo release new videos and new tracks each week as free-downloads via Underworld's official website. The result was released simultaneously with this one-disc outtake from no less than a 40 tracks digital album, or: a 5 cd + 1 DVD box-set of nearly 6 hours new music. The 'Sampler Edition' is a fine coherent collection of some of the tracks, which for the occasion has been edited to fit a one-cd format of approx. 57 minutes.
With this, Hyde and Smith more than anything demonstrate they're alive and kicking. The entire 40 tracks Drift Series 1 is actually a splendid and most impressive release, but to think of that as their tenth studio album appears too overwhelming if not somewhat contradictory.
Stylewise, the duo investigates various stylistic corners of house, trance, downtempo, techno - and with a the delicate use of progressiveness that has come to shape (nearly) all of their previous albums from Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) and via subtle variations up until present day.
Highly recommended.
