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" - 12. "Gene Pool" - 14. "Iron Bones"
11th studio album by the more than 30 year-old electronic duo-project Underworld - founded in Cardiff, Wales and consisting of Welsh-native Rick Smith and English-born Karl Hyde - following five years after their massive Drift-project, which was condensed into Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition (Nov. 2019). Usually, Rick Smith has been 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 she also contributes with vocals on four tracks (tracks #5-7, and #10). The album comes with 15 tracks and a total running time exceeding 68 minutes.
The condensed Drift Series 1 - Sampler Edition could be regarded as a contemporary electronic compilation of sorts - given its origins of being selected material from more than 40 compositions - this new album is more of a traditional species that even 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 just that but it should invite huge crowds to excercise their feet and legs when played loud.
Strawberry Hotel is a perfect 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 very much as 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 ]
