Underneath the radar...

Underworld is a Welsh band formed in Cardiff in 1987 and originally composed of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, Alfie Thomas, Bryn Burrows and Baz Allen. Members of which most come from another band and not the least since it is 'Freur'.

Band that signs with the label Sire Records, label that will allow them to release a first album "Underneath the radar", album with modest success and which will mainly produce the Single of the same name.

Same for the album "Change the weather" in 1989, album that will barely get by only thanks to the Single "Stand up".

Two poor performances that will precipitate the implosion of the band which will end up separating during the year 1990 to be reborn 2 years later in 1992 as a trio, only Hyde and Smith remaining, who will recruit the DJ Darren Emerson.

Trio who released a first title "Mother earth" the same year, a Single that unfortunately went somewhat unnoticed...

They would have to wait until the following year and the release in 1993 of the Singles "Rez" and "Spikee", to get back in the race a little.

Things would start to accelerate a year later in 1994 with the release of the album "Dubnobasswithmyheadman", an album that would allow them to get people talking about them all over the Old Continent, notably thanks to the Single "Cowgirl".

Success confirmed and above all amplified two years later in 1996 with the release of the album "Second toughest in the infants", an album that paradoxically did not manage to produce a hit worthy of the name.

On the other hand, their presence on the soundtrack of a small film called 'Trainspotting' with the title "Born slippy nuxx" would not go unnoticed that year. To the point of giving them their first global mega hit and literally making their notoriety explode internationally.

A spotlight that will change the situation and allow them 3 years later in 1999 to hit it big once again on a global level with this time a full album called "Much fish". Album that will produce 2 top hits which are "Push upstairs" and "Jumbo".

They do it again in 2002 with the album "A hundred days off", album that will give them their second global mega hit with the title "Two months off".

Mega hit that will unfortunately be the last because the albums that will be released after will be unable to produce titles of an equivalent level.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others...) :

80s Decade :

Underneath the radar 1988
Glory ! Glory ! 1988
Rubber ball (Space kitchen) 1988
Stand up 1989
Original song 1989
Mr Universe 1989

90s Decade :

Mother earth 1992
Mmm...Skyscraper I love you 1993
Rez 1993
Spikee 1993
Dark & long 1994
Cowgirl 1994
Dirty epic 1994
Rowla 1996
Pearl’s girl 1996
Born slippy .NUXX 1996
Confusion the waitress 1996
Juanita 1997
Moaner 1997
Push upstairs 1999
Jumbo 1999
King of snake 1999
Bruce Lee 1999

2000s Decade :

Cowgirl 2000
Two months off 2002
Dinosaur adventure 3D 2003
JAL to Tokyo 2005
Vanilla monkey 2006
Play pig 2006
Peggy sussed 2006
Crocodile 2007
Boy, boy, boy 2007
Beautiful burnout 2008
Ring road 2008
020202 2008
Phonestrap 2008
Holding the moth 2008

2010s Decade :

Scribble 2010
Always loved a film 2010
Bird 1 2010
Diamond jigsaw 2011
Caliban's dream 2012
Rez 2013
I exhale 2016
If rah 2016
Nylon strung 2016
Ova nova 2016
Long slow slippy 2017
Brilliant yes that would be 2018
Bells & circles 2018
Get your shirt 2018

2020s Decade :

And the colour red 2023
Denver luna 2023
Black Poppies 2024

Tracks :

1988...the 'Freur' adventure having ended, here is the beginning of the 'Underworld' adventure. An adventure that will prove to be much more consistent in terms of titles produced...

1988...when we see what was done qualitatively during the 'Freur' period, we suspect that this new adventure will be of at least an equivalent level...

1988...which will be the case with this first opus which will offer them their first global success. An adventure which starts off as well as it could...

1989...a year 1989 which will take place on the same bases as the previous year with a constant level of success in the United States and in Australia...

1989...at least on the Singles side because on the albums side this new opus will do a little less well than its predecessor unfortunately...

1989...this does not call into question at this stage the excellent start made by the group. The adventure is only just beginning...

1992...paradoxically, the first 2 opus had only worked in the United States and Australia. This time, it is especially on the Old Continent that they will make people talk about them...

1993...only the album will be popular with the public because on the Singles side, none will manage to stand out from the crowd...

1993...business picks up with this new title, which proves de facto that there was no reason to worry more than that...

1993...certainly the success will be limited mainly to England but it is at least that. Even if there is limited success, it is success all the same...

1994...in any case the group continues its adventure quietly and above all surely. But for the big take-off, we will have to wait a little longer...

1994...success is back in the United States which can only reassure the group that the work will be long but it will end up paying off in any case...

1994...some titles like this one will go 'through' as they say but that absolutely does not call into question the excellent dynamic on which the group is surfing...

1996...same for this one. A slight air hole in the middle of the 90s not to be underestimated but without consequences for the future in any case...

1996...because 1996 is going to be their BIG year ! Not on this title but it could be that the next one is the one of recognition, the real one !

1996...and here is THE title that will give them a direct ticket to posterity. A title that we will find on the soundtrack of the film 'Trainspotting' and which will undoubtedly remain the biggest success of their entire discography. HU-GE !

1996...the art of going from one extreme to another. As much as the previous title will have made people talk about it, this one will go completely unnoticed...

1997...same for this one. A rather surprising unscrewing, but which is indeed real in any case. Beware of danger...

1997...danger quickly averted with the arrival of this new title. The group knew how to bounce back as he should and it immediately paid off in the Charts...

1999... an end of decade which will definitively consecrate them as one of the groups which counted during this end of the 20th century...

1999...they will land 2 top global hits one after the other which prove more than evidently that this group really has talent to spare...

1999...this title will have a slightly less favorable fate but will be ranked regardless. In the end, an excellent year 1999 nonetheless...

1999...and it's not over yet because a 4th title will be released and will close a year that will remain as the group's best vintage...

2000...a new decade 2000 which begins in the best possible way with a new prestigious star to add to a prize list which is beginning to number a few...

2002...we'll have to wait 2 years to see this new title come out but it was worth the wait ! They get their 2nd biggest success here and are ideally positioned for the rest of the events...

2003...a little less successful with this new title but good work as always. As long as the quality is there, everything is fine...

2005...a quality that will weaken somewhat from this title with the consequence of almost leaving the Singles charts...

2006...a surprising turnaround that is difficult to understand but very real. But that doesn't mean the end of the adventure, far from it...

2006...the group will just have to ask himself the right questions and quickly, otherwise the exit door risks opening more quickly than expected...

2006...no title that will be released during this year 2006 will be classified. However, it is not for lack of good will...

2007...a good will that will pay off with this new title. It was certain that they were not going to let it go like that without reacting at one point or another...

2007...she will have paid only on the previous title unfortunately. And it will not improve subsequently on the Singles Charts side...

2008...a new year 2008 that we could have hoped would be a little more favorable to the group in terms of Charts but it will be quite the opposite that will happen...

2008...because they will release 5 titles that year but none will be ranked. Times are definitely getting harder and harder for them, we're not going to lie...

2008... they are still trying to reverse this inexorable fall but nothing is working at this stage. Afterwards, in music, we know that everything is possible...

2008...that's also what they say to themselves and on principle who would blame them ? One decade is not necessarily like another, who knows what the next decade has in store for them...

2008...biggest year in terms of titles released but smallest year in terms of success paradoxically. When it doesn't want to, it doesn't want to...

2010...business is picking up a little bit at the very beginning of the 2010s, which shows that it was worth believing in...

2010... once again a short-lived improvement. The group is unable to rise to the surface in any significant way and has to make do with just a few breaths of air...

2010...which doesn't seem to bother them that much at this point. As long as there's life, there's hope, as they say...

2011...a determination to believe until the end that commands respect without a doubt. For how much longer, that's something else...

2012...a stealthy return to success once again. But this time it will be the last time they will manage to get back to the surface...

2013...in any case, no matter the obstacles and no matter the lack of success, the group will not give up until the end...

2016...and as long as the albums continue to do well, why should they throw in the towel prematurely...?

2016...in principle they are absolutely right. As long as they still have a sufficient base of basic fans, it is worth continuing the adventure a little...

2016...especially since there is still quality in all of this. Of course the best years are now behind them but still...

2016...another big year in terms of releases but as before, quantity does not necessarily rhyme with success...

2017...with each title we say to ourselves that it might be the last but each time they come back no matter what. Respect as they say...

2018...so we imagine that we risk seeing them again later, at least during the next decade...

2018...they will have tried everything during this decade 2010 but the wind will have been at least contrary concerning them...

2018...so, last title of the decade or last title at all ? Only the future can answer this question and them possibly of course...

2023...and here they are again ! They will have gone through the 80s, then the 90s, then the 2000s, then the 2010s and here they are proudly starting this 2020s...