Before Underworld, Hyde and Smith started out in 1979 on The Screen Gemz band while working together in a diner in the city of Cardiff, where both had been studying. In 1983 they recorded two albums for CBS Records with a new wave synthpop band whose name was a graphic squiggle, later entitled Freur.
In 1986 Hyde and Smith formed Underworld, after disbanding of Freur. They tried a more guitar-oriented funky electropop sound on their two albums released on Sire Records: Underneath the Radar (1987) and Change the Weather (1989). This initial lineup (also called Underworld Mk1) consisted of Karl Hyde, Rick Smith, Alfie Thomas, Bryn Burrows, Baz Allen and Pascal Consoli before sinking back into obscurity and disbanding in 1990.
British DJ Darren Emerson hooked up with Hyde and Smith in 1992 and helped them refine their sound into something more sleek and beat-oriented, yet still shot through with tinges of blues, rock and spoken-word streams of consciousness. After several releases on Junior Boy's Own as Lemon Interupt, the trio re-adopted the Underworld name in 1992. Two songs from this era are Rez and Spikee.
In addition to their music, Hyde and Smith are members of Tomato, a graphic design company which has done high-profile work for clients around the world as well as art for all of Underworld's releases. Hyde, along with former Freur keyboardist John Warwicker, has also published two typographic journals, Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (1994) and In The Belly Of Saint Paul (2003).
Their first full-length, dubnobasswithmyheadman, was released in 1994 to rave reviews and is still considered a landmark. It spawned several hit singles (Dark & Long, Cowgirl, Dirty Epic) and was followed a couple years later by the Born Slippy single.
The sophomore album Second Toughest in the Infants was released in 1996. This album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno, house, drum and bass and pop music to spectacular effect. The first track Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love (three parts) is one of the longest songs recorded by Underworld, with a length of over 16 minutes.
In the same year they issued an EP Pearl's Girl, containing various mixes of the song Pearl's Girl and five new tracks (one of them is Cherry Pie, an early version of Rowla). Underworld's much-praised remixography also grew, including Björk, Saint Etienne, Simply Red, Massive Attack and Leftfield.
After licensing out a remix of Born Slippy (entitled Born Slippy .NUXX) for the 1996 cult classic film Trainspotting, Underworld gained instant worldwide fame and found themselves touring the world. Their fame continued to run high into the release of Beaucoup Fish in 1999. Five singles were released: Moaner, Push Upstairs, Jumbo, King of Snake, and Bruce Lee.
Underworld issued a live set and a DVD named Everything, Everything in 2000, after which Emerson left the group to concentrate more on his DJ career. The mellower album A Hundred Days Off followed in 2002. It was promoted by two singles: Two Months Off and Dinosaur Adventure 3D.
In 2003 Underworld released a 2 CD compilation entitled 1992-2002, comprising some of their best songs. Also since 2003 the group has been trickling out new music on their official website www.underworldlive.com via a series of downloadable mp3s dubbed "The Riverrun Project". Each mp3 bundle features 25-or-so-minute of mixed new material, hundreds of photographs and traditional album art.
In 2005 the band issued another live album, Live in Tokyo 25th November 2005, a recording of Underworld's live performance at the Electraglide festival in Tokyo on 25 November 2005. There were apparently only 7000 copies of the album made.
Oblivion with Bells, their fifth studio album was released in October 2007, the first with additional collaboration with Darren Price who joined the band's live setup in 2005. It spawned four singles: Crocodile, Boy, Boy, Boy, Beautiful Burnout, and Ring Road.
On 13 May 2010, Underworld released a new single Scribble (Radio Edit), available for free download on their official site. This single was followed by a new album later that year, called Barking, which is still in the process of releasing singles, beginning with the aforementioned Scribble, Always Loved a Film and finally Diamond Jigsaw. Also released on a beatport remix contest was Bird 1 where amateur producers were able to put their take on Underworld's collaboration with Dubfire. As of 2011, the duo can also attach to their resumes soundtracking a live stage play. Frankenstein, produced and directed by Danny Boyle, starring both Johnny Lee Miller & Benedict Cumberbatch who are, on alternating nights, both Frankenstein, or the Creature. The Soundtrack is available through Underworld's Website.
January 2016 saw the release of I Exhale, in advance of Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future, released in March 2016.
In April 2018, Underworld released a standalone single, Brilliant Yes That Would Be, an ambient piece with its accompanying video inspired by the Icelandic landscape and their first performance in Reykjavík since 1994.
In May 2018, Underworld unveiled the World of Underworld project, which focuses on reflecting and re-imagining their nearly 30 year body of work. It also serves as an outlet for experimentation, new releases and spontaneous creativity. Brilliant Yes That Would Be was the first track to be released through the World of Underworld, which was recorded and mixed just days before it was released.
Later in that same month, Underworld debuted a new collaboration with Iggy Pop titled Bells & Circles, live at the BBC Biggest Weekend 2018. Shortly after, a four-track collaborative EP with the two artists was released, Teatime Dub Encounters.
On November 1st, 2018, Underworld announced the Drift project, an ongoing music-and-video experiment that publishes new Underworld material on their official website every week. The first instalment began with Another Silent Way, also released on the same day.
On November 1st, 2019, Underworld released Drift Series 1, their tenth studio album. It is the conclusion of the first year of the band's year-long music-and-video experiment Drift. Underworld announced the Drift project will continue on for another year. The now-renamed Drift Series 1, was released exactly one year after the launch of the series, as a box set featuring 7 CDs, a Blu-ray, and an 80-page book documenting the creative process around Drift. A single-disc Drift Series 1 Sampler Edition was also released simultaneously.
Born Slippy
Underworld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the doorway boy
She was a lipstick boy
She was a beautiful boy
And tears boy and all in your inner space boy
You had hand girls boy and steel boy
You had chemicals boy, I've grown so close to you
Boy and you just grown boy
She said come over, come over
She smiled at you, boy
Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy
In the doorway boy
She was a lipstick boy
She was a beautiful boy
And tears boy and all in your inner space boy
You had hand girls boy and steel boy
You had chemicals boy, I've grown so close to you
Boy and you just grown boy
She said come over, come over
She smiled at you, boy
Let your feelings slip boy
But never your mask boy
Random blonde bio high density rhythm
Blonde boy, blonde country, blonde high density
You are my drug boy, you're real boy
Speak to me and boy dog, dirty numb cracking boy
You get wet boy, big big time boy, acid bear boy
Babes and babes and babes and babes and babes
And remembering nothing boy
You like my tin horn boy and get wet like an angel
Derail
You got a velvet mouth
You're so succulent and beautiful
Shimmering and dirty wonderful and hot times
On your telephone line and God and everything
On your telephone and in walk an angel
And look at me
Your mom squatting pissed in a tube-hole at Tottenham Court Road
I just come out of the ship
Talking to the most blonde I ever met
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, lager, lager, lager
Shouting, mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
Mega, mega, white thing
Mega, mega, white thing
So many things to see and do in the tube hole true
Blonde going back to Romford
Mega, mega, mega, going back to Romford
Hi mom are you having fun
And now are you on your way
To a new tension headache
The lyrics of Born Slippy by Underworld paint a chaotic and gritty picture of the urban nightlife. The song starts with descriptions of different types of boys - the drive boy, dog boy, and dirty numb angel boy - and the girls they have in their inner space. The lyrics then shift to a stream of consciousness style, with images of drugs, random blonde girls, and the singer's phone line. There's a sense of desperation in the lyrics, with the singer seeking a connection with someone ("speak to me and boy dog"), but ultimately feeling lost and aimless ("remembering nothing boy").
The chorus repeats the same lines, with the singer being drawn towards a beautiful boy who wears lipstick. The singer is captivated by this boy, but it's unclear what kind of relationship they have. The lyrics are filled with contradictions, with the singer telling the boy to let his feelings slip but never his mask. The overall effect of the lyrics is disorienting and surreal, mirroring the chaotic environment of the song's setting.
Line by Line Meaning
Drive boy, dog boy, dirty numb angel boy
A person who is driven, has an animalistic quality, is desensitized, and yet still retains something angelic.
In the doorway boy
This person was lingering in the entrance.
She was a lipstick boy
The person in question had feminine qualities, maybe even wearing some makeup.
She was a beautiful boy
The mentioned person was a male but had a very attractive appearance and physical outlook.
And tears boy and all in your inner space boy
The person is emotional and vulnerable, maybe even introverted or closed off.
You had hand girls boy and steel boy
This person had relationships with women and had a tough exterior or was aggressive.
You had chemicals boy, I've grown so close to you
This person was involved in drug culture and has forged a close relationship with the singer.
Boy and you just grown boy
This person has matured and developed in some way.
She said come over, come over
The person in question has an invite to come closer to the artist.
She smiled at you, boy
The person has received a smile of invitation or approval from the woman mentioned earlier.
Let your feelings slip boy
The singer is urging the person to open up and express themselves.
But never your mask boy
They shouldn't lose their persona or put on a facade.
Random blonde bio high density rhythm
A woman of unknown name, who is blonde and attractive, who exudes a sense of intensity and vitality.
Blonde boy, blonde country, blonde high density
The same attributes (blonde, high density) but for a male instead of a female.
You are my drug boy, you're real boy
The person has become a sort of addiction to the singer but at the same time, the singer recognizes the reality of their relationship.
Speak to me and boy dog, dirty numb cracking boy
The artist would like to communicate with this person and the artist categorizes the person in a harsh, painful light.
You get wet boy, big big time boy, acid bear boy
The person is susceptible to drug use and experimentation, often with dangerous or potent narcotics.
Babes and babes and babes and babes and babes
The singer witnessed a lot of attractive women around this person.
And remembering nothing boy
The person indulges in so many vices that they may not remember a lot of the events that transpire.
You like my tin horn boy and get wet like an angel
The person finds joy in the artist's music and prays to a higher power.
Derail
A sudden end of a conversation or train of thought.
You got a velvet mouth
The person has a smooth, attractive speaking voice.
You're so succulent and beautiful
The person has an alluring, tempting air about them.
Shimmering and dirty wonderful and hot times
The person has a complex and enchanting personality that contrasts the negative consequences of their actions.
On your telephone line and God and everything
The person is always connected and accessible to the singer, and possibly even to a higher power.
On your telephone and in walk an angel
After talking to the singer on the phone, the person sees an angelic figure in real life.
And look at me
The singer wants the person to acknowledge or pay attention to them.
Your mom squatting pissed in a tube-hole at Tottenham Court Road
A crude image of the person's mother in an unflattering and indecent position in a London subway station.
I just come out of the ship
The artist has just left a nightclub or event location.
Talking to the most blonde I ever met
The singer engaged in conversation with the most attractive blonde person they had ever seen.
Shouting, lager, lager, lager, lager
The singer and the people around them are drinking heavily, shoutin for another round.
Shouting, mega, mega, white thing
The artist is describing a feeling of intense excitement and energy associated with a white, powerful substance. It is up for interpretation what this substance is.
So many things to see and do in the tube hole true
There are many engaging and entertaining things that happen in the London tube stations.
Blonde going back to Romford
The blonde person the artist talked to earlier is going back to their home in Romford.
Mega, mega, mega, going back to Romford
The person is excited and looking forward to returning to Romford.
Hi mom are you having fun
The artist asks person's mother if she's enjoying herself, possibly referring to her being at the club as well.
And now are you on your way
The singer is asking the person's mother if she has plans to leave soon or if she's staying longer.
To a new tension headache
The singer is referring to a headache brought on by stress or tension that may be experienced after the night's events are over.
Lyrics © Mute Song Limited
Written by: Darren Paul Emerson, Karl Hyde, Richard David Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind