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.
Dark & Long
Underworld Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kiss you, kiss you dark and long
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead
Thunder, thunder, lightning
Thunder thunder, lightning ahead
Now I kiss you dark and long
Kiss you, kiss you dark and long, long
"Me I'm just a waitress" she said
"I went and bought a new head" she said
"I look at you, I believe in you" she said
Screaming into the eye of the lens
I wanna smash it up, I wanna break it down
I wanna wall of tears to wash away
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead
Thunder, thunder, lightning
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead
Now I kiss you dark and long
Filled with tainted girls and motel frills
What a laugh, you was done up there, mate
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead
I could kiss you dark and long
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead
Now I kiss you dark and long
Shout your love, the stars are black
The church is sweet, my skin is hot
Thunder, thunder lightning ahead
Now I kiss you dark and long, shout your love
The opening lines of "Dark & Long" by Underworld are an ode to the power of nature, with thunder and lightning symbolizing a sense of urgency and intensity. These elements are then juxtaposed with the title phrase, "Kiss you, kiss you dark and long," which seems to refer to a passionate embrace between two people. This duality continues throughout the song, with the singer expressing a desire for destruction ("I wanna smash it up, I wanna break it down") and a sense of longing and devotion ("I look at you, I believe in you").
The lyrics are somewhat enigmatic and open to interpretation, but there are hints of a narrative involving a waitress who has reinvented herself ("I went and bought a new head") and a sense of sexual tension ("my skin is hot"). The lines "The church is sweet, my skin is hot" could represent a conflict between a desire for religious purity and a more carnal desire.
Overall, "Dark & Long" is a powerful and evocative song that captures a sense of longing, desire, and even danger. Its lyrics are open to interpretation, but the powerful imagery and sense of urgency make it a memorable and impactful piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead, long
The anticipation of a storm is building up as they approach with all its fury.
Kiss you, kiss you dark and long
Despite the storm, there is a longing between the two lovers to kiss passionately in the dark.
Thunder, thunder, lightning ahead
The storm looms as both an ominous and exciting presence.
Now I kiss you dark and long
The lovers give in to their passion and engage in a long, intimate kiss.
"Me I'm just a waitress" she said
The woman being referenced is a humble, everyday person with nothing particularly special about her.
"I went and bought a new head" she said
Despite her lack of distinction, the woman has made some kind of tangible change to her life, likely a new hairstyle or a new perspective.
"I look at you, I believe in you" she said
The woman sees something special in the person she is speaking to and believes in their potential.
Screaming into the eye of the lens
The artist is expressing defiance or a desire to be seen and heard, even though they may be obscured or ignored by societal structures.
I wanna smash it up, I wanna break it down
There is a desire to disrupt the status quo and tear down societal norms that the artist finds oppressive or limiting.
I wanna wall of tears to wash away
The artist wants a symbolic release of pent-up emotions or trauma, like an emotional flood to wash away their pain.
Filled with tainted girls and motel frills
The area or situation being described is filled with things that are cheap, low quality, or morally dubious.
What a laugh, you was done up there, mate
The artist may be expressing derision or amusement at someone else's misfortune or an embarrassing situation they were in.
Shout your love, the stars are black
The singer is exhorting the listener to proclaim their feelings despite any darkness, negativity, or uncertainty they may face.
The church is sweet, my skin is hot
Despite any external sweetness or goodness, the singer is feeling internally charged with passion or excitement.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Mute Song Limited
Written by: DARREN PAUL EMERSON, KARL HYDE, RICHARD DAVID SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jean5416
I am French 45
I don’t remember when .
My Memory are :
Into a car ,
Back in the car ,
With my brother and his friends .
On the free way ,
The night , return to home .
And this song start .
My god .
This is the most emotional feeling o have in my life .
( kid , no drugs ….)
Back in the car , driving , watching the moon and the stars in the sky , with this song , the beat , the bass , all the sounds effect .
This song is epic for me .
Thank you underworld .
@fl570
@@squareinsquare2078 "there are shit tons of absolute bangers right now"
Maybe that's true for you, but for me and many others who like the simplicity, style, and originality of many tracks from this era, that is not true at all.
Nonetheless, the definition of a "banger" is pretty much subjective.
"this is the greatest time to be alive for music fans"
Once again: very debatable.
Mainstream releases are (for the extremely vast majority, at least) low-effort, made-to-appeal-to-the-masses shite (something which, I'd like to add, wasn't as prevalent in the past; take the 80s, for example: most of the mainstream stuff that was well-received actually had effort and had unique, distinctive elements, and most of it is still considered a classic nowadays); for the most part, the music industry now lacks in in originality, with most "artists" simply copying and recycling whatever "works" just to make an easy profit.
Where's the heart and the love for the music? What happened to experimenting with new techniques and sounds?
Can't really argue with your last point about being able to access any kind of music so easily and for free nowadays; with so many negatives/positives, there must also be some of the opposites.
@alexandermccarthy
Choose life.
Choose a job.
Choose a career.
Choose a family,
Choose a fucking big television
Choose washing machines, cars,
Compact disc players, and electrical tin openers.
Choose good health, low cholesterol
And dental insurance.
Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments.
Choose a starter home.
Choose your friends.
Choose leisure wear and matching luggage.
Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase
In a range of fucking fabrics.
Choose DIY and wondering who you
Are on a Sunday morning.
Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing
Sprit-crushing game shows
Stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth.
Choose rotting away at the end of it all,
Pishing you last in a miserable home
Nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish,
Fucked-up brats
You have spawned to replace yourself.
Choose your future. Choose life.
@bestbass42
Join the official Underworld website to get a FREE brand new remix of this track. https://underworldlive.com/
@joannablau4216
Fuck yeah it is.
@stephengoodhand2805
I am 67 years old and this is one of the greatest tracks I have heard in all those years
@stephenphilpott6772
Your not wrong there ste:)
@sebastiantoennies5062
You Welcome
@tonikummusic
It is.
@tonikummusic
A all togheter Track ! :)
@stephenord643
stephen goodhand,i am nearly 65 and have been a fan since 94
@Tony19C
"You sweat that shit out of your system, cause if I come back and it's still here, I'll fucking kick it out."
@MrBaz278
fucking classic i actually had to sweat that shite outa my system lots of times what a victory 😂