The first single from Karl Hyde’s upcoming solo album has been released today. ”The Boy With The Jigsaw Puzzle Fingers“ is available digitally on iTunes and Amazon at the following links:
Digital download (UK): iTunes UK, Amazon UK
Digital download (US): iTunes US, Amazon US
The single features remixes by remixes from Kasket (R&S Records) and Matthew Herbert (Accidental Records). The full tracklisting is:
You can hear a preview of the album track below:
Child’s Play and Om Records have announced a Bassnectar Remix of Underworld’s Rez, due for release on limited edition vinyl and digital single on Feb. 12, 2013.
You can hear a preview of the track at the YouTube link below.
Tracklisting:
Digital pre-order: iTunes US, iTunes UK
Vinyl pre-order: Child’s Play
Press Release follows:
Remix of seminal dance track coming February 12th on Om Records / Childʼs Play
Having been one of the original bass music practitioners, it makes a lot of sense for Bassnectar AKA Lorin Ashton to team up with dance music legends Underworld on their classic track “REZ”. On February 12th, OM Records imprint Child’s Play will release Bassnectar’s remix of the cut, first put out by the seminal EDM group 20 years ago. “REZ” has had a special place in Ashton’s heart for well over a decade as a memorable part of his early exposure to dance music. “By the time I first heard ʻREZʼ…it was already a classic. It was the third ‘rave’ I had ever been to,” says Ashton, “That was the only song I remembered from the entire night. And for years to come, whenever I hear any version or remix or even a slight fragment of that shimmering resonant arpeggiator I get flashbacks.”
The Bassnectar remix adds mounds of thunderous bass to the track while still retaining its delicate and distinctive arpeggiated melody. The single will be released on 180-gram vinyl with digital download, full color jacket sleeve and liner notes from Bassnectar.
High Contrast wrote a blog post about his involvement in the Olympic Opening Ceremony, and how a few months ago he was invited by Underworld to assist with the Parade of Athletes. This explains why there are so many High Contrast tracks and remixes in that segment of the Olympics. Head over to High Contrast’s blog to read more.
Here are a few reviews of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies where they review or mention the music and/or Underworld’s involvement.
Emma Warren: “Banned! Music and The Opening Ceremony”
Underworld, who masterminded the soundtrack to the ceremony, subverted everything music is supposed to do at a showcase event like the Olympics. Instead of broadcasting pop hits that were built with profit in mind, or that smooth out the rough edges of life into a lowest common denominator average, they took the music not underground, because these were predominantly pieces of music we all know and love, but back to the margins, where all the most interesting things begin.
The Guardian: “Olympic opening ceremony: the music, reviewed”
Underworld, in fact, had a bit of a triumph: the builds and fades they learned in the world of dance music lent the sometimes overwhelming visual spectacle a sense of structure.
AP: ”Olympic opener showed music is best of British”
Olympic ceremonies often play it safe. But Boyle, who brought in the electronic duo Underworld as musical directors, gave his show a cheeky edge. The Sex Pistols, once the outrageous face of punk, were included with their song “Pretty Vacant.” Boyle even slipped in a few bars of the Pistols’ snarling “God Save the Queen” (“the fascist regime”) early on.
CNN: ”Dance beats, Bowie and a Beatle: Is London 2012 the rock ‘n’ roll Games?”
Let it be known from this day forth, the Olympic movement has seen the creation of the first ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ Games, and London 2012 will be remembered for all time as the venue of its birth
The Telegraph: ”London 2012 Opening Ceremony, first review”
But this ceremony was also about Boyle the award-winning, popular filmmaker and it was steeped in his signature moves: break-neck speed montages, widescreen angles, fast zooms. More than anything it was a love letter to British film, TV and music, from Mary Poppins to Harry Potter, Lionel Bart to Soul 2 Soul. With his musical partners Underworld it paid homage to some of the greatest British hits of the last fifty years spliced together with the anarchic energy of the rave culture Boyle was the first director to really understand.
The XXX Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies just concluded, and the combination of Danny Boyle and Underworld was tremendous! As promised, the soundtrack album, Isles of Wonder: Music For the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, is available for purchase NOW on iTunes and Amazon MP3, with a physical double-CD release coming next week.
Digital download: iTunes UK, Amazon MP3 UK, iTunes US, Amazon MP3 US
CD pre-order: Amazon UK, Amazon US
There was plenty of Underworld music to be heard during the ceremonies. Two new brand new Underworld pieces were composed: ”And I Will Kiss” and “Caliban’s Dream” totaling over 24 minutes!
Additionally, there were a lot of new remixes of classic Underworld songs by High Contrast and Darren Price featured during the Parade of Athletes. The full tracklisting of Underworld songs on the album is:
Universal Music has announced that Isles of Wonder – Music for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games will be released digitally within hours of the conclusion of the opening ceremonies on Saturday, July 28th. In addition to the digital release, it will also be released as a 2-disc CD album on Aug. 6. You can pre-order both releases now:
Digital pre-order: iTunes UK, iTunes US
CD pre-order: Amazon UK, Amazon US
The tracklisting is currently intentionally vague, in order to “save the surprise.” However, you can expect there to be a lot of new, original Underworld music on there.
The Isles of Wonder will not only feature newly-composed music by Underworld, but also choirs, orchestras, vocalists and musicians alongside the chimes of a specially-commissioned 23-ton bell. The largest harmonically tuned bell in the world, it will be rung at 9.00pm on 27th July to mark the formal start of the Opening Ceremony.
Thanks to buzzelvis on the Dirty Forums who brought the original StereoBoard article to our attention.
The debut issue of Electronic magazine is released tomorrow, July 26, and Underworld is featured in the cover story interview. In the interview, Karl and Rick talk about everything from Dubnobasswithmyheadman to the Olympics.
Described as ”the ultimate electronic music magazine’, issue one includes an interview with Gary Numan about the Machine Music DVD, a fantastic review of his Forum show.
The new mag for electronic music fans. No gear reviews, no walk throughs, just up close and personal with the artists you love. Don’t miss it!
Includes a FREE 14 track CD compiled by Mark Jones
In the debut issue:
UNDERWORLD
Exclusive new interview
Karl and Rick look back over their career – and forward to the biggest gig in the world…
HUMAN LEAGUE
The making of Dare
Inside a synth pop masterpiece
25 YEARS OF DETROIT TECHNO
Derrick May, Carl Craig, Ritchie Hawtin, Juan Atkins
Celebrate their quarter century
PLUS:
John Fox; Twin Shadow, Kraftwerk; Minimal Wave; Gary Numan; A Guy Called Gerald; Back to the Phuture; Midge Ure; Silver Apples; Vangelis; Heaven 17; Adamski; Fad Gadget; Matthew Herbert; and many more!
Karl Hyde’s solo art exhibition, “What’s Going on in Your Head When You’re Dancing?“, previously exhibited in Tokyo, is now coming to London. It is running from July 17 through August 10 at the Bernard Jacobson Gallery in London. The gallery is free to enter, and is open Mon – Fri from 10am to 6pm, and Sat 11am to 1pm.
Hyde’s large-scale paintings, diptych and triptychs, are entirely abstract gestural works, which have an affinity to both abstract expressionism and Japanese calligraphy. Painted on paper or packing cardboard with very large soft brushes and drawn into with charcoal and pastel, in some works one single gesture runs the length of the surface, in others marks combine into something more rhythmically complex. Hyde will often sit in front of the blank support, rehearsing the action he is about to take in his head before he begins the work itself, in much the same way as he rehearses the movements he will make across the stage during a performance. In the exhibition these paintings will be accompanied by more intimate pencil drawings and scroll like works in pencil and gouache on Japanese fold-out books, which describe driving through the chaotic urban environment of cities such as Tokyo and Miami.
I recently finished a time-lapse video of the webcam footage broadcast during Karl’s painting performance at the exhibition in Japan. You can see it via YouTube:
Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 has the exclusive premiere of the new High Contrast single featuring Tiesto and Underworld. “The First Note Is Silent” will be played during Annie Mac’s show tonight, which starts at 7 PM BST. The show should also be available for replay for one week following the broadcast on Annie Mac’s page via the BBC iPlayer.
High Contrast, aka Lincoln Barrett, co-wrote the songs “Scribble” and “Moon in Water” with Underworld on Barking.
