New Album: Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future (March 18, 2016)

[Mike]

It looks like If Rah could be the next "single" release:

http://www.beatink.com/Labels/Underworld/BRC-500/img/IfRah_og.jpg

[TheBang]

It looks like If Rah could be the next "single" release:
Actually, it looks like it's going to be Nylon Strung on April 8, at least in Japan:

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/nylon-strung-single/id1097002677

http://www.beatink.com/Labels/Underworld/BRC-500/img/NS_L.jpg

[BishBash]

Nice that they're releasing the DJ Koze remix of I Exhale as part of the single.

Karl signs stuff like an artist would a painting or any other piece of art.

That box set is lovely!

Speaking of art, what do we know about the front cover artwork? Who did it?
The face looks a bit like Nancy Sinatra. I'm can't decide if that's a photo under the paint stokes..

[holden]

Whether its "If Rah" or "Nylon Strung" or both as singles, would be great if they came with some B sides or UW alt mixes...

[skyscraper101]

I'd love a more upbeat remix of If Rah with those stabby chords. Be nice if they would provide the stems ;)

[Dino3D]

Finally my japanese CD arrived today!!!

[Dino3D]

23B sounds brutal on hi-fi!

[ultradave]

Actually, it looks like it's going to be Nylon Strung on April 8, at least in Japan:

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/nylon-strung-single/id1097002677

http://www.beatink.com/Labels/Underworld/BRC-500/img/NS_L.jpg

Hopefully we'll get some remixes of Nylon Strung. Looks like the single for I Exhale wasn't released on iTunes Japan - guess that's why the Koze mix is included. I'll save my ¥300 for something else... :rolleyes:

[Dino3D]

Some physical single would be great! Why every band stop releasing physical singles?? Fans are dying for them!

[noisy_summer]

And it looks like we have a video for If Rah:

http://pitchfork.com/news/64569-underworld-share-if-rah-video-watch/

[khouri]

GOOD LORD Twenty Three Blue is amazing. More of this, please.

[ultradave]

If anyone is interested - Bowers & Wilkins is offering both the 16 & 24-bit FLAC download of Barbara Barbara with an exclusive track (Twenty Three Blue). Link below:

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Society_of_Sound/Society_of_Sound/Underworld/download-Underworld.html

[holden]

Nice. But if anyone has a lead on buying only "Twenty Three Blue", that'd be great. I don't want to repurchase the album for that one track.

Edit: I guess wasabeat has it for $2.66. Hmmm

[amhilde]

Joe Jackson (the piano player, not the psycho patriarch) posted a personal review on his blog:

http://joejackson.com/blog_index&postid=1606565

UNDERWORLD: Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future

I find it hard to say why I like Underworld. Perhaps I imagine being them, and waking up in the morning blissfully untroubled by the musical challenges I torture myself with (melodies, lyrics, chord changes, songs, singing, playing an instrument, etc). Instead of which, Underworld create repetitive electronic textures over which a spoken voice sometimes talks complete bollocks, perhaps to help pass the time and create the impression that something is happening.

And yet . . . it's strangely, almost disturbingly compelling, and always sounds like no one else but Underworld. I don't think this new album is their best, but on some tracks (especially Low Burn and Nylon Strung) their clever layering of 'simple' elements still becomes intoxicating over time, like coming up on the drug you took five minutes ago, or (if you prefer) the initial routine of physical exercise giving way to an endorphin rush. As I listened to it on the train from Amsterdam to Berlin, it also made some pretty boring scenery seem intriguing and vaguely menacing. I'm not sure if this is a good review, or even a review, but there it is.

[philth]

If anyone is interested - Bowers & Wilkins is offering both the 16 & 24-bit FLAC download of Barbara Barbara with an exclusive track (Twenty Three Blue). Link below:

http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Society_of_Sound/Society_of_Sound/Underworld/download-Underworld.html


Word of warning - I left it a few days to buy this and the package I got contained the DJ Koze remix of I Exhale rather than Twenty Three Blue. I'm really annoyed! going to follow up with B&W. They have since deleted any mention of Twenty Three Blue and replaced it with just "a bonus track".

:(

In better news my Japan CD arrived, so at least I have TTB in 16 bit.

[Berry]

I can't stop listening to Nylon Strung. Simple. Gorgeous.

[34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j]

Ditto with "Ova Nova"

I've played this album a lot since its release. I really like it and think it's among their best - I dig that they're not doing the progressive house style buildups anymore and just playing their cards up front. It's just a really easy album to return to over and over again. And "23 Blue" totally rules!

[jetpig]

https://ukf.com/words/high-contrast-new-single-new-album-new-label/15917

HC talks about his part in the new album.

[BishBash]

https://ukf.com/words/high-contrast-new-single-new-album-new-label/15917

HC talks about his part in the new album.
Got a mention in Dirty Reviews a couple of weeks back.

[ultradave]

Yeah I noticed that on the B&W website they changed the "extra track" to the Koze mix. Lame. At any rate, if anyone is still hunting down the TTB in 24-Bit you can get at Allflac.com. Only problem is, they don't sell single tracks. On the + side the full 24-bit LP is $9.45 for a FLAC download.

Link Here: https://allflac.com/album/225434

Cheers! ;)

[Dirty0900]

Been flying with Emirates yesterday and they have the album on so I could listen to it 30,000 feet above the earth.

[taoyoyo]

Been flying with Emirates yesterday and they have the album on so I could listen to it 30,000 feet above the earth.

Was it a beautiful thing? :)

[King of Snake]

Been flying with Emirates yesterday and they have the album on so I could listen to it 30,000 feet above the earth.

Love it :) I'll certainly bring some UW with me to listen to on my next long flight (Amsterdam to Beijing in a week and a half :))

[TheBang]

When I boarded a JAL flight headed to Tokyo, I made to sure to listen to THAT song.

[TheBang]

This interview with High Contrast includes a section about his production role on Barbara Barbara:

https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/High-Contrast-Interview-A-mix-of-high-and-low-culture/30228/

[Dino3D]

The Book Of Barbara was just 10 pounds in the UW store so I just picked up. :)

[qirex]

The Book Of Barbara was just 10 pounds in the UW store so I just picked up. :)




Just when I went to order it the price went up.

Speaking of missing out on things does anyone have a lead on the Barbara Barara boxset? Missed that one as well

[TheBang]

The boxset was limited to 400 copies, and sold out within the first couple weeks of being on sale. The only way to pick one up is second hand, and the one or two copies I've seen sold that way were expensive. (for example, there is one for sale on Discogs right now for €320)

[qirex]

The boxset was limited to 400 copies, and sold out within the first couple weeks of being on sale. The only way to pick one up is second hand, and the one or two copies I've seen sold that way were expensive. (for example, there is one for sale on Discogs right now for €320)

Thanks but right after I wrote that post I found a new one on Amazon Japan, for $150 shipped! Can't beat that.

[TheBang]

Nice. Yes, a select number of boxsets were sent to Japan for sale in the local market there. I didn't realize they hadn't sold out at retail there yet.

[Dino3D]

Finally got the Book. Very nice!