Darren Emerson leaving UW was the worst thing that happened to the band! - Page 2

khouri · #1 02-22-2009, 12:57 PM

The immediate post-Emerson shows demonstrated a noticeable, um, downgrade, I agree, but since then the band has redefined their live sound in a way that I comfortably recognize as Underworld. I love the Emerson era but when I listen to that '90s stuff it tends to sound dated (sometimes very dated, like that Sonar show) whereas the new shows -- particularly from 2005 onward -- sound like a reenergized and retooled band with a more timeless sound.

Dirty0900 · #2 02-22-2009, 03:12 PM

Recent UWlive posts are showing the bands push in the live arena to either make things easier for Rick and make shows more improved, or to make a smaller rig

Futuregrapher · #3 02-26-2009, 04:35 PM

Darren Emerson leaving was the best thing happening to the band.

Why?

A Hundred Days Off
Riverrun
Oblivion With Bells
&
all these lovely, lovely broadcasts and internet activity.

Those things would never have been released / happened if Darren Emerson would have stayed in the band.

As much as I like Mr. Emerson, I love life when he's outside of Underworld.

AND we also have another Darren.

peace.

holden · #4 02-26-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Futuregrapher

Those things would never have been released / happened if Darren Emerson would have stayed in the band.

As much as I like Mr. Emerson, I love life when he's outside of Underworld.

AND we also have another Darren.

peace.

It IS nice to have another Darren among the ranks, isn't it? Pricey seems like a very nice guy, with a taste for doughnuts and some awesome electro track productions!

Well, who knows if the sort of post-Emerson output could still have happened if Emerson had stayed. But yeah, Rick's quote from the interview does suggest they were looking for something a little less immediate dancefloor-and-forget-it, a little more, dare i say intelligent dance music (yeah, i know, UW is hardly classified as IDM in the general sense of the genre). Anyway, OWB was described by karl as "the album that Rick wanted to make", so they've clearly got the balance right.

Before we knew that the likes of "Aquafunk" or "Shake that Higher" were actually Price's compositions, i was intrigued with the new direction that UW was presumably taking - these tracks fit in great with their originals. So, i'm all for his extra hands and tracks behind the desk. As for Emerson, he seemed to add similar elements, if perhaps in a more conventional dance direction.

Lx_Nen · #5 02-27-2009, 01:23 PM

Personally, I think the only lasting downside of Emerson leaving is that AHDO was a weak album, because UW felt the need to stop making music that came naturally and deliver huge slabs of beat in order to prove they could still make 'dance music' without their DJ.

It's true that we no longer have the seamless hour-long meandering jam gigs that we used to love so much, but I'm not sure that they would be compatible with the way UW's sound has grown up these days.

potatobroth · #6 02-27-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lx_Nen

It's true that we no longer have the seamless hour-long meandering jam gigs that we used to love so much, but I'm not sure that they would be compatible with the way UW's sound has grown up these days.

Atlanta wasn't far off from a constant live mix. So Em's shows featured 10% more streaming than some of their recent shows? No biggie.

Dirty0900 · #7 02-28-2009, 12:28 PM

Hmm if you don't think they can improv, watch this version of Crocodile when it all goes a bit wrong [around 2.18]. Theres something locked away in Rick's desk if an emergency happens:

34958hq439-qjw9v5jq298v5j · #8 03-02-2009, 08:32 AM

The track "Yard Beat" from the Live in Tokyo 2005 set was Price's right? That was a huge highlight for me (esp. the way it leads into "Jumbo" - just seems like a great jam track).