Is Underworld innovative?

[jose m]

musically, in the 90's, i think they were at the "cutting edge" of dance electronic music along with aphex twin,fsol,black dog etc etc but whether you can call that innovative i don't know?
they are innovative in the field of live performance without a doubt.
every soft wear manufacturer wants underworld to run their gear and put it to use in the most advanced live set up in the biz.
basically i think they're guys interested in the mix of sounds and electronic's so are part of the long tradition of many groups and artist (tangerine dream,depeche mode,peter gabriel,the shamen,talk talk etc etc) over the last 50 years.


anyway,who actually is innovative ? bob dylan,derrick may,kraftwerk,satie,goldie,the beatles,stockhausen ? i think it just depends on your perspective.

[cacophony]

Originally Posted by BrotherLovesDub

Innovative by definition means 'to invent or begin to apply'. Underworld are not and have not been innovators in electronic music.

if that's your definition of innovative then who would you say qualifies? musicians are influenced and in turn influence others. you're looking for spontaneous generation of ideas and that's not typically how it works.

okay okay okay, i'll give you richard d james. but who else?

[Jason Roth]

Originally Posted by BrotherLovesDub

Innovative by definition means 'to invent or begin to apply'. Underworld are not and have not been innovators in electronic music. This is no slight to Underworld. I don't really put much weight in being innovative. They've improved and excelled at a style but technically, they cannot take credit for being innovators of that style.

Their live show was innovative. Big time. Not so much anymore tho.

[potatobroth]

Underworld single-handedly brought me into a whole new world of music. I'd heard lots of electronic music prior to Underworld -- some dance, some more experimental -- but I didn't really connect with it. Underworld was/is an intelligent, conceptual, well-crafted and delicately prepared electronic band and that to me, is innovative.

Were they the first? Probably not. Did they manage to take dance club type songs and bring them into my car, my house, my headphones in a time when that just wasn't happening? Yes. That's pretty innovative.

@JasonRoth: damn right! Their live show was very innovative. It's not fair to say its not anymore because they well into their career at this point. Artists can't be constantly innovative. Its impossible.

[BrotherLovesDub]

Originally Posted by jose m

musically, in the 90's, i think they were at the "cutting edge" of dance electronic music along with aphex twin,fsol,black dog etc etc but whether you can call that innovative i don't know?
they are innovative in the field of live performance without a doubt.
every soft wear manufacturer wants underworld to run their gear and put it to use in the most advanced live set up in the biz.
basically i think they're guys interested in the mix of sounds and electronic's so are part of the long tradition of many groups and artist (tangerine dream,depeche mode,peter gabriel,the shamen,talk talk etc etc) over the last 50 years.


anyway,who actually is innovative ? bob dylan,derrick may,kraftwerk,satie,goldie,the beatles,stockhausen ? i think it just depends on your perspective.

I agree they could be classified as innovators with their live show, which makes what is currently happening live all the more disappointing. I can't be inspired to spend 5-700 to fly to SF to hear them play live versions that are virtually identical to the album version. It wasn't always like this. I personally don't need the music I enjoy to 'push boundaries' or be innovative so this whole argument is meaningless to my enjoyment of Underworld's recorded output. My point was to highlight to whoever criticized the new album for not 'pushing boundaries' as if Underworld were ever really pushing boundaries or even should be held to that standard 3 decades after they started making music.

[jose m]

[QUOTE=BrotherLovesDub;144334]I agree they could be classified as innovators with their live show, which makes what is currently happening live all the more disappointing. I can't be inspired to spend 5-700 to fly to SF to hear them play live versions that are virtually identical to the album version. It wasn't always like this.


unfortunately i think you are one of a "dying breed" amongst gig go-ers these days.
i don't think it will be "album versions" forever but for the moment its probably what the crowds they are playing to want.

[ultradave]

Originally Posted by BrotherLovesDub

They've just been damn good at combining the right elements in making dance music you could sing along to.

here, here!

[bryantm3]

yes, i think underworld are innovators, and it's hard not to see it. look at dubno, for instance. it's not just a bunch of techno tracks squeezed together; you've got songs like skyscraper and dirty epic that lean towards the prog side of the spectrum and hold so much more meaning, complexity and emotion than something like 'get ready for this' by 2 unlimited or even 'the robots' by kraftwerk. interspersed between the technoey tracks, you've got several quieter tracks that feature guitar and more traditional instrumentation, but they still fit because the album flows as one. and all the time you've got the constant theme of weather going through the album... wind, thunder, the crunching of fall leaves, etc. there's no other techno band that sounds like that.

[ultradave]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

...dubno...you've got the constant theme of weather going through the album... wind, thunder, the crunching of fall leaves, etc. there's no other techno band that sounds like that.

dubno is a great album worth remastering... will it ever happen??? i'd love the get a cleaner sound with some more bass - especially on m.e. love that track!

dirty epic encapsulates this group as a whole. no other track aside from their dancefloor favourites will bring true definition - it marked their beginning and will always pinpoint the greatness to begin.

you don't need to outdo every past release... it just doesn't work. I will have to say that uw for the most part have always been an experimental output for their artistic expression and they've developed their live performance to the point that most tracks sound better live. they're performers - well, at least karl is.

as long as they keep that artistic expression in their music - they will continue to be successful. i love this band!

[Andrea]

Originally Posted by BrotherLovesDub

....They've just been damn good at combining the right elements in making dance music you could sing along to.

Amen to that