Underworld

Known and loved by fans of electronic music the world over, Underworld got their start in the British city of Cardiff in 1987. It was then that members of the early '80s synth-pop band Freur including Rick Smith, Karl Hyde, Alfie Thomas, and Bryn Burrows decided to begin a new project with a more funky, electropop feel. They joined with bass player Baz Allen and took on the name Underworld after a movie that Freur had previously scored. Underworld released two albums through Sire Records before this lineup of the group disbanded, leaving only Hyde and Smith to continue the project. They brought DJ Darren Emerson on board to record 1994's dubnobasswithmyheadman, an album that many consider the first "true" Underworld album-one that was considered more accessible by fans and critics. They followed this with Second Toughest in the Infants, as well as two songs on the soundtrack to the popular film "Trainspotting" (1996), followed a few years later by Beaucoup Fish. After several years of extensive touring and a handful of digital-only releases, the group returned in 2007 with Oblivion with Bells. The group was also asked to score Danny Boyle's stage adaptation of "Frankenstein" at the Royal National Theatre in 2011. After a six-year break, Underworld returned to the studio in 2016 and emerged with the album Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future.