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Karl Hyde parks Underworld, announces debut solo-album and lines up London show

Posted: 11 years ago
After the thrill of the Olympics, it's time for a journey through Edgeland, tickets on sale now
Underworld

Unless you'd spent the same three hours on Mercury, you may well have caught some of the award-winning Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony (it deserves capital-letters) and some of the super music chosen to accompany it. Perpetrators of the bouncier bits came courtesy of Underworld, long-standing chums of catalyst and creator Danny Boyle, whose motoric and hypnotic music has long had a love-affair with clubbers and ravers since the early '90s. Just whisper "Born Slippy" into any current DJ's ear and they'll go all funny for a minute.

Perhaps best known for thumping dance-anthems, Underworld do have a poignant and reflective side to them as well. Cop a listen of their soundtrack to the film "Breaking and Entering" (with composer Gabriel Yared) or one of the quieter, sparser album tracks on "Barking" or the landmark "Dub No Bass with My Head Man" and you'll see and hear why. Both Karl Hyde and Rick Smith can calm it all down when needed, with the former more inclined to 'chill' when required.

And 'chill' he just has. After previously working with the professor of ambient a few years ago as part of the "Pure Scenius" project, he met Eno collaborator Leo Abrahams and set about planning a project of his own - and here it is. "Edgeland" is described as a "meditative" collection of nine songs and tunes and will be released on 22nd April.

To support the album, Karl Hyde will be appearing live with a one-off band at various European venues (and Tokyo for an earlier launch), including London's Union Chapel on 25th April. Sure to be a sell-out, the concert costs £25 and is on sale now.

Paul Pledger