Underworld - Strawberry Hotel - October 25th 2024

Played the first few tracks this morning. Loved the vocal melodies on the first tune. Quite liked the other ones as well.

Can someone make me a instrumental version of Ottavia for me? Her voice is good, the lyrics just are too much (Cool that it's Ricks daughter tho)

  On 10/29/2024 at 1:52 PM, sexagon hun said:

Can someone make me a instrumental version of Ottavia for me? Her voice is good, the lyrics just are too much (Cool that it's Ricks daughter tho)

Yeah one of the ones I noped out of (at 2:20 to be precise)

Sorry I really dont like this at all

Ottavia is one of my faves I think. Interesting that Esme co-produced the whole album too.

  On 10/29/2024 at 2:28 PM, mcbpete said:

Yeah one of the ones I noped out of (at 2:20 to be precise)

Right after her spoken word ends (around 3:15) there's a 30 second bit that makes you think it's going to be epic fucking techno, but then no.

Tried to give this another listen yesterday. Couldn't make it all the way through most tracks. Kinda says a lot that the best track of the bunch is a 3 minute instrumental, which basically just repurposes the Born Slippy synth with a new chord progression over a simple beat.

I think this might (+should) be their retirement album? So many tracks are obvious callbacks to various points in their career, with nothing new or interesting (or good lol) to offer. So the retrospective feel + lack of quality ideas to me kinda indicates that they're gonna wrap things up soon. They are getting a bit old for this after all - better to get out before it becomes totally embarrassing.

 I love underworld, they have been hugely significant in my life, but honestly from Oblivion with Bells onward each of their albums has only had a handful of tracks I enjoy, with the rest being filler or straight up cringe.

Had the opposite for me, for my third listening session went for a walk with some decent headphones, listened to the album full through, and honestly, except for Ottavia (sorry lads and Esme it just doesn’t work) the album is a solid piece of work. It is not techno bangers 101 but it’s a lovely piece of art.  

It's OK.

As an underworld fan since the 90s this is the first album I've ever hesitated on buying. 

Mainly because I've not really been wowed by the "limited drop" tracks that preceded it, but also maybe my tastes have changed too. 

With mixed reviews here and elsewhere, I do think I should make my own mind up though. 

Lots of shorter tracks is kind of a red flag for me though....

Listened to Beautiful Burnout earlier today. Chills every time. The last truly great underworld song. Sure was a long time ago now lol

  On 11/3/2024 at 11:15 AM, toaoaoad said:

Listened to Beautiful Burnout earlier today. Chills every time. The last truly great underworld song. Sure was a long time ago now lol

Ah, I love that track.

I can still remember the full body chills from hearing this live at the Brixton Academy. 

In fact, the actual recording (which they released as a ltd live album) is on Youtube so im gonna listen again

  On 11/2/2024 at 8:22 PM, toaoaoad said:

Tried to give this another listen yesterday. Couldn't make it all the way through most tracks. Kinda says a lot that the best track of the bunch is a 3 minute instrumental, which basically just repurposes the Born Slippy synth with a new chord progression over a simple beat.

I think this might (+should) be their retirement album? So many tracks are obvious callbacks to various points in their career, with nothing new or interesting (or good lol) to offer. So the retrospective feel + lack of quality ideas to me kinda indicates that they're gonna wrap things up soon. They are getting a bit old for this after all - better to get out before it becomes totally embarrassing.

 I love underworld, they have been hugely significant in my life, but honestly from Oblivion with Bells onward each of their albums has only had a handful of tracks I enjoy, with the rest being filler or straight up cringe.

 

Expand  

Are you me .... this is, to the letter, my take on this release/their discography also !

I quite like it, especially the first half or so. Ottavia is definitely a struggle to get through I will admit. But I skipped it second time round and enjoyed the album overall.

I also thought King of Haarlem was a bit cringe at first but I already like it on second listen

This has been a slow-burn grower on me over the past few weeks, and I think it helped that I didn't pay too much attention to the limited drops as they emerged, so those tracks still feel quite fresh in the context of the album.  A bit of a weak end after Gene Pool, but overall its a pretty fun album. Somewhere mid in the discography I guess. 

You guys are too nice lol. This album is a complete turd

Hah! I totally forgot about this album. That's kinda odd as Underworld are one of the greatest. Not sure why I have zero interest in it. First play wasn't tooo bad, but I guess I didn't find it that interesting either. I guess no one else is talking about it much anywhere. 

Early '00s me would simply not believe that mid '20s me wouldn't seek out a super-duper deluxe edition ... or even bother pirating the latest Aphex, Orb & Underworld releases

Still playing it, still loving it.

This is the first Underworld release in close to 30 years of fandrom that I have MOSTLY walked away from; especially jarring after the Drift series.

  On 1/28/2025 at 7:04 AM, Hugh Mughnus said:

This is the first Underworld release in close to 30 years of fandrom that I have MOSTLY walked away from; especially jarring after the Drift series.

I think you nailed it there - after the top quality of Draft, this does feel a bit lost, unfocused. 

  On 1/28/2025 at 7:20 AM, Soloman Tump said:

I think you nailed it there - after the top quality of Draft, this does feel a bit lost, unfocused. 

Agreed. I also feel the same.

I think the Drift concept was really cool thing to do. Kind of feel a bit cheesed off they never pursued that concept a bit further. Though maybe they pushed themselves with that, took it to its conclusion and decided to change. Be amazing if Aphex or AE did a similar thing. Forgive me I'm just thinking out loud.

  On 1/28/2025 at 9:00 PM, beerwolf said:

I think the Drift concept was really cool thing to do. Kind of feel a bit cheesed off they never pursued that concept a bit further. Though maybe they pushed themselves with that, took it to its conclusion and decided to change. Be amazing if Aphex or AE did a similar thing. Forgive me I'm just thinking out loud.

I suggested that AE do something like this in one of those "what's next for autechre" threads but Sean was like "nah"

  On 1/28/2025 at 11:57 PM, toaoaoad said:

I suggested that AE do something like this in one of those "what's next for autechre" threads but Sean was like "nah"

Pretty much what NTS sessions is, even ends with those super long tracks like Underworld did with The Necks