Hello, lots of Unkle this week, expect UnkleSounds on Friday's groove
Today's Artist a British musical outfit founded in 1992 by James Lavelle. Originally categorized as trip hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers. . .......N'Joy
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Experimental hip-hop outfit UNKLE were one of the original artists releasing material through noted U.K. label Mo' Wax, which helped launch the mid-'90s instrumental downtempo breakbeat revival eventually termed trip-hop. Though hardly the label's highest-profile group (at least until the long-delayed release of their debut LP in 1998), UNKLE's members included label head James Lavelle, who formed Mo' Wax while still in his teens as an antidote to the increasingly stale acid jazz/Northern soul scene. Stripping the music down to its barest of essentials -- bass, percussion, minimal samples, and heavy effects -- the Mo' Wax sound (best exemplified by the second Mo' Wax label comp, Headz, as well as its sequel, the two-part Headz II) quickly gained respectability and a large audience. Although not as prolific as other Mo' Wax artists such as DJs Shadow and Krush, UNKLE nonetheless played a crucial role in cementing Mo' Wax's early sound through their Time Has Come double EP, which featured remixes of the title track by Plaid, Portishead, and U2 producer Howie B.
The UNKLE trio was comprised of Lavelle, Tim Goldsworthy (a mate of Lavelle's since childhood), and producer Kudo, of seminal Japanese label Major Force. Prior to his entry into production, Lavelle, along with Goldsworthy, was deep into New York hip-hop and electro, the emerging late-'80s Sheffield bleep scene, the English acid jazz scene (which he covered as a columnist for Straight No Chaser magazine), and of course the acid house and techno explosions that were redefining English counterculture at the time. The pair hooked up with third member Kudo through the growing rep of the latter's Love T.K.O. project, whose outbound interpretations of breakbeat and acid jazz drew Lavelle's ear. While Goldsworthy and Kudo remained more heavily involved in nuts 'n' bolts production (especially given the success of Mo' Wax, with the penning of an expansive partial ownership deal with A&M Records in 1996), Lavelle was heavily involved in the conceptual and organizational end, crafting beats and laying out vague sketches his partners then expanded into full-blown tracks.
Despite the scarcity of released material, UNKLE grew to wider acclaim during 1996 through remix projects for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Tortoise. After Goldsworthy and Kudo were effectively replaced by Mo' Wax bill-payer DJ Shadow, the all-star LP Psyence Fiction finally appeared in 1998. Lavelle replaced Goldsworthy and Kudo by Mo' Wax bill-payer DJ Shadow drafted him in to work on the debut album, and essentially discarded all previously recorded material. Lavelle and Shadow released Psyence Fiction in 1998 to critical acclaim. The album included collaborations with an all-star lineup including Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Kool G Rap, Jason Newsted (Metallica), Badly Drawn Boy and Richard Ashcroft (The Verve). The album was mixed by Shadow's long-time collaborator, producer Jim Abbiss.
Shadow left the group after touring Psyence Fiction and was replaced by turntablist group the Scratch Perverts, who deconstructed the album and performed it live on turntables in 1999. Also in 1999, former producer Rich File remixed the track "Unreal", adding vocals by Ian Brown, and the resulting track was released as the single "Be There". .
Lavelle, amid much work as a DJ, recruited singer/songwriter Richard File for the second UNKLE full-length, 2003's Never, Never, Land. Four years later, Lavelle and File returned with War Stories, including collaborators from the past (Josh Homme) and new associates (Ian Astbury, Chris Goss) to contribute to the heaviest-sounding UNKLE release to date. File departed and was replaced with writer, producer, and longtime Mo' Wax associate Pablo Clements (of Psychonauts). A pair of odds 'n' ends collections, More Stories and End Titles...Stories for Film (both released in 2008), featured old and new material, including music from UNKLE's soundtrack to the documentary Odyssey in Rome. In 2009, the "Heavy Drug" single announced the coming of their organic, band-oriented 2010 album Where Did the Night Fall (Another Night Out). The duo's release schedule picked up once more with the 2013 release of an EP titled Trance Film. UNKLE returned in 2017 with their sixth studio effort, The Road, Vol. 1. The record once again featured a whole host of collaborators such as Mark Lanegan, ESKA, Keaton Henson, and Andrew Innes of Primal Scream.
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With a subtitle referencing Sun Ra and a cover splashed with the bright, abstract figures of old-school graffiti artist Futura 2000, UNKLE's The Time Has Come EP (closer to a mini-album at over 40min in length) is a sprawling bouillabaisse of influences, all impeccably arranged. Hip-hop, funk, and jazz are of course the most obvious, but the soundtracky deviations of ambient, as well as hitting electro-boogie and spy movie theme music (particularly on Portishead's remix) also figure in. Remixes from Plaid and Howie B also make this one of the tastiest, most varied release in the Mo' Wax catalog. A truly great abstract hiphop record.
Berry Meditation sees UNKLE leader James Lavelle exploring a circa-"Nights Interlude" Nightmares on Wax vibe. Though "Berry Meditation" never matches the atmosphere or innovation of "Nights Interlude," the fact that this EP doesn't overstay its welcome through more than 20 minutes of the same general melody and tone is a good sign that Lavelle knew what he was doing in the studio. The original version, track one here, is the most compelling. The song consists of repeated high-pitched synth notes, throbbing bass, and various tweaked electronics. The "Last Ever Mix" starts out lazy and slow, but turns into a shuffling, flanged drum'n'bass excursion. Lavelle piles on sci-fi sound effects, many of them seemingly originating in a plumbing pipe. The "Darker the Berry the Sweeter the Juice Mix," a remix by Attica Blues, wastes a minute on random ambient sounds before breaking down the original song into a minimalist form, punctuated by heavy drums and space-station blippery. Berry Meditation might not be Mo' Wax's finest 20 minutes, but label leader James Lavelle takes tiny steps toward a credible music-making career of his own with the EP.
UNKLE - The Time Has Come + Berry Meditation EP's (flac 350mb)
01 If You Find The Earth Boring (U.N.K.L.E Mix) 14:00
02 If You Find The Earth Boring (Portishead Plays U.N.K.L.E Mix) 4:22
03 If You Find The Earth Boring (Howie B Vs U.N.K.L.E Mix) 10:46
04 Coffeehouse Conversation (Plaid Mix) 5:19
05 Sassafrass (Plaid Mix) 8:11
+
06 Berry Meditation (Original Mix) 7:35
07 Berry Meditation (Last Ever Mix) 7:13
08 Berry Meditation (The Darker The Berry The Sweeter The Juice Mix) 5:22
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James Lavelle and DJ Shadow are unequal partners in UNKLE, with the former providing the concept and the latter providing music, which naturally overshadows the concept, since the only clear concept -- apart from futuristic sound effects, video-game samples, and merging trip-hop with rock -- is collaborating with a variety of musicians, from superstars to cult favorites Kool G Rap, Alice Temple, and Mark Hollis (who provides uncredited piano on "Chaos"). Since Shadow's prime gift is for instrumentals, the prospect of him collaborating with vocalists is more intriguing than enticing, and Psyence Fiction is appropriately divided between brilliance and failed experiments. Shadow and Lavelle aren't breaking new territory here -- beneath the harder rock edge, full-fledged songs, and occasional melodicism, the album stays on the course Endtroducing... set. Shadow isn't given room to run wild with his soundscapes, and only a couple of cuts, such as the explosive opener, "Guns Blazing," equal the sonic collages of his debut. Initially, that may be a disappointment, but UNKLE gains momentum on repeated listens. Portions of the record still sound a little awkward -- Mike D's contribution suffers primarily from recycled Hello Nasty rhyme schemes -- yet those moments are overshadowed by Shadow's imagination and unpredictable highlights, such as Temple's chilly "Bloodstain" or Badly Drawn Boy's claustrophobic "Nursery Rhyme," as well as the masterstrokes fronted by Richard Ashcroft (a sweeping, neo-symphonic "Lonely Soul") and Thom Yorke (the moody "Rabbit in Your Headlights"). These moments might not add up to an overpowering record, but in some ways Psyence Fiction is something better -- a superstar project that doesn't play it safe and actually has its share of rich, rewarding music.
UNKLE - Psyence Fiction (flac 369mb)
01 Intro (Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death, Pt. 1) 5:04
02 Unkle (Main Title Theme) 3:26
03 Bloodstain 5:58
04 Unreal 5:10
05 Lonely Soul 8:55
06 Getting Ahead In The Lucrative Field Of Artist Management 0:56
07 Nursery Rhyme 4:47
08 Celestial Annihilation 4:47
09 The Knock (Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death, Pt. 2) 3:59
10 Chads 4:43
11 Rabbit In Your Headlight 6:19
12 Outro (Mandatory) 1:07
13 Be There 5.16
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UNKLE's much anticipated follow up to the superb and highly regarded Never Never Land becomes reality through War Stories - which enjoys a slight variation in style when compared to past projects, whilst still maintaining the trademark UNKLE rhythm and style. Weather it's trip-hop, progressive, trace or dance, UNKLE have managed to deliverer cutting edge sound and diversity once again to create an immersive and trippy audio experience. UNKLE full-lengths seem primed to make a major impact on music and culture. They're packed with high concept, dense with thematic elements ripped from the headlines (especially the war in Iraq), and this time out, include an artwork-packed booklet (featuring Massive Attack's Robert del Naja, Ben Drury, and Will Bankhead). War Stories finds the group, a core duo of Lavelle and Richard File, enlisting major production help from Chris Goss. Goss' work with Masters of Reality and Kyuss made the California/Arizona desert a haven for progressive metal, and its influence is all over this record. Fellow desert rat Josh Homme reprises his role from the last UNKLE full length, along with del Naja (as 3D), indie rockers Autolux, English neo-garage band the Duke Spirit, and finally, Ian Astbury (like Lavelle, another Englishman apparently fascinated with the American Southwest). Astbury's vocals on "Burn My Shadow" and "When Things Explode" make for a pair of highlights; they're one of the few points on War Stories when a hint of personality threatens to overwhelm the many tenebrous guitars and gloomy, plaintive vocals. Newcomer Gavin Clark also shines as a stand-in for Jeff Buckley, but amid the many features and incredible dynamism that mark every UNKLE full-length, War Stories is less interesting, less intelligent, and less enjoyable considering the standard we've come to expect from this project. This edition also included a bonus disc with instrumentals.
UNKLE - War Stories (flac 512mb)
01 Untitled 0:22
02 Chemistry 3:22
03 Hold My Hand 4:59
04 Restless 5:05
05 Keys To The Kingdom 4:45
06 Price You Pay 6:23
07 Burn My Shadow 4:57
08 Mayday 3:19
09 Persons & Machinery 6:05
10 Twilight 5:22
11 Morning Rage 5:15
12 Lawless 2:37
13 Broken 4:42
14 When Things Explode 5:20
15 Buying a Lie (feat. Lee Gorton) 4:25
16 Mistress (feat. Alice Temple) Tired of Sleeping 10:51
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UNKLE - War Stories Instrumental (flac 379mb)
01 Hold My Hand 4:59
02 Restless 5:05
03 Keys To The Kingdom 4:45
04 Price You Pay 6:23
05 Burn My Shadow 4:57
06 Mayday 3:19
07 Persons & Machinery 6:05
08 Twilight 5:22
09 Morning Rage 5:15
10 Lawless 2:37
11 Broken 4:42
12 When Things Explode 5:19
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Today's Artist a British musical outfit founded in 1992 by James Lavelle. Originally categorized as trip hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers. . .......N'Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Experimental hip-hop outfit UNKLE were one of the original artists releasing material through noted U.K. label Mo' Wax, which helped launch the mid-'90s instrumental downtempo breakbeat revival eventually termed trip-hop. Though hardly the label's highest-profile group (at least until the long-delayed release of their debut LP in 1998), UNKLE's members included label head James Lavelle, who formed Mo' Wax while still in his teens as an antidote to the increasingly stale acid jazz/Northern soul scene. Stripping the music down to its barest of essentials -- bass, percussion, minimal samples, and heavy effects -- the Mo' Wax sound (best exemplified by the second Mo' Wax label comp, Headz, as well as its sequel, the two-part Headz II) quickly gained respectability and a large audience. Although not as prolific as other Mo' Wax artists such as DJs Shadow and Krush, UNKLE nonetheless played a crucial role in cementing Mo' Wax's early sound through their Time Has Come double EP, which featured remixes of the title track by Plaid, Portishead, and U2 producer Howie B.
The UNKLE trio was comprised of Lavelle, Tim Goldsworthy (a mate of Lavelle's since childhood), and producer Kudo, of seminal Japanese label Major Force. Prior to his entry into production, Lavelle, along with Goldsworthy, was deep into New York hip-hop and electro, the emerging late-'80s Sheffield bleep scene, the English acid jazz scene (which he covered as a columnist for Straight No Chaser magazine), and of course the acid house and techno explosions that were redefining English counterculture at the time. The pair hooked up with third member Kudo through the growing rep of the latter's Love T.K.O. project, whose outbound interpretations of breakbeat and acid jazz drew Lavelle's ear. While Goldsworthy and Kudo remained more heavily involved in nuts 'n' bolts production (especially given the success of Mo' Wax, with the penning of an expansive partial ownership deal with A&M Records in 1996), Lavelle was heavily involved in the conceptual and organizational end, crafting beats and laying out vague sketches his partners then expanded into full-blown tracks.
Despite the scarcity of released material, UNKLE grew to wider acclaim during 1996 through remix projects for Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Tortoise. After Goldsworthy and Kudo were effectively replaced by Mo' Wax bill-payer DJ Shadow, the all-star LP Psyence Fiction finally appeared in 1998. Lavelle replaced Goldsworthy and Kudo by Mo' Wax bill-payer DJ Shadow drafted him in to work on the debut album, and essentially discarded all previously recorded material. Lavelle and Shadow released Psyence Fiction in 1998 to critical acclaim. The album included collaborations with an all-star lineup including Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Kool G Rap, Jason Newsted (Metallica), Badly Drawn Boy and Richard Ashcroft (The Verve). The album was mixed by Shadow's long-time collaborator, producer Jim Abbiss.
Shadow left the group after touring Psyence Fiction and was replaced by turntablist group the Scratch Perverts, who deconstructed the album and performed it live on turntables in 1999. Also in 1999, former producer Rich File remixed the track "Unreal", adding vocals by Ian Brown, and the resulting track was released as the single "Be There". .
Lavelle, amid much work as a DJ, recruited singer/songwriter Richard File for the second UNKLE full-length, 2003's Never, Never, Land. Four years later, Lavelle and File returned with War Stories, including collaborators from the past (Josh Homme) and new associates (Ian Astbury, Chris Goss) to contribute to the heaviest-sounding UNKLE release to date. File departed and was replaced with writer, producer, and longtime Mo' Wax associate Pablo Clements (of Psychonauts). A pair of odds 'n' ends collections, More Stories and End Titles...Stories for Film (both released in 2008), featured old and new material, including music from UNKLE's soundtrack to the documentary Odyssey in Rome. In 2009, the "Heavy Drug" single announced the coming of their organic, band-oriented 2010 album Where Did the Night Fall (Another Night Out). The duo's release schedule picked up once more with the 2013 release of an EP titled Trance Film. UNKLE returned in 2017 with their sixth studio effort, The Road, Vol. 1. The record once again featured a whole host of collaborators such as Mark Lanegan, ESKA, Keaton Henson, and Andrew Innes of Primal Scream.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
With a subtitle referencing Sun Ra and a cover splashed with the bright, abstract figures of old-school graffiti artist Futura 2000, UNKLE's The Time Has Come EP (closer to a mini-album at over 40min in length) is a sprawling bouillabaisse of influences, all impeccably arranged. Hip-hop, funk, and jazz are of course the most obvious, but the soundtracky deviations of ambient, as well as hitting electro-boogie and spy movie theme music (particularly on Portishead's remix) also figure in. Remixes from Plaid and Howie B also make this one of the tastiest, most varied release in the Mo' Wax catalog. A truly great abstract hiphop record.
Berry Meditation sees UNKLE leader James Lavelle exploring a circa-"Nights Interlude" Nightmares on Wax vibe. Though "Berry Meditation" never matches the atmosphere or innovation of "Nights Interlude," the fact that this EP doesn't overstay its welcome through more than 20 minutes of the same general melody and tone is a good sign that Lavelle knew what he was doing in the studio. The original version, track one here, is the most compelling. The song consists of repeated high-pitched synth notes, throbbing bass, and various tweaked electronics. The "Last Ever Mix" starts out lazy and slow, but turns into a shuffling, flanged drum'n'bass excursion. Lavelle piles on sci-fi sound effects, many of them seemingly originating in a plumbing pipe. The "Darker the Berry the Sweeter the Juice Mix," a remix by Attica Blues, wastes a minute on random ambient sounds before breaking down the original song into a minimalist form, punctuated by heavy drums and space-station blippery. Berry Meditation might not be Mo' Wax's finest 20 minutes, but label leader James Lavelle takes tiny steps toward a credible music-making career of his own with the EP.
UNKLE - The Time Has Come + Berry Meditation EP's (flac 350mb)
01 If You Find The Earth Boring (U.N.K.L.E Mix) 14:00
02 If You Find The Earth Boring (Portishead Plays U.N.K.L.E Mix) 4:22
03 If You Find The Earth Boring (Howie B Vs U.N.K.L.E Mix) 10:46
04 Coffeehouse Conversation (Plaid Mix) 5:19
05 Sassafrass (Plaid Mix) 8:11
+
06 Berry Meditation (Original Mix) 7:35
07 Berry Meditation (Last Ever Mix) 7:13
08 Berry Meditation (The Darker The Berry The Sweeter The Juice Mix) 5:22
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
James Lavelle and DJ Shadow are unequal partners in UNKLE, with the former providing the concept and the latter providing music, which naturally overshadows the concept, since the only clear concept -- apart from futuristic sound effects, video-game samples, and merging trip-hop with rock -- is collaborating with a variety of musicians, from superstars to cult favorites Kool G Rap, Alice Temple, and Mark Hollis (who provides uncredited piano on "Chaos"). Since Shadow's prime gift is for instrumentals, the prospect of him collaborating with vocalists is more intriguing than enticing, and Psyence Fiction is appropriately divided between brilliance and failed experiments. Shadow and Lavelle aren't breaking new territory here -- beneath the harder rock edge, full-fledged songs, and occasional melodicism, the album stays on the course Endtroducing... set. Shadow isn't given room to run wild with his soundscapes, and only a couple of cuts, such as the explosive opener, "Guns Blazing," equal the sonic collages of his debut. Initially, that may be a disappointment, but UNKLE gains momentum on repeated listens. Portions of the record still sound a little awkward -- Mike D's contribution suffers primarily from recycled Hello Nasty rhyme schemes -- yet those moments are overshadowed by Shadow's imagination and unpredictable highlights, such as Temple's chilly "Bloodstain" or Badly Drawn Boy's claustrophobic "Nursery Rhyme," as well as the masterstrokes fronted by Richard Ashcroft (a sweeping, neo-symphonic "Lonely Soul") and Thom Yorke (the moody "Rabbit in Your Headlights"). These moments might not add up to an overpowering record, but in some ways Psyence Fiction is something better -- a superstar project that doesn't play it safe and actually has its share of rich, rewarding music.
UNKLE - Psyence Fiction (flac 369mb)
01 Intro (Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death, Pt. 1) 5:04
02 Unkle (Main Title Theme) 3:26
03 Bloodstain 5:58
04 Unreal 5:10
05 Lonely Soul 8:55
06 Getting Ahead In The Lucrative Field Of Artist Management 0:56
07 Nursery Rhyme 4:47
08 Celestial Annihilation 4:47
09 The Knock (Guns Blazing (Drums Of Death, Pt. 2) 3:59
10 Chads 4:43
11 Rabbit In Your Headlight 6:19
12 Outro (Mandatory) 1:07
13 Be There 5.16
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
UNKLE's much anticipated follow up to the superb and highly regarded Never Never Land becomes reality through War Stories - which enjoys a slight variation in style when compared to past projects, whilst still maintaining the trademark UNKLE rhythm and style. Weather it's trip-hop, progressive, trace or dance, UNKLE have managed to deliverer cutting edge sound and diversity once again to create an immersive and trippy audio experience. UNKLE full-lengths seem primed to make a major impact on music and culture. They're packed with high concept, dense with thematic elements ripped from the headlines (especially the war in Iraq), and this time out, include an artwork-packed booklet (featuring Massive Attack's Robert del Naja, Ben Drury, and Will Bankhead). War Stories finds the group, a core duo of Lavelle and Richard File, enlisting major production help from Chris Goss. Goss' work with Masters of Reality and Kyuss made the California/Arizona desert a haven for progressive metal, and its influence is all over this record. Fellow desert rat Josh Homme reprises his role from the last UNKLE full length, along with del Naja (as 3D), indie rockers Autolux, English neo-garage band the Duke Spirit, and finally, Ian Astbury (like Lavelle, another Englishman apparently fascinated with the American Southwest). Astbury's vocals on "Burn My Shadow" and "When Things Explode" make for a pair of highlights; they're one of the few points on War Stories when a hint of personality threatens to overwhelm the many tenebrous guitars and gloomy, plaintive vocals. Newcomer Gavin Clark also shines as a stand-in for Jeff Buckley, but amid the many features and incredible dynamism that mark every UNKLE full-length, War Stories is less interesting, less intelligent, and less enjoyable considering the standard we've come to expect from this project. This edition also included a bonus disc with instrumentals.
UNKLE - War Stories (flac 512mb)
01 Untitled 0:22
02 Chemistry 3:22
03 Hold My Hand 4:59
04 Restless 5:05
05 Keys To The Kingdom 4:45
06 Price You Pay 6:23
07 Burn My Shadow 4:57
08 Mayday 3:19
09 Persons & Machinery 6:05
10 Twilight 5:22
11 Morning Rage 5:15
12 Lawless 2:37
13 Broken 4:42
14 When Things Explode 5:20
15 Buying a Lie (feat. Lee Gorton) 4:25
16 Mistress (feat. Alice Temple) Tired of Sleeping 10:51
xxxxx
UNKLE - War Stories Instrumental (flac 379mb)
01 Hold My Hand 4:59
02 Restless 5:05
03 Keys To The Kingdom 4:45
04 Price You Pay 6:23
05 Burn My Shadow 4:57
06 Mayday 3:19
07 Persons & Machinery 6:05
08 Twilight 5:22
09 Morning Rage 5:15
10 Lawless 2:37
11 Broken 4:42
12 When Things Explode 5:19
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6 comments:
Hallo Rho, Happy New Year and many thanks for the unbelievable variety and diversity of music (and audio- & ebooks) you post. It is an education visiting your blog and never likely to be dull.
I would like to bring an error to your attention as I was slightly confused at the track lists for the 'War Stories' discs, after checking I realised that they are from u-Ziq posts for 'Chewed Corners' and 'Love & Devotion'.
Have a nice weekend and I look forward to future posts!
thanks a lot Rho
you are amazing
Hello Sunmariner thanks for noting my late night slopiness, it's been righted now.
Hello, and thank you very much, another great one that
got lost during a move ... Cheers and happy New year.
Hi Rho,
Please re-up the UNKLE if able. Many thanks,
Dear Rho, due to the increasing hype for the new unkle album rönin, I like to ask you to re-up all your unkles,hehe. I got some albums on vinyl only. Thanks for that:-)
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