UK electronic duo Underworld have put together two different career-spanning anthologies, as Exclaim points out. The first, titled A Collection, is a sparse affair, compiling the group’s radio-edited work with a handful of collaborative tracks. It’s currently available as a digital download on the group’s official site ahead of its physical release on January 23rd.

The second, also available January 23rd, is titled 1992-2012 Anthology. The three-disc effort is a far more exhaustive effort, if not an updated version of  their Anthology 1992-2002, compiling the group’s acclaimed work alongside rare and unreleased material, B-sides, and live tracks. Check out tracklists for both below, along with their video for “Born Slippery”.

As previously reported, Underworld have been tapped to score the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games.

A Collection Tracklist:
01. The First Note – Silent (Edit)
02. Scribble (Edit)
03. Bebop Hurry (Edit)
04. Downpipe (Edit)
05. Crocodile (Edit)
06. To Heal (Edit)
07. Two Months Off (Edit)
08. Jumbo (Edit)
09. Born Slippy (Edit)
10. Dark and Long (Dark Train) 2011 edit
11. Mmm Skyscraper I Love you 2011 edit
12. Pearls Girl (Edit)
13. Cowgirl (Edit)
14. Rez 2011 edit
15. King – Snake (Edit)
16. Moaner (Edit)

1992-2012 Anthology Tracklist:

Disc 1:
01. Big Mouth
02. Mmm Skyscraper I Love You
03. Rez
04. Cowgirl
05. Spikee
06. Dirty Epic
07. Dark and Long (Dark Train)

Disc 2:
01. Born Slippy (Nuxx)
02. Pearls Girl
03. Jumbo
04. 8 Ball
05. Moaner
06. Two Months Off
07. To Heal
08. Crocodile
09. Scribble

Disc 3:
01. The Hump
02. Big Meat Show
03. Minneapolis
04. Why Why Why
05. Oich Oich
06. Second Hand
07. Parc
08. Simple Peal
09. JAL To Tokyo

“Born Slippery”:

UK electro titans Underworld have been hired as musical directors for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, as BBC News reports. The duo of Rick Smith and Karl Hyde will oversee all the music used in the three-hour ceremony, working alongside Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle, who is serving as the artistic director.

Underworld and Boyle are no strangers, having previously teamed up on 2007 film Sunshine and a recent staging of the musical Frankenstein. Boyle also used the duo’s songs to soundtrack 1996′s Trainspotting.

The opening ceremonies are set for July 27th, 2012, while the entire Olympic Games run from the 27th to August 12th. As previously reported, UK rockers Elbow have been tapped by BBC to pen the game’s theme, while Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett will headline a day at the “Cultural Olympiad.”

Debuting a new single on the same day that a lost Daft Punk track premiered doesn’t sound like a good idea, but most artists don’t have High Contrast’s rolodex. “The First Note Is Silent”, the lead single from the UK drum and bass producer’s upcoming fifth LP, features guest spots from two of electronic music’s most popular acts not named Daft Punk — DJ Tiësto and electro warriors Underworld. Give the track a spin below.

High Contrast’s as yet untitled fifth LP is due out next year.

Launched on the sands of South Beach in 1999 by business partners Alex Omes and Russell Faibisch as a Winter Music Conference closing event, Ultra grew into a full-day experience the following year,  then relocated to Miami’s downtown in 2001 to accommodate for the rapidly growing audience. In the mid-2000′s, Ultra fought off the festival challengers Bang and The Global Gathering, and in 2007 added a second day, cultivating an international brand.

In 2010, Ultra far overshadowed the week-long Winter Music Conference, to the tune of 100,000 attendees to a meager 3,763.The festival also solidified itself as a truly international series, hosting UMF events in electronic meccas Brazil and Ibiza. So, it was really not too big a surprise when Ultra 2011 sold out 34 days prior to its March 25^th kickoff.

But Ultra couldn’t roll into its 13^th anniversary without some unfortunate events. The Winter Music Conference decided to move its dates up by two weeks, forcing many participants and some attendees to choose between the two events. And apparently due to a conflict in booking fees, stage selection, and set time, The Swedish House Mafia decided to forgo Ultra in 2011, for their own “Masquerade Motel: One Night Stand”, which drew a sold-out 12,000 member crowd, and coincided with deadmau5′s Saturday headlining slot. And if those weren’t enough obstacles for Ultra’s organizers and promoters, due to construction at the Miami’s Bicentennial Park, the event’s homesite, organizers were forced to pack 200 acts across seven stages, and the expected 150,000 attendees in an area roughly two-thirds that in the past. No one ever implied setting up a massive festival was easy, just ask the folks behind Pemberton, Rothbury, or any of the other fallen US festivals.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Speaking with the Miami New Times days before the launch, co-founder Faibisch seemed undaunted by the challenges. With plans for the first ever Asian UMF event, Faibisch is set on building the diverse global brand from Miami,“Ultra Music Festival is all about the Magic City. We are very committed to keeping Ultra in Downtown Miami.”

So, with the stages up, set-times announced, and day-glow outfits planned, there is really just one remaining question: Can we last three days?

- Derek Staples
News Writer

Friday, March 26th

If you have ever been to Miami, Ultra weekend or otherwise, you already know that South Florida is one massive traffic jam. To make travel even more cumbersome, Miami International Airport suffered a massive fuel fire Thursday morning that canceled over 175 flights, delaying arrival for many attendees until late Friday night or even Saturday afternoon. With an opening day bill featuring Fedde le Grand, Benny Benassi, CSS, Röyksopp, Tiësto, Trentemøller, STS9, and legends Erasure and Duran Duran, the delay was a massive setback for many both domestic and international travelers.

The restructuring of the venue grounds, which has remained fairly constant since 2007, was surprisingly beneficial. While visually toned down slightly, the repositioning of the Main Stage along the southern boundaries of the park allowed for a much better flow of crowd traffic between the smaller house oriented stages on the Northern end – not to mention, given the reduced diameter of the park, it kept the sound from bleeding. What’s more, 2011′s Live Stage, which has been notoriously difficult to reach due to Main Stage crowds in the past, was secluded on a rocky embankment with Biscayne Bay on two sides, maximizing the live acoustics and shaping a more communal experience for attendees that appreciate more hands-on musicianship.

Apart from the additional day, 2011′s most recognizable change was the “two-story” Carl Cox Tent. Taking a few cues from Coachella’s Sahara Stage, the tent doubled in height, held 10,000 attendees, and increased the visuals overhead to create a more comfortable, fan/artist friendly environment.

The restructuring of the venue led to just one major issue: bathroom breaks. Dancing outside in the hot South Florida sun, it is definitely advisable to stay hydrated (especially when ravers brought along their friend Molly), but when attendees had to relieve themselves, waits often lasted longer than 30 minutes due to the bottlenecked placement. This is one problem that must be resolved prior to Ultra 2012, which has already been set for March 23^rd, 24^th, and 25^th.

Similar to Austin’s SXSW, Ultra’s talent flows into the host city’s streets, nightclubs, and anywhere else with a decent sound system. With a few extra pairs of eyes in Miami to assist in coverage, CoS was able to put the proverbial pen down and soak in the parties that kept feet moving, bodies swaying, and eyes dilated until sunrise…of Monday.

Fedde le Grand – Live Stage – 5:20 p.m.

With audiences still making their way into the venue, Fedde le Grand spun a fan-friendly remix-heavy set. Le Grand kept the set slightly toned down, especially compared to his Carl Cox performance on Saturday, but the audience reacted nicely to a remix of Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” which slid effortlessly into “Otherside” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Laurent Garnier – Carl Cox & Friends Tent – 4:00 p.m.

Laurent Garnier embodies the international flair of Ultra. The 45-year-old French tech DJ first began spinning in Manchester, UK, and later fell in love with the Midwest, incorporating both Chicago House and Detroit Techno. With a three-hour long set to debut the newly redesigned Carl Cox tent, Garnier showcased the many sides of house music, keeping the audience moving, but providing ample mid-tempo repetition to keep bodies fresh for the rest of the weekend.

Holy Ghost! – Live Stage – 5:45 p.m

Ultra continued to broaden the lineup outside of traditional DJs in 2011 with an abundance of actual live talent. Holy Ghost!, originally formed by high school friends Nicholas Millhiser and Alexander Frankel out of Brooklyn as a studio only project, are still gelling as a four-piece live collective, but have amplified their energy from earlier LCD Soundsystem opening performances. Not every band with a live drummer and guitarist won over the Ultra crowd, but the live take on nu-disco anthem “Hold On” and “I Will Be Back” changed some minds, and helped add new fans to a quickly growing base.

Benny Benassi – Main Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Similar to Ultra 2010, Benny Bennassi took to the Main Stage with the bright Miami sun still beating down to work the audience into a sweaty, hard house hysteria. The dude is a legend, and sometimes he sticks to closely to his classic beats, but Friday evening Benassi kicked off his set with new bangers “Electroman” and “House Music”. Surprisingly, Benassi tipped his hat to what is next, remixing James Blake’s “Limit To Your Love”. But Benassi must have felt the track was about 40 BPM too slow, because he turned up the dial and knocked the fans with some electro-grime. Unlike the live performers and new acts like Rusko, Boys Noize, Simian Mobile Disco, Kaskade, or the rising masses of Colorado dub DJs, Benassi never really seems to be doing much on the decks. However, when you produce hits like “Satisfaction”, it’s perfectly acceptable to spend time checking texts during your set.

CSS – Live Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Sao Paolo’s CSS might get tired of being sexy, but fans always want a little more. Even with a sparse turnout of possibly about 100 – not enough bloops and bleeps for the typical attendee – singer Lovefoxxx tore through the outfit’s indie-dance staples. As “Jager Yoga” finished up, Lovefoxxx leapt into the crowd, and cracked a joke, politely asking what their favorite alcohol was. The band waited until about half-way into their set to play crowd-favorite “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex”. With the collective rocking, Lovefoxxx shed her leather coat, tore off her pants to reveal a pair of short denims, and rode the onstage lighting fixture – which was apparently as hot as CSS’s set.

Erasure – Main Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Friday night was not a good day for electronic legends. If the turnout for CSS was bad, the attendance for Erasure was almost disrespectful. Ultra has brought in fellow innovators like The Cure and Depeche Mode in the past, but the Main Stage area grew desolate as Andy Bell stepped up to the mic and the legendary Vince Clarke manned the programmer. Even with only a few hundred in attendance, Bell twirled around the stage as if he were performing for thousands. The production lacked some normal Erasure elements like glitter-throwing and multiple costume changes, but the group’s mystique was kept intact with Clarke’s five-piece red suit, Bell’s sequined Union Jack denim jacket and tank top, and the two backup singers resembling 1950′s carhops. Even after 25 years, Bell’s vocals are still amazing, and the flair in which he performs can only be topped by the best of mega-artists. While I try to take an objective view of the Ultra-culture, the lack of a crowd is further proof attendees are often more about the drug induced experience than listening to what the electro-world has to offer.

Röyksopp - Live Stage – 8:20 p.m.

Unlike 75% of the acts at Ultra, the vast majority of Friday’s crowd had never had the opportunity to experience Norway’s Röyksopp live. Whatever is in Norway’s water leads to some crazy creativity, and Röyksopp’s set was nothing less than mesmerizing, both musically and visually. The duo of Svein and Tjorbjor craft electronic mood music, ranging from the darkest of techno to much bouncier electro-pop tunes. In the live setting, the outfit takes fans by the gut and sets out on a visceral trip. The synthed out vocals and eerie costumes create a sense of haunting psychodelia, that they ease away with more easily digestible tracks like the super popular “Remind Me”. Accompanied by vocalist Anneli Drecker, Röyksopp stayed on stage for the one song encore performance of  “Tricky, Tricky”, which originally featured Fever Ray/The Knife’s Karin Andersson. As Drecker delivered the line “I’m about to lose it”, there was a mutual understanding and appreciation across the starry eyed crowd.

Duran Duran – Main Stage – 8:20 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Apparently, the promoters of Ultra missed the memo that live guitars and lyrics are now suitable raver repellant, because the Main Stage was empty for Duran Duran. The band opened with “Hungry Like The Wolf”, which predates roughly 70% of those on hand. The energy wasn’t there from the audience side, but Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and guest vocalist Anna Ross did their damnedest to keep those remaining from the Erasure set energized. Being 25, the set was like a soundtrack of adolescent car rides, with spot-on performances of “Girl Panic”, “Sunrise”, “Girls on Film”, and “Ordinary World”.

Trentemøller - Live Stage – 9:35 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Have you ever had a terrible brain freeze, but your beverage was so amazing that you just couldn’t stop drinking? Well, that is the easiest way to describe Trentemøller’s live performance. To define the sound is daunting – it hides in the dark shadows, and builds through both tribal drum beats and more minimal ambience, with added techno/breakbeat textures and live guitar riffs. At times, four of the five live members would all go at the drum kit at once, sending the track and the audience into a dizzying panic. Other times, it is all about the build, stretching four to the floor beats out for minutes. Trentemøller is not for the faint of heart, but have developed a sound that deserves to be explored by fans across musical genres.

Pendulum – Main Stage – 9:30 p.m.

If Australians are truly descended from the English penal colonies located there in the 19^th century, Pendulum demonstrated that social divide Friday night, finally bringing some energy to the Main Stage following the performances of Erasure and Duran Duran. Pendulum have strayed from their early live drum n’ bass and breakbeat days, into more of a Linkin Park knockoff, but their Ultra set was raw, brutal, and aggressive. In true Ultra style, the visuals brought the spectacle to the next level. With visuals of liquid metal rushing to coat the human skeleton, scorpions killing roaches, and other industrial imagery, Pendulum was striking fans on at least three senses – sight, sound, and due to epic bass, touch. Prior to performing “The Island Part 1”, Rob Swire announced that the track was “made specifically for nights like this.” As Ben Mount delivered the hook, “Left with no reason we come undone”, fans better understood Swire sentiment.

Tiësto

Photo by Craig Yunger

There is very little that hasn’t already been said about Tiësto, the man is truly a God in the field. He plays every mega-club, headlines festivals worldwide, and pretty much plays his signature feel-good dance music each and every year at Ultra. So, it’s best just to watch and enjoy.

(Shout out to Miami New Times for Live Stage video features)

Saturday, March 26th

The organizers of Ultra have never seemed too worried about schedule conflicts, with the sheer number of superstar DJs and growing number of must see live bands, creating a conflict free weekend would be a logistical nightmare. These schedule conflicts are often nullified by the ADHD that sets in upon entering the gate; fans perpetually wondering from stage to stage just to witness who is throwing down the dopest set. Even with the added day, schedule conflicts were abundant on Saturday -  Skrillex vs. Goldie, Boys Noize vs. Moby vs. Skream! And Benga, Cut Copy vs. Rusko vs. Underworld.

Don’t you wish all your problems had such guaranteed amazing outcomes?

Goldie – Tower of Ultra – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

After hosting the house sound of UMF Korea Friday night, The Tower of Ultra was transformed into the home of Euro bass music Saturday evening. Backed with a pair of emcees/professional hype men, Goldie took to the Tower to construct his signature UK jungle and drum n’ bass beats. The emcee’s vocals added an extra layer for listeners to bite into, but sometimes it’s just better to let the bass in the lead.

Afrojack – Main Stage – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

At the age of 23, Dutch DJ Afrojack, born Nick van de Wall, has already earned acclaim worldwide as one of the 20 best DJs. Afrojack molds his own productions, but he excels at remixing popular artists across multiple genres. Clocking in at just over an hour, Afrojack sliced and diced tracks by The Black Eyed Peas, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, David Guetta, and even Imogen Heap with his razor-sharp tech-house tools.

Simian Mobile Disco – Live Stage – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

James Ford and Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco had one of the more noticeable setups of the festival. Known for their analog productions, Ford and Shaw spent the majority of the show with their backs to the audience maneuvering around two large boxes filled with rows upon rows of various knobs and sliders. The duo utilized the device to deliver a mixture of both their earlier more club/electro-house tracks, “It’s the Beat” and “Hustler”, and their current much darker ambient techno productions of Delicacies. The guys are certainly perfecting their buildup, with fans ready to pounce as the duo break into more aggressive BPM.

Telekinetic Walrus – UMF Radio Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Ultra has always been proud to feature new local talent across the multiple smaller stages. Coming out of the University of Miami, Telekinetic Walrus combine electronic, jazz, and funk to make spectacular house party music. Like an updated Parliament Funkadelic with an oboe and some electronics, Telekinetic Walrus know how to start a party.

Kaskade – Main Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Whether in a club of 500 or headlining a festival of several thousand, Kaskade always delivers. Through his recent work with fellow progressive producer deadmau5, Kaskade has quickly moved up the ranks as one of the most in-demand live DJs. Not only for his style, but for the party atmosphere that he brings to the show. Crazy visuals were ongoing over Ultra weekend, but Kaskade went old school, sending out dozens of massive white balloons into the audience as he spun tracks including “I Remember”, The Ting Ting’s “Hands”, and even up and comer Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites”.

Moby – Carl Cox & Friends – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Moby’s fans can virtually be broken down into two camps – those who love Play, and those who have listened to Play but prefer to witness Moby set the radio tracks to the side and just deliver something fresh. Saturday’s performance was for the latter. Sporting a Minor Threat tee, Moby worked his set with the energy of a classic Minor Threat hardcore show. Even as electronic music evolves and new breeds of DJs break new ground, Moby remains relevant through continual innovation and cross over hits. Despite the noticeable grey whiskers of middle age setting in, Moby jumped the UFO shaped stage and worked the room. Bottom line: Moby brings the energy, and he expects the same in return.

Skream! + Benga – Tower of Ultra – 7:00 p.m.

Anyone who has listened to the new Britney Spears album understands that dub has made its way into American popular music; a feat probably not possible without the work of UK’s Skream! + Benga. The duo have been perfecting their dub step styles independently since the early 2000s, transitioning from the much darker birthplace of dub into a more melodically driven sound. That is not to say the two still do not possess the energy of their early dub bangers – going at their set so hard Saturday evening that they actually broke the fader button clean off the mixing board. But the guys are pros, and after a short a capella break lead by Benga, Skream! was back on the knobs seamlessly mixing the smooth melodies over the body rockin’ bass.

Afrobeta – UMF Radio Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Managed by the one of the execs of Ultra, Afrobeta have become the darlings of the UMF festival series. Being from Miami, Afrobeta brought several friends on stage during the set to help produce, add additional vocals, beatbox, or just whistle. They may not be headlining amphitheaters or mega clubs any time too soon, but the electro-pop duo have worked hard to create a unique sound, and an even more engaging live experience.

Cut Copy – Live Stage – 8:25 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Thanks to Rusko setting up at the Tower of Ultra, the Live Stage opened up nicely for the bouncy beats of Cut Copy. Much like their older electro-pop counter parts Duran Duran and Erasure, Cut Copy arrived to Miami a little overdressed, considering Ultra has become nearly clothing optional for females. It is true that the Aussie’s just released the new album, Zonoscope, but the majority of fans remained to catch the more danceable tracks from their sophomore release, In Ghost Colors. New tracks like “Corner of the Sky” were well received, but when the four-piece live beast started playing “Lights and Music” and “Hearts on Fire”, lead singer Dan Whitford’s voice was nearly silenced by the sheer number of fans that knew every word and were more than willing to sing along.

Underworld – Main Stage – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Deadmau5 may have been the official headliner of the Main Stage Saturday night, but fans of the seminal outfit Underworld traveled from countries around the globe to catch their penultimate performance. It’s understandably difficulty for Underworld to travel; they require an entire custom mobile soundboard for each performance. Underworld may only officially be Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, but it takes an entire team of producers, lurking in the shadows, to complete the band’s alternative dance tracks. Underworld started the night with a spot on performance of “Everything, Everything”, and continued to roll out the hits, including “Always Loved a Film”, “Two Months Off”, and, of course, “Born Slippy”. A stream of colorful, trippy, human-form visualizations synergized with Underworld ambient noise to dig deeper into the minds of the massive crowd. For a band called Underworld, they have an ability to pull lift a crowd about themselves into a communal cloud of electronic bliss.

Empire of the Sun – Live Stage – 9:45 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Empire of the Sun are less a band, and more of a musical experience, seemingly produced by Cirque de Soleil. The Australian performers write super catchy songs, too. Just one listen of “We Are the People” and you’ll be humming the hook for the next three days. However, the group also deliver one of the most spectacular live performances today. Multiple costume changes, light guitars, unbelievable backdrops, and Gaga-esque choreography have all become staples of Empire’s live sets. Sometimes amidst all the spectacle of Luke Steele a sense of the duo’s musical abilities can be lost, which is a shame because Nick Littlemore is one hell of a drummer.

Deadmau5 – Main Stage – 10:30 p.m.

Sunday March 27th

Body burned, brain fried, legs numb, keys/phone/wallet missing, friends possibly (and probably arrested), but onto day three.

Just one question: Can you last until the Chems?

Will.I.Am – Main Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Name alone should not place DJs on the Main Stage during Ultra. Will.I.Am is a decent DJ, especially when he is spinning tracks from the Black Eyed Peas, but the same sounds can probably be found at your local club on a busy Saturday night, even if that’s in the middle of Nebraska. Will.I.Am, you have a decent day job, just stick with it!

Steve Aoki – Live Stage – 6:35 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Looking at the draw to the Live Stage for Steve Aoki, and it seems the guy has become the king of the West Coast club banger. Whether working with other electro-heads like the Bloody Beetroots, or just tracking out his own techno remixes, Aoki fires on all cylinders all the time. The dude is perpetually running around the stage hyping the crowd, but always manages to get back to his Mac just as the next beat is about to drop. A note to Ultra: If you get Aoki to return in 2012, can fans see him rolling into dusk just to keep dehydration from all the jumping and dancing to a minimum?

Super Mash Bros. – Tower of Ultra – 6:30 p.m.

With the rise in popularity of Girl Talk, more and more mash-up artists are getting into the spotlight. And as their name implies, the Super Mash Bros. are all about the college-age pleasing mash-ups. Just in the short time spent in the Tower with the Bros., they cycled through Ja Rule, Genesis, Hanson, Lil John, and the East Side Boyz, and most likely a dozen other slightly less recognizable tracks. Unlike Girl Talk, who prefers to have the crowd on stage, the Bros.’ live act more closely resembled 2manyDJs and their video mash-ups montages.

Skrillex – Tower of Ultra – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

LA’s Skrillex was blowing minds all weekend with his own brand of Bass Music. Not grime, dub, dnb, or electro-house, the 23 year-old just does whatever he wants with the low end to keep teeth rattling. Thursday evening, he packed Miami’s Mekka for an afterparty, Saturday saw him packing the Live Stage, and then Sunday gave him a chance to perform a brand new track at the Tower of Ultra.

Crystal Castles – Live Stage – 8:05 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Still hobbled with an injured foot, and without the aid of their normal glaring light show, Crystal Castles could not deliver the full impact of their normal live performances. But the 1,200 mile trip was still pretty worth it. The near strobe-less set kept Ethan Kath and Alice Glass in the dark, with Glass seemingly more timid than usual to approach the crowd with her crutch. The crowd exploded as the intro for “XXXZXCUZX Me” filtered through the stage’s incredible sound system, but without the effects to distract audiences from Glass’s odd delivery style, some tracks just didn’t move the audience as anticipated.

The Glitch Mob – Tower of Ultra – 8:45 p.m.

The Glitch Mob have had the most dramatic shift in soundscapes compared to any other repeat performers at this year’s Ultra. Last year, the trio were still glitch-heavy bodyrocking remixers, but after the release of Drink the Sea, they have shifted to a more rhythmic, flowing production technique. On Sunday, a new breed of the Glitch arrived. Even though fans could not see their new live devices, the trio merged their two worlds, hitting “Animus Vox”, “We Swarm”, and “Fistful of Silence”, among others, with their old-school glitch effects. With inclusion of hip-hop vocals and beats, their sound has started to approach the hyphy movement of the late 90’s in San Francisco.

Beardyman – Live Stage – 9:10 p.m.

Beardyman is in a class all his own. Born Danny Foreman, he has mastered the art of beatboxing and uses the Korg Kaoss Pad 3 to live loop and sample his own vocals. The Briton also has a fondness for weed, speaking on the subject quite often, and sampling classic Bob Marley and other dub and stripped-down dancehall into his set.

MSTRKRFT – Live Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

The duo only seemed to grow more ferocious with their time apart. Sharing a single laptop, and probably three packs of cigarettes, the Canadians just annihilated the packed crowd with their punk-fueled electro-house bangers. JFK and Al-P were relentless, pummeling the crowd with bass, tech effect shrills, and unruly drops. The set seemed absent of any mixes from their previous efforts,The Looks and Fist of God, so make sure to keep an ear to the ground for an upcoming third LP.

The Chemical Brothers – Main Stage – 10:30 p.m.

THE TIME HAS COME! No matter how many times you listen to Exit Planet Dust, Dig Your Own Hole, or the more recent Further, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simmons are going to straight up twist, turn, wreck, and turn your brain upside down. The 90 minute set had a slow build, with the massive Main Stage screen kept off to build a maddening level of suspense, until “Horse Power” dropped and all hell broke loose. There was no emotion or sense that was not somehow touched during the set. The Brothers’ visuals were truly beyond description – the massive scale, vivid colors, and total synchronization were a concert triumph on a level that has yet to be popularized on the US festival circuit. “Hey Boy, Hey Girl”, a track everyone at Ultra should know, sent the audience into a frenzy: glowsticks spinning, heads rocking, bodies bouncing, and voices screaming.

Photo by Craig Yunger

The show just continued to reach new levels of absurdity as each song built on the momentum of the last. Every second of the show seemed perfectly scripted, with seamless transitions for both the audio and the visual aspects of the performance. To separate the two does not seem fitting, as each part was equally important to the show as a whole. The set ended with radio favorites “Brothers Got to Work it Out” and “Block Rockin’ Beats”. Even after almost 30 hours of music, the set pulled every last drop of energy from the crowd, and captured the spirit so well, people would have stayed until the early working hours of Monday morning. Well, enough with the words, just know this…it must be witnessed.
——

Gallery by Craig Yunger

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Other additions include Kaskade, Erick Morillo, the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am., Sasha, Avicii, Fedde Le Grand, ATB, Laidback Luke, Loco Dice, The Glitch Mob, and Scream! & Benga, among others. You can find complete list of confirmed acts at our Ultra Music Festival page on Festival Outlook.

Three-day and VIP are priced at $219.95 and $499.95, respectively, and can be purchased via the festival’s website. A third and final lineup phase will be announced in the coming weeks.

In related news, Swedish House Mafia have unveiled the acts set to perform at their competing party. As previously reported, “The One Night Stand” is a 10-hour party that will take place at the Miami Masquerade Motel on the same Saturday as day two of Ultra. Among the acts set to perform include DJ A-Trak, Armand Van Helden, Calvin Harris, Steve Angello, Dirty South, Axwell, Pete Tong, Kim Fai, Max Vangeli, AN21, Third Party, and Thomas Gold. Tickets are now available via Wanttickets.com.

The best part about a lot of the news that happened over the “break” was that much of it involved artists giving things away for free. M.I.A, jj, Rick Ross, Yeasayer, Klaxons, and Gorillaz all released the fruits of their labor gratis before Radiohead, Trent Reznor, and Muse handed out videos to keep your eyes as stimulated as your ears. To cap it all off, Kanye West — our top artist of 2010 — ended his Twitter hibernation with a slew of delightfully manic Yeezy-tweets that culminated in his New Year’s Eve performance with Jay-Z and Coldplay. Throw in news about Lady Gaga’s new album and fresh tracks from Dr. Dre, Eminem, Beady Eye, Lupe Fiasco, and Bright Eyes, and what you’ve got is proof that 2010 marked the year that we stopped getting days off.

So without further adieu, here are the the biggest stories that you may have missed all rolled into one quick read.  And yes, we did include the “Usher Plagiarizes Homer Simpson” story, too. Happy New Year!

Gorillaz release The Fall

As promised, Gorillaz delivered their iPad-created album, The Fall, as a free stream and/or download (the latter is available only to fan club members) via gorillaz.com. According to the band’s website, the record was written and performed by Damon Albarn and Co. using an iPad and additional instruments: Korg vocoder, ukulele, microKORG, omnichord, Moog Voyager, melodica, guitar, piano, and Korg monotron. Recent collaborators Mick Jones and Paul Simonon add guitar and bass on two tracks, while Bobby Womack sings and plays guitar on track 13, “Bobby in Phoenix”. The entire record was recorded between Montreal and Vancouver over 32 days during the band’s 2010 North American tour.

New Radiohead-authorized concert film

What would Christmas be without a bit of Radiohead?. As you may remember, Thom Yorke and friends played a charity one-off in Los Angeles last January to benefit victims of the Haiti earthquake. You may also remember that attendance was limited to 1,400, which meant you probably didn’t go. However, thanks to a group of dedicated fans, a band-authorized DVD featuring footage from the performance is now available for download.

The collection was put together to further benefit the ravaged country, and not only did Radiohead officially approve the project, but they also chose the charity to which those who download the film are encouraged to donate:  Oxfam. What’s more, Kii Arens, the creator of the original “bandaid” poster for the show, contributed artwork for the DVD.

The DVD’s content features contributions from 14 video tapers and four audio tapers. All 24 songs played that evening are included, and the package can be downloaded as a 2-disc DVD with four alternate audio tracks, as well as a HD 1280×720 mp4 movie. You can find all the necessary links here. Those who download are asked to donate to Oxfam.

Lady Gaga announces new album

Along with a Muppets cameo, Lady Gaga’s world domination will continue into 2011 with the May 23rd release of her third LP, Born This Way. The album’s lead single/title track will be released on February 13th.

The New Year’s news, which was delivered via Twitter, follows Gaga’s initial announcement of the album during the VMAs last September. Many details, including the album’s tracklist and cover art, are still forthcoming, but the pop superstar has been performing a new track called “You and I” during recent live performances. Video evidence below.

In support of the album’s release, Gaga has already mapped out a healthy 2011 tour. Find confirmed dates here.

Klaxons release free EP

Klaxons celebrated Christmas 2010 with the offering of a brand new EP, Landmarks of Lunacy. Arriving only four months after the release of their sophomore effort, Surfing the Void, the EP features five unreleased tracks, which were recorded with Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford during the Surfing the Void sessions in 2008. Stream and/or download the EP’s five tracks here.

jj release Christmas Eve Mixtape

They open their presents early in Sweden, as is evident by this Christmas Eve offering from jj. Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander just unleashed a new mixtape entitled KILLS, featuring samplings of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Dr. Dre, M.I.A., and Biggie. Download it here.

Rick Ross releases new mixtape

If you’re looking for less Swedish dream-pop in your hip-hop, then try Rick Ross’ brand-new mixtape, Ashes to Ashes. The 10-track effort features T.I., Wale, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Ne-Yo, Birdman, and even the late Barry White. Grab the free download here.

Yeasayer release free live album

Dear Wonderful Fans,

To celebrate the close of 2010, your amazing support, and numerous requests, we have decided to unlock the Yeasayer vault and release this live show recorded at the lovely Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. We are letting you, the fans, name the price. See you in 2011.

– Much Love, Yeasayer

Click here to download.

M.I.A. drops New Year’s Eve mixtape

2k10 was not a year to remember for M.I.A., so you can understand why she’s wasting no time in kicking 2k11 off on the right foot. As promised, Miss Maya delivered a New Year’s Eve mixtape, titled Vicki Leekx, and you can grab the 19-track effort as a free download right here. Production credits include Switch, Rusko, Blaqstarr, and ex-BF Diplo. R.I.P. truffle-gate.

Jay-Z, Kanye, & Coldplay celebrate the New Year in Vegas

Because a co-headlining performance by Jay-Z and Coldplay in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve wasn’t ridiculous enough, someone also doled out a ton of money for surprise guests Kanye West, Beyoncé, and John Mayer. (Now you know why Kanye was drunk tweeting from an airplane.)

Check out some clips below, including the first ever live performance of Kanye’s “Homecoming” with Chris Martin. Fucking epic.

Kanye West, Jay-Z, & Chris Martin – “Homecoming”

Kanye West & Jay-Z – “Good Life” + “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”

Kanye West & Jay-Z – “Run This Town”

Kanye West – “Runaway”

Chris Martin & Beyoncé – “Halo”

Coldplay – “Yellow”

Watch: Kanye West’s “Monster” video

For reasons still unknown to everyone but Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘s six-month-long hype machine was put to bed before the album even came out. G.O.O.D. Fridays have ended (minus that unexpected Xmas gift), as has his tweeting. There have been no late-night performances, no new singles released, and his lone public appearance this month was to attend the Lakes game on Christmas with Kim Kardashian’s mother. Consequently, sales of his fifth LP have plummeted since its release. (Our second favorite album of 2010 currently sits at 19 on the Billboard Top 200.)

So, what now? Well, West’s joint collaboration with Jay-Z, aka Watch The Throne, appears to be his number-one priority currently, and rumors of an “All of the Lights” video surfaced a few weeks back. But until then, the best we got is a leaked-yet-unfinished rip of West’s long-awaited “Monster” video, featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj. Justin Vernon couldn’t make it, or Kanye never bothered to finish it. Either way, check out the clip above.

Nine Inch Nails, Muse release pro-shot concert footage

Two of music’s biggest bands gave their fans some pro-shot concert footage for Christmas. Above, you’ll find a HD clip of Nine Inch Nails performing “Somewhat Damaged” during their August 2009 show at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City (via Antiquiet). Below, you’ll find HD clips of Muse performing “Uprising” and “Citizen Erased” during their September 2010 show at Wembley Stadium in London. The Muse videos are also available in a controllable multi-angle format on the band’s website.

“Uprising”

“Citizen Erased”

Watch: Lupe Fiasco – “The Show Goes On”

Lupe Fiasco dropped the music video for our 44th favorite song of 2010 ( Lasers’ first single, “The Show Goes On”). Watch it above, then wish Lupe a happy Kwanzaa.

Watch: Rivers Cuomo covers The Beach Boys

And here’s the reason some odes aren’t threatened with legal action…

Michael Stipe & Patti Smith’s “walk-in performance” at MoMA

While you were watching the Giants’ 4th-quarter collapse to the Eagles, Patti Smith and R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe made a trip to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, where they honored the 100th birthday of French writer/political activist Jean Genet with a “walk-in” performance in the middle of the museum. Stipe opened with a cover of David Bowie’s song about Genet, “The Jean Genie”, before Smith dropped a 20-minute improvisation of Genet’s biography.

Courtesy of the MoMA, you can watch the entire shindig above. Museum director Klaus Biesenbach’s account of the performance is also available at that link and is a must-read. Also, because we’re on the subject of Stipe-Smith collaborations, be sure to check out R.E.M.’s new studio album, Collapse Into Now, when it hits stores on March 9th. The two icons appear together on the album’s final track, “Blue”.

Watch: Beady Eye – “Four Letter Word”

Countless UK publications call Oasis’ 1994 debut, Definitely Maybe, one of the country’s greatest albums. Hell, in a 2006 poll, the album was even ranked ahead of Sgt. Pepper’s and Abbey Road as the best of all time. But according to Liam Gallagher, Different Gear, Still Speeding, the forthcoming debut from his post-Oasis outfit, Beady Eve, is “as good as Definitely Maybe, if not better.” We’ll have to take Liam’s word for it until the album drops February 28, 2011, via Beady Eye Records, but in the meantime, check out its latest single, “Four Letter Word”, in the above video.

Meanwhile, Milwaukee is still waiting for Noel to arrive.

Check Out: Eminem ft. Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, & 50 Cent – “Syllables”

2010 comes to an end with perhaps the most star-powered jam of the year. Below, check out the Eminem, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Stat Quo, and Ca$his-featuring “Syllables”. No word on its origin, but we’re already dreaming of a “Swagga Like Us”-type performance at next year’s Grammys. Too bad our Artist of the Year couldn’t make it.

Dave Grohl, No Doubt, Steven Tyler honor Paul McCartney

Like Springsteen did last year, Paul McCartney made a trip to the Kennedy Center in the first week of December 2k10, where he was honored for “enriching, inspiring, and elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world.” Oprah was of course there, too. And much like how Springsteen was serenaded by a star-studded lineup of performers that included Eddie Vedder, Sir Macca received the royal treatment. A reunited No Doubt, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and songstress Norah Jones, American Idol‘s Steven Tyler (per the request of McCartney himself), and the equally legendary James Taylor and Mavis Staples all paid tribute to the music legend with renditions of his most noteworthy gems.

The shindig took place on December 5th but finally aired on CBS tonight. Above, you can watch No Doubt’s Beatles melody and Grohl and Jones dueting on ”Maybe I’m Amazed”. Below, find Steven Tyler’s Abbey Road tribute, as well as Taylor and Staples’ duet of “Let It Be”.

P.S. Just like Springsteen, McCartney awkwardly sang along. Sensing a trend?

Steven Tyler’s melody + James Taylor & Mavis Staples – “Let It Be”

Check Out: New Bright Eyes - ”Shell Games”

In a recent interview with Billboard, Conor Oberst suggested that his forthcoming Bright Eyes album, The People’s Key, would be a bit more “rocking” than some of his more recent efforts. Now you can hear what he means by streaming the album track “Shell Games” below. The track can also be downloaded here.

The 10-track People’s Key arrives February 15th via Saddle Creek Records. The album’s artwork can be found above and its tracklist below. Those who pre-order via iTunes will receive the non-album bonus track “Singularity”. Opt to send your money to Saddle Creek instead and you’ll earn “Singularity” as well as another bonus track, “In the Real World”.

Welcome back, Bright Eyes.

Flaming Lips to release new songs in every month of 2011

While The Flaming Lips have always had a penchant for turning heads, (remember when they used blood to print tour posters?) frontman Wayne Coyne has revealed that his band – which has released almost 20 albums since 1984 – probably won’t release an album in 2011. Instead, the new year will find the Lips releasing new songs every month while completely capturing the recording process on film.

“We just want to [release the material] some other way,” Coyne, 49, told Rolling Stone, “not that I think the old way was boring, but to spend another two years with the same 13 songs, it’s just like fuck.” While Coyne hasn’t completely ruled out physically releasing material, he says that the band wants to try to live through their music as they create it instead of having it be a collection of the last couple years of their lives.

He doesn’t know what method the Lips will utilize to distribute the material, but Coyne doesn’t seem keen on just releasing a song and video when a song is finished. “The dilemma is whether we’re going to release it on vinyl, cereal boxes, or some of it on toys we make,” he explained. “Sometimes the music is the simplest part of any of these things.” It all sound characteristically crazy, so while Coyne may be brainstorming ideas, it looks like all we’ll have to do in 2011 is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Underworld scores Frankenstein musical

When Underworld and director Danny Boyle decide to collaborate, good things usually result. Case in point: Trainspotting. So it’s understandable why Boyle has again tapped the UK electro legends for a project, this time in the form of his forthcoming Frankenstein musical. Though details remain limited, The Guardian reports that Underworld will be providing a “soundscore” to the adaptation, which is set to debut in London on February 5th, 2011. Tickets for the production are now on sale.

Green Day ready double-disc live set for March

Back in August, Billie Joe Armstrong hinted that Green Day would issue another live album. Now, it’s coming. Titled Awesome as Fuck, the double-disc set will include audio stripped from shows all across the world during the band’s 21st Century Breakdown Tour, in addition to a DVD, which will focus on their two shows in Tokyo, reports Green Day Authority. If you managed to catch their headlining performance at Lollapalooza this past summer, then you’ll know you’re in for a treat. Here’s hoping, however, that the album itself will feature some of the new tracks they sound-checked earlier this year. That’d be swell.

Whatever the case, we’ll be picking this up March 15th.

Damon Albarn to score Children’s film

Given how many other projects Damon Albarn has on his plate, it’s understandable why he may want to put Gorillaz to bed. In addition to his role at the 2012 London Games and rumors of a new Blur album, Albarn is now set to score a short film.

Albarn’s sister, Jessica, recently released a children’s book entitled The Boy In The Oak, and according to The Playlist, plans are already in the works for a star-studded film adaption. Big brother Damon will provide the music, acclaimed actor Jude Law will narrate, and Luke Losey (whose resume includes collaborations with Orbital and Mercury Rev) will serve as director.

The Playlist reports that the story “centers on a young boy who lives in a cottage with a big old oak tree out back. He doesn’t really care about the tree and certainly doesn’t know it is enchanted, but all that changes as the fairies living in the oak are about to cast a spell that will change his life forever.” Sounds pretty cute, and given the talent lining up to bring this one to life, we’re definitely curious.

The film’s official release date is still forthcoming, but screenings are expected to begin in Spring 2011.

Dispatch announces reunion tour

A new year means new reunions, and here’s our first: Vermont outfit Dispatch will reunite next summer for their first U.S. tour in nearly a decade. Though the celebrated trio has played a series of one-offs throughout the 2000s, the six-date leg will mark their first extensive road trip since disbanding in 2002. The fun is set to begin at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, on June 4th, with stops in Chicago, Los Angeles, Harrison, NJ, Atlanta, and Boston to follow.

A fan ticket pre-sale will begin January 21st, with the general on-sale to follow on January 28th. A portion of all proceeds will go towards education programs in local communities.

As an added bonus, Dispatch is offering all four of their studio albums as free digitial downloads to fans who help spread the word about the tour via Twitter and Facebook. Click here for more details.

Dispatch 2011 Tour Dates:
06/04 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks
06/08 – Chicago, IL @ Millennium Park
06/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theare
06/18 – Harrison, NJ @ Red Bull Arena
06/21 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park
06/25 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden

Queens of the Stone Age hit the studio

“Everybody seems excited and ready to go… We’ve got so many ideas started already; I guess we’ll see what turns out to be everybody’s favorite. It’s very much still (Josh Homme’s) band, but I think all of us really feel like we’ve found our space in it and can contribute to it as well.”

Though rumors of a new Queens of the Stone Age album have fit nicely alongside the band’s 2010 reissues, we now have official word that the follow-up to 2007′s Era Vulgaris is indeed on the way. In a new interview with Billboard, guitarist/keyboardist Dean Fertita confirmed that the band will begin recording their sixth LP in January. And 2k11 just got all that much more insane.

Thrill Jockey offers Matt Friedberger subscription

If you’re a bit overwhelmed by The Fiery Furnaces‘ plans to release 10 band-related albums in 2011, then we’re happy to report on a bit of a refuge from the musical storm. If you head over to Thrill Jockey Records, the group’s label, you can order all six albums in Matthew Friedberger‘s Solos series, plus two full-length bonus LPs featuring Friedberger and special guests, on vinyl to be shipped as they’re released. Because copious amounts of rock and roll isn’t worth it without convenience.

This offer, limited to just 700 sets, retails for $70 in the U.S. and is the only way to get each release, as they’re not being sold in record shops and other retailers. (eBay, on the other hand, might be a different story…) The first album, Napoleonette, ships in January and features Friedberger and piano music. After that, you can expect albums in March, May, July, September, and November. No word yet on what the others will be called, but the second LP will feature Friedberger being accompanied by a guitar.

If you can’t wait for your first release, you can always download the track “Shirley” here.

Did Usher plagiarize Homer Simpson?

Decide for yourself.

When Underworld and director Danny Boyle decide to collaborate, good things usually result. Case in point: Trainspotting. So it’s understandable why Boyle has again tapped the UK electro legends for a project, this time in the form of his forthcoming Frankenstein musical. Though details remain limited, The Guardian reports that Underworld will be providing a “soundscore” to the adaptation, which is set to debut in London on February 5th, 2011. Tickets for the production are now on sale.

When you reach David Lynch‘s level, you can basically tap whoever you want for whatever you want. Case in point is a remix EP from the 64-year-old director/artist/musician, which will be released on January 31st via Sunday Best. Along with the previously revealed singles “Good Day Today” and “I Know” (which you can stream below) will be remixes from the likes of Underworld, Basement Jaxx, Boys Noize, Jon Hopkins, Rob da Bank, Sasha, and Skream, among others, reports DIY. The tracks will be available as a 2LP package featuring 180-gram heavyweight vinyl records, exclusive fine art print, hand-signed by Vaughan Oliver, and a CD version of the effort. Pre-orders are now ongoing here.

Meanwhile, Lynch will participate in a Twinterview with The Guardian later today. To ask him a question, tweet @guardianmusic using the hashtag #lynchqa.

“Good Day Today”

“I Know”

Jimmy knows his music, or at least someone on that show does — and he could hardly contain himself as he introduced the British electronic duo last night, calling them “fantastic” and “one of the most influential electronic music groups ever.”

The feeling was mutual, as Karl Hyde begins bouncing at about :24 in this video and continues until the show’s end credits, stopping only to shake Jimmy’s hand after the performance. Jimmy tries to keep up and comes off goofy as usual.

This gig was stripped down and had none of the usual lights and visuals you’d get at an Underworld show, but Hyde’s energy was more than enough to make up for that. Check out “Always Loved a Film” off the band’s latest album Barking below, via The Audio Perv.

The songs on this record could easily translate to the sociological cult that is the electronic music fan base. Overall, they are well-produced, melodic, emotional, and fit for both the small club and a gigantic desert rave. Something just seems lacking, though, within the sonic delivery here. The tracks are indeed reminiscent of some of Underworld’s older work; however, something about the freshness of this record seems illegitimate.

The throbbing opener is called, “Bird 1”, a track that I can imagine playing in elevators once we build office buildings in space. The track never gets overtly exciting, but the drums kick up after awhile, maintaining a monotone but relaxed level. Eventually, extra hooks are added as well, making the track rise but never necessarily climax. A track like “Always Loved a Film”, would do fantastic within a large club or festival circuit. The trance-like keyboards, simplified drumbeat, and chorus chanting out, “Heaven! Can you feel it?!” would easily be a big live hit with an audience. Same with “Scribble”, the first track Underworld made public from this album. “Scribble” just sounds like any raver’s ultimate moment within a dance party to bust out some glowsticks and light-up gloves and do some invisible-orb dance moves. With its sporadic keyboard riffs, tight and fast beat, and extremely poppy hook, it’s only a matter of time until DJs are spinning this one. These are the two highest points on the record.

A song like “Grace” is catchy and pretty trippy, but the track never seems to go anywhere. The lyrics haunt you the entire time, and you wait for something exciting to happen, but it just carries on like that for awhile. The following track, “Between Stars”, sounds pretty cool with its space-conquering style beat almost reminiscent of modern day rockers Empire of the Sun. The song keeps packing on the loops, as the vocals continue to stay diabolical. Eventually, it explodes into a keyboard ensemble, but almost predictably.

Towards the end is a weird track, “Moon in Water”, with a female spitting bizarre and drawling poetry over a simple keyboard riff. It reminds me a bit of the Chemical Brother’s “Asleep From Day”, but it eventually picks up a little more to sound like a 1980′s pop hit. And finally there is “Louisiana,” a five-minute finale mainly played on piano. This is the album’s most emotional moment as eerie keyboard parts play alongside slow and tearful vocals to bring the album to a dark and lulling close.

So what’s my final verdict on this album? I don’t think it’s bad. I did not look at this album in a particularly negative fashion. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily fantastic, either. It’s just good. It’s not the electronic record I would give to my children in 20 years when I’m teaching them about this sector of music, but I wouldn’t necessarily never listen to this record again, either. Overall, it’s a solid electronic listen, if you’re into that sort of thing, but you could probably listen to some older Underworld records and feel much more satisfied.

Underworld 2010 Tour Dates:
10/25 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/27 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroon
10/29 – San Francisco, CA @ Cow Palace
10/30 – San Diego, CA @ 4th & B
10/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine (HARD Haunted Mansion)

For an early taste, please check out the previously unveiled first single “Scribble” here. The album itself is due for release on September 13th in the UK. A US date has not yet been released. Update: A September 14th US release date has been set.

Barking Tracklist:
01. Bird 1
02. Always Loved A Film
03. Scribble
04. Hamburg Hotel
05. Grace
06. Between Stars
07. Diamond Jigsaw
08. Moon In Water
09. Louisiana

Underworld 2010 Tour Dates:
06/12 – Sydney, AU @ We Love Sounds
06/13 – Melbourne, AU @ Winter Sound System
06/14 – Adelaide, AU @ We Love Sounds
07/17 – London, UK @ iTunes Festival *
07/24 – Livorino, IT @ Italia Wave Love Festival
08/06 – Saalburg, DE @ Sonne Mond Sterne Festival
08/27 – Paris, FR @ Rock En Seine
08/28 – Zurich, CH @ Zurich Open Air

* = w/ Kele

The song, which is titled “Scripple” and marks the band’s first new music in two and a half years, is described as a “gene-splice between Yellow Magic Orchestra and Grooverider blasting out over the dancefloor at Fabric on a Friday night.” Welsh drum and bass DJ Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast, produced the song.

Currently, you can download the “short” version of “Scribble” at underworldlive.com. Be aware, however, you have to be registered in order to download. The free download will be available for one week, after which you’ll have purchase a high-quality mp3 or WAV version here. BBC Radio One’s Pete Tong will exclusively air the long version of “Scribble” on Friday, between 9 and 11pm UK time.

Or, if you want a simpler solution, just head on over the the Hype Machine, where the song is currently available for streaming. On first listen, the music really doesn’t sound like a bunch of scribbles. Go figure.

Update: Underworld has also released a video for the song. Check it out below.

The opener is Alice Coltrane’s “Journey in Satchidananda”, a piece where the bass line take’s Ron Burgundy’s advice and goes for a walk, on top of a Middle Eastern drone and a horn line that takes you to your “peaceful place.” This song belongs in a yoga class more than it does on an Underworld record, but this is the type of notion that makes a listener feel like an arrogant douchebag. This is talent, whether it’s your style or not, and that pretty much sums it up for everything else on this album. The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “You Know You Know” follows with an opening that reminds one more of Modest Mouse than it would a jazz ensemble.  Eventually, though, a jazzy keyboard accompanies the Marr-esque riff and keeps the tune splashy and classy.

“2HB” by Roxy Music is a gem of a tune, with beautiful vocals over a very congested sounding keyboard. “Oh I was moved by your screen dream/Celluloid pictures of living,” the lyrics croon at the beginning. And then lyrical imagery of the jazz scene as one can truly (and stereotypically) imagine it, “Take two people romantic/Smoky nightclub situation.” The bass gets even groovier on Moodymann’s “Rectify”, a seductive number with a voice whispering the title of the song and a smooth talking set of lyrics accompanying this funky bass and drum piece.

Underworld’s track “Oh”, from the A Life Less Ordinary soundtrack, brings you back to the thumping techno that you are used to hearing from the band. The clicking drums and adrenaline pumping synthesizers weave together with a jazzy saxophone riff to keep the cross-genre theme intact. Truly, Underworld has created something far more unique and exciting than just another dance record. Miroslav Vitous’s “New York City” is a porno-style groove that makes me think Shaft is going to save the day at any second. The bass sounds so funky and freshly retro that it could get anyone to start grooving to the beat. This music isn’t just well composed, it’s fucking exciting. The final number is “Beebop Hurry”, a duet between Underworld member Karl Hyde and Brian Eno, with a creepy synthesizer riff accompanied by dire sounding lyrics that make my hair stand on end as this collective jazz experiment comes to a close.

This album is certainly very unique. The fact that Underworld wanted to show the world they’re made of something more than space age electronicore and that they understand the meaning of truly complex composition is refreshing. We’re in an age of music where influences bleed together like chemicals within the atmosphere, and Underworld are only further proving that on this record. If you have an appreciation for grooving under the stars to DJs, you might enjoy this record. And if you have an appreciation for Blue Note and intelligence, you might also enjoy this record.

For all the festival lineup announcements made every year, no one is more exciting than that of Coachella‘s. This time tomorrow, we’ll know who will be alive and kicking this Summer, which acts from our wishlists earned themselves a trip to Indio this April 16-18, and which acts were nothing more than unfulfilled hopes and dreams. It’s a day of anticipation, joy, disappointment, and, most of all, a lack of sleep. Yep, a festival fan’s Christmas is here — it’s Coachella announcement day!

In mere hours, the lineup for the 2010 edition of the Coachella Music Festival will be unveiled for all to see. As we mentioned on Friday, the lineup will be released on KROQ radio tomorrow morning, but, based on the past history, expect a leak sometime after Midnight PST. We’ll of course have it for you as soon as it shows itself.

As for the latest pre-announcement buzz, according to several sources with knowledge of the festival’s plans, Muse will kick things off on Friday, Jay-Z will indeed be Saturday’s headliner, and Gorillaz will close out the festival on Sunday. Faith No More, Vampire Weekend, and Wilco are likely to be the major highlights, while Pavement and Soundgarden remain distinct possibilities to serve as this year’s reunited acts.

As for the some other names we expect to appear, these include:

Aeroplane, As Tall As Lions, Beach House, The Big Pink, Camera Obscura, Caravan Palace, Corinne Bailey Rae, Craze & Klever, Deerhunter, Devo, El Gran Silencio, Hockey, Hot Chip, Iglu & Hartly, Kevin Devine, LCD Soundsystem, Mayer Hawthrone, Miike Snow, Passion Pit, Phoenix, Porcupine Tree, The Raveonettes, Spoon, The xx, Yeasayer, Zoe

On the rumor front, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and the electro outfit Orbital are two biggest names that could end up finding spots on the bill. The rest of the current rumors include:

The Avett Brothers, Bassnectar, Beastie Boys, Cornelius, The Cribs, The Dead Weather, Dirty Projectors, Echo & the Bunnymen, Imogen Heap, Major Lazer, Mew, Pretty Lights, RX Bandits, She & Him, Tiesto, Treasure Fingers, Underworld

We’ll provide updates on this post throughout the evening if and when any information becomes available. Also please feel free to use it to post any hopes, dreams, gripes, wishlists, and predictions. Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild night!

“The overall mood is jazz and improvisation,” they digressed to Resident Advisor (RA). “There is very little playing in a lot of people’s records in the dance and DJ world these days, but one thing Underworld have always liked is musicianship. It doesn’t stop us loving machine music and house music and everything that goes with it, but the idea with this album was to highlight records we liked that we thought had great live playing on them.”

Fans can expect tracks that cull from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Osunlade, Moodymann, Alice Coltrane, Squarepusher, The Soft Machine, Laurent Garnier, and even a collaboration between Brian Eno and Hyde himself. The two worked on the track, as RA summarizes, “during Eno’s residency at Sydney’s Opera House earlier this year, “Beebop Hurry” features Hyde performing one of his trademark stream-of-consciousness raps over loose beats and live synths.”

If that weren’t enough, RA has done some keen detective work regarding the Athens title. Turns out, the name comes from a piece of Hyde’s artwork, which will also serve as sleeve art. Though, RA digs deeper and insists the title is a throwback to Underworld vs The Misterons, which as they write, “suggests that regular instrumentalist Darren Price and Junior Boys Own co-founder Steven Hall had a hand in the project.”

Let’s just be happy November 23rd is right around the corner. In the meantime, we can always spin that Trainspotting album.

Iggy Pop – “Lust for Life”

Trainspotting’s companion soundtracks, Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture and Trainspotting #2: Music from the Motion Picture, Vol. #2, represent a film that contains both great and essential music to complete the movie going experience. Too often in movies we get treated to songs playing over scenes because they hit number three on the Billboard charts that year. With the Trainspotting soundtracks, each song is carefully chosen by director Danny Boyle to enhance the action on the screen. In Boyle’s film, the music serves the film and not the other way around.

After the punk highs of “Lust for Life”, we are treated to the classical music of Georges Bizet’s “Carmen Suite No. 2” and an instructional montage of how to quit drugs. This contrasts nicely with the opening song, acting as a comedown from “Lust”’s high. Renton tries to stay down completely during this sequence, but the classical music does not befit his nature. Before we know it, Renton has entered “The Worst Toilet in Scotland”.

Thanks to Brian Eno’s instrumental, “Deep Blue Day”, we finally have our anthem for when we magically dive into filthy toilets to retrieve our drug suppositories. Once Renton dives in, the color changes to that of a deep blue, and quite beautiful. The tranquil music represents what clicks in Renton’s mind when he has his drug, no matter what disgusting methods it takes to get them. He is ready to go sober, so of course he goes to the number one place where no drugs would ever be found: a nightclub.

Two songs are played during the club sequence. The first is “Temptation” by Heaven 17, setting the mood for the evening. While his friends have partners ready and willing, Renton is looking for a tempting woman to bed down with for the night. As Sleeper’s cover of Blondie’s “Atomic” begins, Renton finds his girl. The song’s repeated lines of “Make me tonight” complete the picture, as Renton and his other friends are shown in various stages of sex.

The next morning, Boyle’s choice of New Order’s “Temptation” is interesting. It’s a completely different song from Heaven 17’s “Temptation”, but plays in the background as Renton finds out Diane is underage. In this scene, there is a different song of the same title for a different view of the same girl. Choosing this new wave song to play while Diane’s middle-aged parents eat breakfast in silence is bizarre. It makes an uncomfortable situation that much stranger, as things stop making sense for Renton.

The music of Iggy Pop returns as “Nightclubbing” appears, though there is not a nightclub to be seen throughout its appearance in the film. During this montage, the boys are back on heroin, their lives a jumbled mess:

Nightclubbing we’re nightclubbing
We’re walking through town
Nightclubbing we’re nightclubbing
We walk like a ghost

With the random lyrics and its repeated drum machine beat, “Nightclubbing” best suits the rinse-and-repeat troubles the characters of the film are constantly getting into. At long last, their mischief catches up to them.

There is no music playing as the group discovers the dead baby of a fellow junkie. After this incident, the boys continue to steal money for drugs, and eventually Renton and Spud are arrested. Blur’s “Sing” appears, its lyrics foreshadowing the eerie withdrawal nightmare to come:

If the child in your head
If the child is dead
Sing to me
Sing to me

Renton avoids jail, but quickly relapses and overdoses. As a song, Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” is the exact opposite way to describe the situation, as Renton is unceremoniously dumped into a taxi cab by their drug dealer, to live or die on his own. Its final words transition perfectly into Renton’s cold turkey experience: “You’re going to reap just what you sow.”

Trainspotting’s extended dream sequence is a classic. Renton is confined to his room, unable to move from his bed, as the sins of his past catch up to him. He has nowhere to run as the soundtrack to his nightmare plays on, Underworld’s “Dark and Long (Dark Train)”. The pulsating beats batter Renton down as the dead baby crawls along the wall towards him, his parents fear he has AIDS, Begbie puts him down, and his friend Tommy, once clean, appears to him as a disease-raddled junkie.

Underworld – “Dark and Long (Dark Train)”

All of this seems to convince Renton to straighten his act, leave town, and “Think About the Way”, as the Frisco Vs. Ice MC song suggests. You know you’re dealing with a dark film when its conscience is through the suggestions of a promiscuous, under aged school girl in Diane.

But Renton can’t escape for too long. Begbie becomes an unwanted roommate, with Sick Boy moving in shortly thereafter. Pulp’s “Mile End” best describes the new roommates’ predicament, with cries of, “We didn’t have nowhere to live/We didn’t have nowhere to go.” Renton soon finds himself back home, and discovers Tommy has died.

Two songs dominate the funeral proceedings. “Hertzlich Tut Mich Verlangan”, which translates to “My Heart is Filled With Longing”, is played during the service, and Spud sings “Two Little Boys” at a pub afterwards to bring the translation home:

Did you think I would leave you crying
When there’s room on my horse for two
Climb up here [Tommy] and don’t be crying
I can go just as fast with two
When we grow up we’ll both be soldiers
And our horses will not be toys
And I wonder if we’ll remember
When we were two little boys

Tommy was the last to succumb to the temptations of heroin, yet the first to fall. Again, despite the tragedy, Renton falls once more to the drug. He says, of course, it’s to try out a drug before a drug deal, and Leftfield’s “A Final Hit” plays to support this claim. After the drug deal, Sleeper’s “Statuesque” appears to represent how the four surviving friends feel after the success of said deal.

The morning after the exchange, Renton betrays his friends and leaves with thousands of pounds. Underworld’s “Born Slippy” appears, the title representing who Renton is and always will be, the beat serving as the music in his head for his “triumphant” march down the sidewalk. He claims he will change, be just like you and me, but has anything we’ve seen in the film indicate he is telling the truth? I never read Porno.

Underworld – “Born Slippy .NUXX”

In addition to its music being placed at perfect points in a classic film, the soundtracks to Trainspotting also gave an opportunity for younger audiences to become familiar with many different bands. This was an age before iTunes and before the widespread use of the internet. Trainspotting gave us Iggy Pop, New Order, Blur, Lou Reed, Underworld, and other bands not found in heavy rotation on FM radio or MTV at the time.

Some of us were happily content with the soundtracks, while others wanted to hear more from these artists. It is with those results that both Trainspotting and Trainspotting #2 succeed. So choose life, choose a job, choose a career, choose Trainspotting.*

* The soundtracks. Not the act of, you know, spotting trains and what not.

Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture Tracklist:
01. “Lust for Life” – Iggy Pop
02. “Deep Blue Day” – Brian Eno
03. “Trainspotting” – Primal Scream
04. “Atomic” – Sleeper
05. “Temptation” – New Order
06. “Nightclubbing” – Iggy Pop
07. “Sing” – Blur
08. “Perfect Day” – Lou Reed
09. “Mile End” – Pulp
10. “For What You Dream Of” (Full-on Renaissance Mix) – Bedrock featuring KYO
11. “2:1″ – Elastica
12. “A Final Hit” – Leftfield
13. “Born Slippy .NUXX” – Underworld
14. “Closet Romantic” – Damon Albarn

Trainspotting #2: Music from the Motion Picture, Vol. #2 Tracklist:
01. “Choose Life” – PF Project
02. “The Passenger” – Iggy Pop
03. “Dark & Long (Dark Train)” – Underworld
04. “Carmen Suite No.2″ – Georges Bizet
05. “Statuesque” – Sleeper
06. “Golden Years” – David Bowie
07. “Think about the Way” – Ice MC
08. “A Final Hit” – Leftfield
09. “Temptation” – Heaven 17
10. “Nightclubbing (Baby Doc Remix)” – Iggy Pop
11. “Our Lips Are Sealed” – Fun Boy Three
12. “Come Together” – Primal Scream
13. “Atmosphere” – Joy Division
14. “Inner City Life” – Goldie
15. “Born Slippy .NUXX” (Darren Price Mix) – Underworld

Centered around the band’s upcoming headlining appearance at this summer’s HARD Summer Festival, the duo of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith will embark on a five-date North American tour beginning August 6th in Las Vegas. Following said festival appearance and a date in San Francisco, Underworld heads east for two Canadian stops in Montreal and Toronto. And after that, well, that’s it for now, though there is a certain Baltimore music festival that often features its share of electro acts and often takes place around that time that has yet-to-announce it’s 2009 lineup, so you never know…

Underworld 2009 Tour Dates:
07/03 – Montreux, CH @ Montreux Jazz Festival
07/05 – Frankfurt, DE @ Love Family Park
07/06 – Hardec Kralove, CZ @ Rock for People Festival
07/09 – Zamardi, HU @ Balaton Sound Festival
07/11 – Milan, IT @ Traffic Festival
07/19 – Winchester, UK @ Glade Festival
08/06 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
08/07 – San Francisco, CA @ Fox Oakland Theater
08/08 – Los Angeles, CA @ HARD Summer Festival
08/11 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
08/12 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis