Underworld “Crocodile” Oblivion with Bells ATO 2007

London’s Underworld are one of those groups of which the intensity of my fandom has no logical explanation. Like many with similarly-receptive ears back in the mid-’90s, Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994) and Second Toughest in the Infants (1996) were nothing short of revelatory, and by the time of Beaucoup Fish (1999), I hardly gave a second thought to rabidly acquiring anything with the band’s name on it: singles, DVDs, 12″ remixes, t-shirts, whatever. Underworld reached irrelevancy sometime prior to the release of A Hundred Days Off (2002), a few years after Darren Emerson had left the group, leaving Karl Hyde and Rick Smith remaining. Didn’t matter, as I remember devouring that record for months with a fervency unlike anything else at the time. By then, my fingers had long abandoned the pulse of electronic music, but I continued to satiate my thirst for All Things Underworld by purchasing downloadable bundles from their site that the duo would release every few months or so. Oblivion with Bells (2007) dropped last week to a typically mild reception for a mid-’90s electronic act still releasing music, and though my initial response to it has been a curious neutrality, my instinct tells me that I should brace myself for an upcoming bout of obsession with it.

Oblivion with Bells adheres to the pacing and stylistic pinballing that characterized Underworld’s past two full-lengths: a few floor-shakers for the Ibiza crowd, brief ambient interludes, forays into thick dub, and drum-heavy, mid-tempo experimentation. First single “Crocodile” opens the record with an understated fanfare, layers of gray arpeggiated chords stacked upon one another that decay as the 4/4 kick enters. The rhythm and bass begin to build in complexity and syncopation when Hyde’s voice appears suddenly, doused with the same vocoder effect found on “Cups” eight years ago. Smith weaves echoing, bell-like synth tones into the fabric of the mix, the bass reaches a level of numbing hypnotism, and Hyde picks out a delayed one-note guitar pattern. If all of this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same formula that the group have been employing for nearly fifteen years now, a surefire method of moving a mass of bodies in as little time as possible – and if it ain’t broke, right? Underworld seem to have no interest in redefining dance music for the new millennium – hell, Hyde and Smith are both nearing 50 – but years after creating the template for thousands of electronic acts, there’s a warm comfort in hearing them sound as soulful and elegant as they’ve always been.

“Crocodile” – Underworld 6:30 (Oblivion with Bells, ATO 2007)