Having shared their new single ‘and the colour red’ in April this year which has clocked up over a million streams and counting, Rick Smith and Karl Hyde have been continuing to bring joy to fans across the world with their esteemed live show. Recent notable appearances include a sold out Royal Albert Hall in London, a crowd-rousing Coachella set in Palm Springs, a headline slot at electronic music festival Junction 2 in London and an exultant visual and aural experience for when they topped the bill at Lowlands festival in the Netherlands. The rest of 2023 will see them return to the US in September for festival appearances at San Diego’s CRSSD and San Francisco’s Portola with a hotly anticipated show in between at The Shrine in LA (with special guest Kelly Lee Owens).
Amongst this busy live schedule, Underworld have also carved out time to focus on their creativity in the studio and today present a previously unheard iteration of their acclaimed sound, one they have been synonymous with for over three decades. ‘denver luna’ (acapella) is a departure from their universally recognised sound and an intimate insight into Karl’s mind as his stream of consciousness vocal becomes the music. Rick and Karl’s choral escapade flows in peaks and troughs in an almost gospel chant as the layers of harmony wash over you. Cleverly, and due in part to Underworld’s impact on British culture over the years, even without the recognisable driving basslines and beats, your brain fills in the gaps and allows ‘denver luna’ become classic Underworld, whilst being fresh and innovative.