Let your feelings slip, boy, but never your mask.
October 1, 2001 10:10 AM Subscribe
Let your feelings slip, boy, but never your mask. Dirty.org is the online presence of the group Underworld. You can listen to (occasionally live) streamed music, check out their gallery project detailing urban decay, or inquire about a charity dedicated to archiving the traditions of Tibetan Buddhists. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, both members of uber UK design firm tomato, also ask the big question.
there's also a mailing list, the dirty-list, which a friend of mine is on. you can subscribe to it from dirty.org i believe. but underworld's website is probably my favorite as far as band-operated music sites go: it's sleek, professional, and engages you in the things that the group does the way that fan sites rarely can. it's a stark contrast with some other group websites: if you see dj shadow's website, there's no contest.
posted by moz at 2:56 PM on October 1, 2001
posted by moz at 2:56 PM on October 1, 2001
i just noticed spiritualized has a new site up. compare with the old.
posted by kliuless at 3:13 PM on October 1, 2001
posted by kliuless at 3:13 PM on October 1, 2001
i think a site is purposely made consistent with the individual artist or group's style, i mean, dj shadow is low-fi so it'd make sense that he doesn't have a flash site (plus he's much smaller). it also depends on who the artist/group associate with. dirty.org itself wasn't even found until c.1999; you'd think it would have been much sooner.
the way i rationalise it is that anyone who makes music that kick ass and covers as many bases wouldn't just claim web presence with inadequacy.
posted by elle at 3:27 PM on October 1, 2001
the way i rationalise it is that anyone who makes music that kick ass and covers as many bases wouldn't just claim web presence with inadequacy.
posted by elle at 3:27 PM on October 1, 2001
I'm just going to say thank you. As I was clicking on the link just above this one, I noticed the title of this post-- took about 10 seconds for me to catch on and then I came shooting back.
I like a bunch of electronic acts, but no one else comes close to Underworld. Can anyone think of another group that was as consistently good?
posted by yerfatma at 3:55 PM on October 1, 2001
I like a bunch of electronic acts, but no one else comes close to Underworld. Can anyone think of another group that was as consistently good?
posted by yerfatma at 3:55 PM on October 1, 2001
808 State. Altern8. Basement Jaxx. Orbital. Anything by Jack Dangers. Future Sound of London. Jam & Spoon. Leftfield. Lords of Acid. among countless others.
and these are just in a house-type subgenre.
(ok, jd pushes that definition a mite, and i'm not sure how 'old skoool' you'd want to place deepdish. meh. but all good groups.)
posted by fishfucker at 5:55 PM on October 1, 2001
and these are just in a house-type subgenre.
(ok, jd pushes that definition a mite, and i'm not sure how 'old skoool' you'd want to place deepdish. meh. but all good groups.)
posted by fishfucker at 5:55 PM on October 1, 2001
well... i don't agree with all of those, fish. for one thing, orbital and FSOL reinvent themselves too often for me to pin them down. FSOL, in accelerator, were housey; in lifeforms, they were very ambient; in dark cities, they were simply drugged. (though the punk bit at the end of first death in the family was my fave part of that album). orbital's gotten more experimental as they've progressed. leftfield's pretty minimalist, as well, though there's no reason that can't be mixed in with house.
i'm sure we could both go on about this. generally i try to avoid the "this is house, and this is not" argument; mainly the only distinction between house and techno or anything else, in my mind, are the typical beats per minute of the tracks identifiable in either style. in the end, if you can reasonably mix two songs that you like together, it doesn't really matter what sort of songs they are. techno songs have a bpm that is generally unmixable with house (which tends to have a lower bpm than techno), unless you play around with the rpm of the turntable. though i admit the songs i tend to be attracted to are things which you would probably say are house.
basement jaxx is the most housey of all the bands you list, in my mind. daft punk is another excellent example of house in mainstream music, and if you like those two, you might want to check out etienne de crecy's latest album, scratched. if you watch muchmusic, you might be able to catch their video "am i wrong". it's a trip: imagine if the makers of gobliiins from sierra made a video about partially slaughtered cows that watch tv.
posted by moz at 7:02 PM on October 1, 2001
i'm sure we could both go on about this. generally i try to avoid the "this is house, and this is not" argument; mainly the only distinction between house and techno or anything else, in my mind, are the typical beats per minute of the tracks identifiable in either style. in the end, if you can reasonably mix two songs that you like together, it doesn't really matter what sort of songs they are. techno songs have a bpm that is generally unmixable with house (which tends to have a lower bpm than techno), unless you play around with the rpm of the turntable. though i admit the songs i tend to be attracted to are things which you would probably say are house.
basement jaxx is the most housey of all the bands you list, in my mind. daft punk is another excellent example of house in mainstream music, and if you like those two, you might want to check out etienne de crecy's latest album, scratched. if you watch muchmusic, you might be able to catch their video "am i wrong". it's a trip: imagine if the makers of gobliiins from sierra made a video about partially slaughtered cows that watch tv.
posted by moz at 7:02 PM on October 1, 2001
Ok . . .
Jaxx: love. Disappointed in "Rooty," but still some great stuff
Leftfield: like "Leftism." Not sure where to go with that
FSOL: have to agree with moz. If they ever decide who they are, then I'll come back. It's a trap, I know, you like a band/ group/ artist because they're new and different, but then you don't want them to grow away from what you liked
Orbital: not bad
Lords of Acid: eh
808: ok
The rest: I'll have to find out
That's more of what I was getting at: plenty of electronic artists put out good songs, good albums, even a couple of albums, but I can't think of anyone who put out 3 full, solid albums and a great live disc. Massive Attack is the only group that comes close to that consistency.
(guess I won't be trying a bulleted list again any time soon-- or is that just a preview problem?)
posted by yerfatma at 7:28 PM on October 1, 2001
Jaxx: love. Disappointed in "Rooty," but still some great stuff
Leftfield: like "Leftism." Not sure where to go with that
FSOL: have to agree with moz. If they ever decide who they are, then I'll come back. It's a trap, I know, you like a band/ group/ artist because they're new and different, but then you don't want them to grow away from what you liked
Orbital: not bad
Lords of Acid: eh
808: ok
The rest: I'll have to find out
That's more of what I was getting at: plenty of electronic artists put out good songs, good albums, even a couple of albums, but I can't think of anyone who put out 3 full, solid albums and a great live disc. Massive Attack is the only group that comes close to that consistency.
(guess I won't be trying a bulleted list again any time soon-- or is that just a preview problem?)
posted by yerfatma at 7:28 PM on October 1, 2001
you don't like rooty, yer? i thought it was quite good. romeo is nice, jus' 1 kiss is EXCELLENT (i managed to get it on 12", too!), and i also liked get me off, i want u, all i know, crazy girl, and where's your head at.
kiss me on my eyelids
make bad things go away
kiss me on my forehead
make everything ok
hold my head real steady
i don't want you to miss
'cos the remedy for my pain is
just... one... kiss
posted by moz at 8:03 PM on October 1, 2001
kiss me on my eyelids
make bad things go away
kiss me on my forehead
make everything ok
hold my head real steady
i don't want you to miss
'cos the remedy for my pain is
just... one... kiss
posted by moz at 8:03 PM on October 1, 2001
yeah, i'm forced to agree. a lot of that grouping is rather thinly premised -- but these are bands that came to mind when i think of underworld -- er, thus the 'house-type'. right now i must admit i'm rather enamored with electro-comeback which is finally getting a great bit of attention. in this vein, i would recommend dynamix .... (find out about them before your friends do -- or maybe you already have. er.)
everyone loves the lyrical.
posted by fishfucker at 8:37 PM on October 1, 2001
everyone loves the lyrical.
posted by fishfucker at 8:37 PM on October 1, 2001
Lords of... Acid...? Heeeheee...
Don't get me wrong, I like 'em, but I cannot even begin to imagine how anybody would ever take them seriously as "electronica artists."
Can you listen to "I Must Increase My Bust" ('I used to look up to my Auntie Marie / She had big tits hanging down to her knee') or "I Sit On Acid" ('Darling come here / Fuck me up the (bwonk) / Sit on your face (darling) / I want to sit on your face') without cracking up? I mean, really.
posted by kevspace at 9:57 PM on October 1, 2001
Don't get me wrong, I like 'em, but I cannot even begin to imagine how anybody would ever take them seriously as "electronica artists."
Can you listen to "I Must Increase My Bust" ('I used to look up to my Auntie Marie / She had big tits hanging down to her knee') or "I Sit On Acid" ('Darling come here / Fuck me up the (bwonk) / Sit on your face (darling) / I want to sit on your face') without cracking up? I mean, really.
posted by kevspace at 9:57 PM on October 1, 2001
I have to agree about Lords of Acid. It kinda takes away from any musical credibility. That and their samples always seem to come from the used bin.
To clarify-- it's not that I didn't like Rooty (I love "Romeo" too), it's that I didn't think it was as good as the first.
posted by yerfatma at 4:58 AM on October 2, 2001
To clarify-- it's not that I didn't like Rooty (I love "Romeo" too), it's that I didn't think it was as good as the first.
posted by yerfatma at 4:58 AM on October 2, 2001
doesn't make them less serious in my book -- a bit profane, perhaps -- but not less serious. Case in point : DJ Assault.
If fun/taking the piss/etc/etc is not part of "electronica" i have difficulty seeing where aphex twin and squarepusher fit into the picture. most people i know make electronic music to escape the chin-scratchers; not bond with them.
but yeah, i guess loa is not particularly known for their massive uplifting opuses (opii, omnibusses? octopiiii?)?
posted by fishfucker at 11:05 AM on October 2, 2001
If fun/taking the piss/etc/etc is not part of "electronica" i have difficulty seeing where aphex twin and squarepusher fit into the picture. most people i know make electronic music to escape the chin-scratchers; not bond with them.
but yeah, i guess loa is not particularly known for their massive uplifting opuses (opii, omnibusses? octopiiii?)?
posted by fishfucker at 11:05 AM on October 2, 2001
DJ Assault?!
...Mwahahahaha!
I give up, officially. You electronica guys can find genius in everything.
posted by kevspace at 1:22 PM on October 2, 2001
...Mwahahahaha!
I give up, officially. You electronica guys can find genius in everything.
posted by kevspace at 1:22 PM on October 2, 2001
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hard to believe. i still remember when underworld searches on altavista returned like 4 results and all of them had the same picture on the top of the front page.
posted by elle at 2:08 PM on October 1, 2001