Underworld

Originally released in March 1996, Second Toughest In The Infants is Underworld’s masterpiece. Following 1994’s ground breaking predecessor dubnobasswithmyheadman (the record that cemented the band’s reputation as one of the UK’s most important dance acts), Second Toughest… was the point they forged out alone, in turn creating some of the most forward thinking electronic music this country has ever produced. This new release sees the album remastered for the first time and collects together rare singles, remixes and unreleased studio and live tracks.

Digitally remastered, expanded and updated three CD edition of this collection from the British Electronica act. Although they began life as an Electro-Rock quintet in the late '80s, they morphed into a Techno/Electronic duo in the early '90s and ultimately became a driving force in the global Dance music scene. The 1995 single "Born Slippery" was the track that pushed them into public consciousness, where they have remained ever since. Although not the most prolific of bands these days, Underworld refuse to remain stagnant and are constantly changing their musical template, recreating and updating their sound with every release. With that being said, their catalog remains timeless…

In the six years since the release of their merely good effort Barking, electronica veterans Underworld were tied up with big things, like solo projects, Eno collaborations, film scores, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where they were musical directors for the opening ceremony. Take all that into consideration, and this excellent 2016 LP seems more closely linked to its predecessor, and acts like a natural swing-back-into-action after getting the too-busy-/tries-too-hard/return-to-form album out of the way. Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future is also an album longtime fans will instantly embrace, but it's an evolution as well. Bookended with excellent surprises, it opens with a dark, half-tempo track that's got Gary Numan in its veins ("I Exhale") and closes with a masterful work that mashes Kraftwerk, classical music, and the blissful Underworld found on their 1999 album Beaucoup Fish ("Nylon Strung")…