Wonky Disco can proudly reveal that our next guest to grace the Arts Institute stage will be local electronica wizard Underpass – launching his debut album ‘Disorienteering’ on Thursday 14th January (http://underpass.org.uk). As well as a live set from the man himself, we’ll be welcoming Carl ‘C++’ Morris, who will no-doubt be playing you records you dont yet know you want…
An interview with Underpass is coming after Christmas, as well as an exclusive Underpass Wonky Disco mix to celebrate the album launch. Oh, and there’ll be live visuals on the night. Result!
Up for your downloading pleasure now, my mix for Adam Walton’s show on Radio Wales.
25 minutes of electronic brilliance…and one of my songs as well. Click here to download
(PC users right click, and select “save target as”/Mac users, ctrl click and select “save linked file as”)
Quotes about this album: “profoundly and spectacularly GREAT” Adam Walton, BBC Radio Wales “a joy to listen to… an excellent package in every sense.” Kruger Magazine
The debut album from Underpass, entitled Disorienteering, will seep into stores this January.
Neatly wrapping up recent productions, it is equal parts glitchy hip-hop, electronica and guitar scapes. In other words, it’s the gentler side of his output last heard on his Variable Architecture EP in 2006.
“Channel Zero” has already impressed with its slinky guitar lines and crunched ambience as the online video crept out and netted the track plays from the likes of Bethan Elfyn on BBC Radio One and Adam Walton on BBC Radio Wales. Look out for the next video, “Leigh Delamere”, part two of a visual triptych that accompanies the album. Like the music, it hints at a fixation with place, space, transportation and urban sprawl.
Elsewhere, “Sorry To Meet You” keeps the tone subdued with its stuttering edits and shadowy vocoder, while tracks like “Security” and “Wapping” plunge into heavier glitchy hip-hop territory. Away from the electronics, “This Connectivity” stretches and builds a wall of distorted and delayed guitars.
The album has given Underpass a chance to work with some of his favourite peers, crafting the track “Hold Your Dreams In” with long time friend Rhodri Viney, himself a chameleonic musician and vocalist. The artwork and packaging were designed by artist Hannah Biscombe, whose work you may have seen exhibited on the London Underground.
As a youth, Lee Marshall began his musical adventures in a break from the claustrophobia of a dull suburb – by forming a series of guitar-led punk bands. This was roughly the time when creating your own scene was, for him, the only viable option. He continued to apply that ethos while graduating to his latter day work as Underpass, using his own Urban Planning Records label to hold analogue and digital mindsets in tension.
Underpass continues to do remixes and productions for the dancefloor, showing his versatility as a producer. These have included a forthcoming remix of bleep pioneers Unique 3 for Mutate Records, and other tracks for the label that need to stay comfortably under wraps for now.
These days, he always uses the name Underpass. Indeed, those who know him for his bass-heavy club material might find the musicality of this album a surprise. In the words of the man himself, “This album has been a while in the making. It made sense to offer like-minded tracks together. While the music I make doesn’t always fit neatly into little genres, it’s all me.”
Tracklist:
1. Micronesia [3:41]
2. Security [4:19]
3. A Life More Meaningful [4:20]
4. Wapping [4:45]
5. Channel Zero [4:51]
6. Fingers and Thumbs [3:37]
7. This Connectivity [4:19]
8. Leigh Delamere [4:41]
9. Electric Legoland [5:23]
10. Zombies Ate My Sadness [4:28] (featuring Rhodri Viney)
11. Sorry To Meet You [4:56]
12. Twenty Eight Days [4:04]
13. A Song For Edna [3:21]
14. Hold Your Dreams In [5:49] (featuring Rhodri Viney)
The C.D. is available to buy now, before the official release in January as a thankyou to loyal fans, who’ve suppoted me and kept up with the website and Facebook.
The second video from the album Disorienteering, produced by S. Hamer and Underpass.
Just as the last video dropped you into Cardiff at night, this one takes you to the other side of the world we see around us, the natural, peaceful side of living in a country like Wales.
Digital downloads of the album will be available by December, though hopefully earlier.
The c.d copies have gone off to the pressing plant, complete with stunning art from Hannah Biscombe and are getting pressed as we speak…well, type…
They’ll be available from here, and good record stores by January 2010. A couple of months left to wait, but they will be well worth it when you see how nice the sleeve has come out. Worth the extra work and a bit of extra wait.
A look at what you’ll be getting when the c.d. drops. Part of the awesome design by the very talented Hannah Biscombe.
Check her out at http://www.facebook.com/hannahbiscombephotograms
The album will be available as a download from 5.11.09 and fingers crossed the c.d’s shouldn’t be far behind.
It’s so worth waiting for the cd.
I’m proud to announce I’ll be appearing at Cardiff’s superb Swn Festival http://swnfest.co.uk/site/
with Minotaur Shock and the mighty Acid Casuals on Saturday 24th October, in the Toucan Club http://www.toucancardiff.co.uk/
Toucan Club
Acid Casuals (DJ Set) (11.00pm-1.00am)
Underpass (10.00pm-10.30pm)
Minotaur Shock (9.00pm-9.30pm)
Anchorsong (8.00pm-8.30pm)
Huw M (7.00pm-7.30pm)
Gwenno (6.00pm-6.30pm)
Lawnsiad Nofel Newydd Llwyd Owen (4.00pm-5.00pm)
PRS Foundation Seminar (5.00pm-6.00pm)
Fanzine Workshop (12.30pm-2.30pm)
Welsh Music Foundation Seminars (12.30pm-1.30pm / 2.00pm-3.00pm / 3.30pm-4.30pm)
I’ll be playing tracks from the forthcoming “Disorienteering” album, this will be the first time they’ve been played out anywhere, and if all goes well I may even have some special guests joining me.
Swn Festival began in 2007 when Radio 1 dj Huw Stephens and promoter John Rostron decided to start their own multi venue festival in Cardiff City Centre. Over a hundred bands and DJs played including Beirut, The Cribs, Edwyn Collins, Sky Larkin, Two Gallants, Yeasayer, Kotki Dwa, The Duke Spirit, The Bobby McGees, David Homes, Annie Mac, Eugene McGuinness, Sons and Daughters, Steve Lamacq, Cassius, Shrag, Those Dancing Days, Bass Clef, Loefah, Black Lips, Bobby Conn, The Duloks, Mr Huw, Pagan Wanderer Lu, The Gentle Good, The School, 9bach, Sam Isaac and Pony Up.
In 2008 Swn attracted even more people to Wales’ largest new music festival, and added two full days of seminars, including Scouting for girls dicussing their rise to popularity. Over close to 150 bands and djs played, including Young Marble Giants, Joy Formidable, Attack and Defend, Euros Childs, The Peth, Clinic, Pete and the Pirates, The Chapman Family, Rolo Tomassi, Clare Maguire,Casio Kids, Golden Silvers, Micachu and the Shapes, James Yuill, Richard James, Rob da Bank, Goldie Lookin Chain, High Contrast, Genod Droog, Alex Dingley, Derwyddon Dr Gonzo, Legowelt, The Muscle Club, Skatar, The Big Pink, It Hugs Back, Cats in Paris, Thomas Tantrum, Volcano!, Das Wanderlust, John Head, King Cannibal, Gwyneth Glyn, Y Diwygiad, Pixel h8, Future of the Left, Agoskodo Teliverek, Amazing Baby, Flashguns, Peggy Sue, Stephen Fretwell, Broken Records, Skinnymand and Colorama.
Swn continues to grow with this years festival which promises to be even bigger and better than before!
A video made by myself and Steven Hamer to announce the release of the debut Underpass album “Disorienteering”.
14 Tracks of low slung glitchy hip hop tinged electronica.
Celebrate with us at Undertone Basement on SATURDAY JUNE 20th with special guest, Dj Benetti!
Almost a whole year ago, a mysterious new club night called Disco Nectar emerged on the Cardiff scene bringing Clone records star Orgue Electronique to the unexpected venue of a pub function room in the city centre where scenes of uncontrollable jackin’ ensued. He was followed by a string of other exciting guest Djs and artists such as Syntheme (Planet Mu), Legowelt, Dj Guy, Placid, Joe Hart and a quality acts from the South Wales scene namely Orcop, Valley Lines and the Access Tonal Communications collective. Now a monthly night at Underone Basement, Disco Nectar celebrates its first birthday with an Italo Disco special brought to you by DJ Benetti.
Dj Benetti:
William Bennett, of Experimental Noise band Whitehouse, joins us under his Disco moniker. Expect Giorgio Moroder-esque space synths, New Wave electronic drums and irresistibly infectious melodies. Having made his DJ debut under the alias Benetti at a Mafia-controlled pizza restaurant in 1980, Benetti is now renowned as one of the unsung pioneers of the Italo sound. Most recently dropping his disco diamonds an the Bloc Weekender he has played at Cocadisco (London) a record 6 times in addition to his residency at italoBLACK in Edinburgh and the monthly Disco Caligula parties, delivering magical musical odysseys that have enchanted both Italo initiates and hardcore cognoscenti every time.
If you’ve got five minutes spare, please vote Underpass for the Green Man Festival this Summer,
looks like a hell of a weekend, and it would be great to be on the bill!
Infrastructure E.P. 2010
Killabeatz Remix 2010
Disorienteering L.P. 2010
Unique 3 Remix 2010
Mutations Vol. 2 2009
Variable Architecture, Mini-album 2008
Transit E.P. 2007
Multistorey E.P. 2006
