Underworld

Here we have EP 5  of Underworld’s Drift Project. It’s the most recent – and it’s the final installment ahead of a boxed-set treatment.

We kick off with the brooding balladry of Toluca Stars (Film Edit), one of several pieces across the series which is both propelled by a Kraftwerk-esque rhythm track and appears as a nod to Bowie’s spirit; particularly the last few Bowie albums.

Mile Bush Pride is a segue as much as anything, a weird wee slice of short spoken word over a textbook techno pulse. It gives way to Imagine A Box where, over six minutes of hypnotic groove and churning, blurred electro melody, we have another Bowie-esque croon.

Tree And Two Chairs (Film Edit) is the longest exploration here, 13 minutes of jazzy electro-pop groove. It’s seemingly endless, feels like we’re listening in to a snippet of much longer piece and is one of the more overtly cinematic feels on display here – deep, spacey jazz.

Give Me The Room is the darkest techno pulse here and is a classic Underworld hypnotic head-bopper and we close with S T A R, a brilliant re-imagining of the Each Peach Pear Plum rhyme, that feels so much like mid/late-90s Bowie even before the erstwhile Thin White Duke is actually name-dropped.

It’s slower build here to a big finish – but it’s yet another winner from a project that has legs to burn and tracks for days. Maybe this one is my least favourite but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. And S T A R is the best and biggest banger of the series to date I think –  such a strong finisher that it is worth sitting through this EP – many times – to arrive at this magical conclusion.

To read a review of Drift Episode 1 – DUST click here

To read a review of Drift Episode 2 – ATOM click here

To read a review of Drift Episode 3 – HEART click here

To read a review of Drift Episode 4 – SPACE click here