The U.K. trio of vocalist Karl Hyde, guitarist Rick Smith, and DJ Darren Emerson saw their stock rise sharply in 1996 when their workout "Born Slippy" emerged as the standout cut on the Trainspotting soundtrack. They're a rarity among techno outfits: a group that can manufacture involving grooves while throwing enough curves into the tracks to maintain interest over long stretches of time. They prove their mettle on "Cups," the nearly 12-minute leadoff track here, which maintains a strong rhythmic kick even as melody and counter-rhythms shift and mutate. The most expansive tracks--"Shudder/King of Snake," "Kittens," "Something Like A Mama"--all similarly sustain interest. Maybe Underworld's roots as a rock-oriented combo give them a leg up on the competition; few other contemporary electronic acts are quite so savvy in their subtle manipulation of traditional song elements within a cybernetic context. This 'un's a winner for dancefloor addicts and living-room technoids alike.
