NASHVILLE |FR: ALEXANDRA GREENBERG/LIBBY HENRY
UNKLE RETURNS WITH ‘NEVER, NEVER, LAND’
OCTOBER 26 ON GLOBAL UNDERGROUND
“… Never, Never, Land pulses with the epic atmospherics of big-room dance floors. Cameos from Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and ex-Stone Roses singer Ian Brown provide some debauched fairy dust, and ‘Panic Attack’ punkily scrambles Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’ with party-robot panache.”
*** out of 5 stars
— Rolling Stone
“…intriguing…”
—GQ (UK)
“Never, Never, Land embraces every dodgy influence from Kula Shaker to Digweed and is a more complete album…because of it…”
****stars
— ARENA (UK)
“…UNKLE deliver one of dance music’s greatest albums yet.”
***** out of 5 stars
— Mixmag (UK)
“Lavelle’s basic approach to music-making hasn’t changed. He still trades in texture and atmosphere, favoring sweeping strings, cinematic grandeur, a mix of pop sensibilities with downtempo music, and an obsession with science fiction.”
— Pitchforkmedia.com
UNKLE’s album NEVER, NEVER, LAND–which received a soft release in England last year–will now be easily available for the first time for American fans. On the album, set for an October 26 release in North America on Global Underground, UNKLE mainstay James Lavelle teams up with Richard File for a progressive work which Mixmag (June 2003) says “…sounds like the joint album Massive Attack, The Stone Roses and Pink Floyd never made.”
Co-produced with former Elastica keyboard player Anthony Genn at London’s Dos Shot studio, Never, Never, Land boasts a cast of amazing musicians: Ian Brown–whose “Be There” with UNKLE in 1998 went top ten–returns on the first US single “Reign” with fellow Stone Roses member Mani tending to bass, marking the first time the duo have worked together since the band split. Mani also contributes the bottom-end to “In a State.” Massive Attack’s 3D, a long-time friend and inspiration, contributes to “Invasion”; Jarvis Cocker and Brian Eno duel with synths on “I Need Something Stronger”; Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age contributes a schizoid vocal over a bassquake on “Safe In Mind”; and singer Joel Cadbury of South highlights the pretty Beatles-esque ballad “Glow.”
Another notable effort from Never, Never, Land is the video for the song “Eye For An Eye,” produced by James Lavelle, Massive Attack’s 3D and animation team Shynola. Originally created as an anti-war short, the imagery is reflective of September 11. “Airplanes drop creatures into an environment which destroys,” describes James Lavelle. “It reflects globalization, relationships, the way we treat each other.” “Eye for An Eye” received its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival’s renowned Mirrorball showcase and consequently won the prestigious McLaren Award for new British animation. It also was nominated for ‘Best Video’ at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards.
UNKLE’s 1998 debut album Psyence Fiction–which James Lavelle collaborated on with DJ Shadow–was heralded by many as one of the most notable revolutionary albums of its time. Highlights featured Thom Yorke’s haunting “Rabbit In Your Headlights” and a then-unknown Badly Drawn Boy’s cathartic “Nursery Rhyme,” along with appearances from Richard Ashcroft of the Verve and Mike D of the Beastie Boys. James Lavelle is also an accomplished DJ with two Global Underground mix albums under his belt–GU #023: Barcelona and GU #026: Romania–and remixer whose credits include works for Queens of the Stone Age, Metallica and DJ Shadow.
Stay tuned for touring details as UNKLE will embark on a North American sight & sound tour in the late fall to promote Never, Never, Land.
www.unkle.com
www.globalunderground.co.uk
For more information on UNKLE, contact:
Alexandra Greenberg Libby Henry
818-380-0400 x 223, agreenberg@msopr.com 818-380-0400 x224, lhenry@msopr.com
