Underworld’s Karl Hyde seems surprised that more artists haven’t followed suit with trends in collaborations and remixes. In a recent interview, he tells Pulse why music evolution is forcing artists to change old ways.
Chart hits produced by some of the biggest names in pop music are paving the way for the artist collaboration trends in dance music. Hyde says artists need to react to the change and view their music with a new perspective.
“Art is about looking at the same things with different eyes… You’ve only got one pair of eyes but your perception has to keep evolving if you’re an artist; if you don’t evolve you’re dead,” says Hyde.
VIDEO: Underworld’s “Scribble” video from the new Barking album
Hyde says that whilst artists may feel collaborating is cheapening their music they need to be focusing on the creative opportunities.
“I’ve never really understood groups that have closed the door to learning from people that are younger than themselves because there’s a whole different energy going that you can exchange,” he says.
The new Underworld album Barking, which features collaborations with Dubfire, Mark Knight and Paul van Dyk, still carries the distinctive sounds of classic Underworld and Hyde acknowledges that the duo’s German electronic roots are still intact.
“It was pointed out to us quite recently that things we were doing a long time ago were very current and we should revisit them.”
FEATURE: Tracklist for Underworld’s new Barking album
Following their successful Australian tour with the We Love Sounds and Winter Sound System festivals earlier in June, Underworld’s Karl Hyde and Rick Smith release their sixth studio album Barking on September 3, 2010.