Underworld Debuting 70 New Paintings, Record Label

Posted on Aug 23rd 2010 3:00PM by Mike Ayers
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As famed British electronic duo Underworld gear up for the release of their eighth studio album, 'Barking,' next month, they're also busy this week with a few related endeavors. No stranger to visual media, Underworld's Karl Hyde will debut roughly 70 new paintings at a show called "What's Going on in Your Head as You're Dancing" at the Laforet Museum in Harajuku, Japan. This marks Hyde's first solo venture into the museum world, although as recently as 2008 he and Rick Smith, along with artist John Warwicker, debuted an installation project called "Beautiful Burnout" in New York City.

"It started off by making series of marks while I was doing interviews, marks that were inspired by walking through the streets of cities," Hyde tells Spinner. "That started to develop into seeing the same shapes I see in my head while I'm onstage with Underworld. I see physical 3-D shapes in my head while I'm onstage of the potential moves I might make when I'm thinking about moving across stage or interpreting the sound."

Clearly, there's some next-level thinking going on here -- but for Underworld, it would be remiss for them to trek across the globe for just one little art opening. Thus, they're taking things to the big screen as well. "We're incorporating big screens. There's the big Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo and we're screening some of the paintings on that as well," Hyde says, revealing he'll also dazzle attendees with some live painting.

Joining Hyde will be his Underworld partner Rick Smith, who's not just there to hobnob -- he'll be launching his new record label, Bungalow with Stairs, and debuting the soundtrack for Hyde's exhibition. That music will become the label's first release.

Hyde is also planning to start writing another book, the follow-up to 2003's 'In the Belly of Saint Paul.' "We're working on the book about the night streets of Tokyo," he says. "I don't know what the title is yet, but it's about us walking through the city at night. Urban environments I find deeply inspiring."

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