Album Review: Underworld And Iggy Pop - Tea Time Dub Encounters

With Danny Boyle's classic Trainspotting, both Iggy Pop and Underworld enjoyed a shot in the arm that bonded them forever to an almost accidental zeitgeist. But just because these four songs — borne of a series of hotel sessions for the movie sequel — didn't quite fit the T2 soundtrack, don't think they're any less worthy.

Bells & Circles is the techno track that the Iggy Pop we remember from 'that' episode of Countdown would have gleefully done, scaring young children with bonkers memories of doing cocaine on airplanes and failing to flirt with cabin crew whilst Rick Smith and Karl Hyde revisit the rapid pulses that opened 1996's Second Toughest In The Infants. The bouncy Get Your Shirt is perhaps as forumulaic-ly 'pop' as either party ever get and it's followed by the meditative I'll See Big. By bagging 'nerds' abilities to be his friend, he's once again baiting what you shouldn't really say in a PC world but it's refreshingly raw. Trapped features Underworld going a bit Vangelis while Iggy Pop inhabits a more punk take on Renton's 'Choose life' monologue.

These encounters are a glorious collision — and a thrilling gift to fans — of two musical titans.