Few acts in the UK can demonstrate such a profound influence, a multifaceted legacy, and carry such a mysterious legendary status as Transglobal Underground.
From their origins in the dance scene in the early 90s they became one of the country’s best loved festival bands, a techno sound system, a pop group, a club night, a Middle Eastern hit production team, an improvised study group for Indian classical music, an Albanian brass band, a duo..or was it an octet?…
Transglobal Underground exploded onto the club scene with the club classic ‘Temple Head’ a track with inspiration taken from the UK bhangra scene, with one foot in the Madchester and indie worlds, and another in club music. The mix was totally new (DJs loved it but couldn’t work out what speed to play it at) and the track is still regularly played on the radio today.
The collective went on to practically create a new genre with a series of albums mixing a heady concoction of club grooves, dub, bhangra, rock, digital hardcore and oriental melody, driven by the possibilities of musical technology, inspiration and a massive belief in the need to create something creating a bar that kept others looking for the next level of global experimentation.
The best known albums are probably the most recent, ‘Walls Have Ears’, the top 20 ‘Dream of 100 Nations’ and the BBC award winning ‘Moonshout’ but they’re almost as well known for their collaborations with artists such as Page and Plant, original lead vocalist Natacha Atlas, the Trio Bulgarka, and Fanfara Tirana.
Now, more than 30 years later, Transglobal Underground continues to fill venues across Europe, showcasing their enduring appeal and influence
Listen
https://transglobalunderground.bandcamp.com
Reviews
“The collisions are as glorious as ever….swaggering … a classic TGU mix of soul, rap,
electronica and bliss” – FINANCIAL TIMES
“They did it first, they did it best and are pretty much back on top form here” – ROOTSWORLD
“A record that shows the band continuing to grow and develop…a record of the world, and in these times of solitude and conflict and isolationism, it’s a very welcome one” – BACKSEAT MAFIA
“Joyful and forward thinking…the masters of global fusion are back with a gem” – WORLD MUSIC CENTRAL
“A disc which, after two or three immersions, risks possessing you” – MUZZART
“The Brit-Asian collective boldy go where no psychedelic, drum and bass, funk, punk, dub, global beatists have gone before” – INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
“The most irresitable rhythms to which anyone with soul can dance”- THE TIMES
“This musical collective have dipped in and out of fashion, but the new album finds them on inventive form” – GUARDIAN
“A pan-European journey you’ll want to embark on at length” – SONGLINES
“Swaggeringly confident…perhaps their most in-tune with the zeitgeist effort yet” – INDEPENDENT
“They show no signs of losing that magic that makes them so special…they compress more sounds, beats and genres into one song than most bands manage in a whole career.” – SPIRAL EARTH
