Unkle - Taking 'Never Never Land' Underground

After parting ways with their previous label, UNKLE are the latest addition to Global Underground's expanding artist roster, As such, their second album 'Never Never Land' is set to see a full worldwide release, being re-released in the UK and made available properly in the US for the first time, and we have all the details here for you on the new material and remixes this Limited Edition package will include, in addition to news on a brand new single from UNKLE, and its all right here in this feature.

Six years have passed since the release of UNKLE'S debut album 'Psyence Fiction', one of the most important and controversial releases of the Nineties. It was garlanded with praise on its release in September '98.

Following the release of 'Psyence Fiction', DJ Shadow returned to the States to work on Quannum and 'The Private Press' (with Lavelle as A&R) within the realms of underground hip-hop. Lavelle, the constant force in UNKLE, had forged a new partnership with his long-term friend Richard File, a relationship that has evolved organically over nearly a decade.

The second UNKLE album 'Never Never Land' was first released through Universal Island last year, and despite widespread critical acclaim the label and UNKLE parted ways, which lead James and Richard to their new home at GU Music. Speaking of this new partnership, James said "I am really pleased that all our hard work on this album will now see the light of day in America and we get the chance to continue what we started over at Island here in the UK. I also feel that GU is the perfect label to work with on this project as it feels more intimate and personal, more like the old Mo-Wax way of working."

Never Never Land is now due for a re-release in the UK and a full release across the US in early November, with the newly packaged album also featuring previously unreleased remixes from Josh Homme and Chris Goss. In addition to the standard version, there will also be this limited edition box set with a bonus CD featuring new unreleased UNKLE tracks plus more remixes from artists such as Hybrid, Sasha and many more.

The album will also be supported by the release of the single 'Reign' on November 8th. This collaboration sees Ian Brown deliver a heartfelt hymn to the elements, against UNKLE's backdrop of emotive strings, melancholy piano, and Mani's dubwise bass (the first time the two have appeared on record together since the Stone Roses split many years ago). With remixes coming from Morgan Geist, Evil Nine, Way Out West, Anagram and RJD2, this looks set to be yet another superb collborative effort from Unkle and Ian Brown, and quite possibly UNKLE's biggest single to date.