Unkle
James Lavelle
A&R
DJ Shadow
Production, Drums
Rich File
Vocals, Guitar, Production
Tim Goldsworthy
Production
Pablo Clements
Production
Formed: 1992
Location: London, England
Genre: Trip Hop, Indietronica
Years Active: 1992 -
Meaning of the Name: Inspired by TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..
Way of Working: Musicians operate under the conceptual "guidance" of James Lavelle
Labels: Mo' Wax
Location: London, England
Genre: Trip Hop, Indietronica
Years Active: 1992 -
Meaning of the Name: Inspired by TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E..
Way of Working: Musicians operate under the conceptual "guidance" of James Lavelle
Labels: Mo' Wax
Essential Releases
Psyence Fiction (1998)
Indie rock and trip hop come together as one.
Never, Never, Land
(2003)
Rich File takes over from DJ Shadow as the musical engine of James Lavelle's ideas.
People used to invent things: Thomas Edison invented the light bulb; Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Steve Jobs is credited by tech bros everywhere for inventing the iPhone, yet Jobs barely knew how to code. In the same way, James Lavelle is presented as the mastermind behind Unkle's disputed classic Psyence Fiction, without contributing a single note to the studio album (he infamously played three notes on a Mellotron during a performance on Top of the Pops).
For this reason, Unkle occupy a peculiar niche in music history. Psyence Fiction is a record remembered as much for how it was made as how it sounds—undeniably cinematic in scope, not only in terms of its grand ambition and pervasive mood that prowls London's streets after dark, but also in its conceptualisation.
Lavelle wanted to bridge the gap between rock, dance, and hip hop, to create "real" songs instead of what critics described as "background" music. While Mo' Wax Records, founded by Lavelle, had cultivated a loyal following of acid jazz and "found sound" aficionados, they had yet to break the mainstream. To remedy the situation, Lavelle enlisted his star player: DJ Shadow. However, his vision didn't end there.
With Shadow onboard as the sonic architect, Lavelle recruited an unlikely cast of supporting vocalists that read like a call-sheet of Britpop royalty and the indie rock A-list: Thom Yorke, Richard Ashcroft, and Ian Brown. Additionally, Mike D from the Beastie Boys and respected veteran Kool G Rap contributed verses to court the hip-hop crowd.
The resulting album was one of the most hyped releases of 1998, reaching number 4 on the UK charts, a significant feat for an indie label. It sounds like a city at night; the songs act as vignettes, each vocalist the main character in their own nocturnal exploit until the listener is whisked away to another. That the project remained coherent throughout is due to the anchoring production work of DJ Shadow.
However, the elusive mixologist was bemused and exasperated. Here he was, having cracked the mainstream with his signature brand of midnight music, and his label boss was foregrounded on magazine covers and dominating the press cycle, with Shadow's involvement relegated to the background. As the tension peaked, Shadow famously refused further touring to promote the album.
Psyence Fiction is essentially DJ Shadow's second album, but you wouldn't know that at a glance. When people say Steve Jobs invented the iPhone, they compare him to a conductor organising the disparate sections of an orchestra. While it was Lavelle's idea to fuse trip-hop and indie rock, the execution was all Shadow.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
70
Mental Impact
65
Originality
95
Artistry
80
Authenticity
55
Live
20
Production
90
Musicianship
65
Singing
80
Songwriting
85
Danceability
70
Fun
45
Consistency
40
Range
70
Cool
90
Charisma
55
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards
Certifications >>>
- Psyence Fiction: Gold in the UK
- Never, Never, Land: Silver in the UK
Charts >>>
- Psyence Fiction: Number 4 in the UK
