Stick Man Test

Album: Strawberry Hotel (2024)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Strawberry Hotel is Underworld's 11th album, released on October 25, 2024. Now, if you're wondering about the name, it is a metaphorical concept, with each track representing a very different room in this hotel. Some of these rooms are sparse - just a metronomic thrum of bass, the faint, robotic murmur of a voice - while others are labyrinths of melody and euphoric noise. The only thing that's unmistakably consistent is the sense of Underworld wherever you go.
  • The band advises listeners to "Please don't shuffle," emphasizing the importance of experiencing the album in its intended order.
  • Underworld unexpectedly end their Strawberry Hotel album with this sparse steel-stringed guitar instrumental. The band's Karl Hyde told Uncut magazine why the album finishes on a downtempo trajectory.

    "Good stories have a beginning and an end," he said. "We think it gives the record a completeness, leaving you with a gentle hug... maybe even a smile."
  • Underworld's Rick Smith co-produced Strawberry Hotel with his daughter Esme Bronwen-Smith, an accomplished mezzo-soprano opera singer who has won prestigious awards, including First Prize at the 2022 Kathleen Ferrier Awards. Esme has described opera and techno as sharing similar artistic qualities, with both connecting people across cultures.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.

Kim Thayil of Soundgarden

Kim Thayil of SoundgardenSongwriter Interviews

Their frontman (Chris Cornell) started out as their drummer, so Soundgarden takes a linear approach when it comes to songwriting. Kim explains how they do it.

Female Singers Of The 90s

Female Singers Of The 90sMusic Quiz

The ladies who ruled the '90s in this quiz.

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

Randy Newman

Randy NewmanSongwriting Legends

Newman makes it look easy these days, but in this 1974 interview, he reveals the paranoia and pressures that made him yearn for his old 9-5 job.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.