Various Artists - Global Underground: GU10

It´s been a rollercoaster ten years spent on the frontiers of international dance music. And on the way a series of international parties have been staged in some of the most unusual locations on Earth – beside the Great Wall of China, by the Pyramids in Egypt; in Kazakhstan. The parties, the label and of course the compilation series is Global Underground, and to celebrate the brand´s 10th anniversary comes the new album, ´GU10´

The album will be available in standard 3CD, limited edition 4CD with bonus GU Music 10 disc and also 3x12" vinyl pack, making this a must for any collector, music lover or Global Underground fan alike.

Various Artists - Global Underground: GU10

“They were the first people to put the photograph of the DJ on the cover, and really push with huge poster campaigns. They took an underground culture of mix tapes and really made it look real and made the music industry sit up and take notice.” Sasha, DJ.

No label encapsulates dance music´s international explosion and restless creativity quite like Global Underground. Set up by Andy Horsfield and James Todd, two clubbers from Northern England who literally bounced off the dance-floor and into the record business, this resolutely independent label quickly established an untouchable reputation for cutting edge dance music of the very highest quality, which continues to this day. Ten years later, on June 6 in America, Global Underground presents GU10, the anniversary album that demonstrates just how deserved that reputation is.

“Everywhere I play, all around the world, somebody always comes up to me with a GU CD and asks me to sign it.” Nick Warren, DJ.

The first two discs of the three-CD set feature tracks that appeared on the GU albums and parties over the years. There´s a decade´s worth of great music here. On CD1 Underworld´s "Two Months Off" is a breeze of euphoric melodies. Jark Prongo appeared on Sasha´s San Francisco album with the stentorian "Movin´ Thru Your System." Alex Dolby´s "Psiko Garden" is a pastoral swirl of melodies.

On CD2 "Break My World" from new Global signings Dark Globe is a hard-nosed breakbeat ballad. Lustral´s "Every Time" (Nalin and Kane mix) sets a mesmerising vocal to a quivering pace. KC Flight vs Funky Junction´s "Voices"–here in its Pete Heller mix–is a mesmerising concoction of gospel vocals and twittering acid lines. And the tumbling breakbeats of LoStep´s "The Roots," with its quavering Middle Eastern vocal, are an evocative reminder of the trip to Melbourne with Dave Seaman.

The third disc is dedicated to music from the early 90´s period. Slam´s shivery "Eterna" and Andronicus´s ravishingly "Make U Whole" are just two of classics included here. Two forgotten Italian gems are Double FM´s sexy, atmospheric "Sound Of Amnesia" and De Melero´s sassy disco romp "Night Moves." GU10 is an artfully selected mix of tracks which captures an optimistic, golden age of British and European house music that heavily influenced many of the Global Underground compilations.

Global Underground launched in 1996 with Tony de Vit´s Tel Aviv-based album. The original idea was simple. Global Underground would take DJs to play a party in one of the most unusual, exotic clubbing locales on earth such as Moscow (Deep Dish), Romania (James Lavelle) and Buenos Aires (Dave Seaman). The resulting two-CD set would capture the night with music, beautiful photography and detailed liner notes. Sasha, Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Danny Tenaglia, Nick Warren and Danny Howells are just some of the names that have graced those distinctive covers, making an impressive legacy for an independent label based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North of England.

“I could feel the passion. I felt a connection with GU. Ultimately they allowed me to be myself.” Danny Tenaglia, DJ.

GU founders James Todd had been a musician and a new romantic and Andy Horsfield a professional photographer shooting rock bands. Together they were the wise-cracking ‘Fat Lads´ and quickly became famous in international dance music for their no-nonsense approach, easy-going warmth and piss-taking party lifestyle. As encompassed by the slogans they put on every album. "Don´t Take Life Too Seriously," declared one. "Travelling The World At The Speed Of Sound," advised another.

As a label, Global Underground also pioneers some of the world´s best new talent. Launched in 1999, the Nu-Breed series showcased up and coming DJs like Amsterdam´s Sander Kleinenberg, Melbourne´s Anthony Pappa and the UK´s Steve Lawler. Lawler moved on to Lights Out for Global Underground, a three-album series focussed on the darker, sleazier side of nightlife. "They were the first people to give the DJ complete control over the album. That was very exciting," Lawler says now.

In addition, Global Underground launched the GU Music division to promote original work from original talent with artists like Holland´s Pako and Frederik, Australia´s Lostep and the UK´s Traffik. Next to come later this year is the debut album from U.K. Top 40 act Dark Globe, whose sleek vocal breakbeat expands the label´s roster into new musical territory. In 2004 GU Music also took over the release of Never Never Land album by UNKLE. The single "Reign" - which featured a storming vocal from former Stone Roses singer and solo star Ian Brown, along with a spectacular, explosive video–blasted into the UK´s Top 40.

In 1999 Andy Horsfield and James Todd were profiled for the U.K.´s Sky TV show Apocalypse Tube. In 2000 a one-hour documentary on the UK´s Channel 4 network, entitled Getting Away With It, was screened, which followed the Fat Lads to Budapest, Buenos Aires, Ibiza, Uruguay and Newcastle, and featured GU DJs Sasha, Dave Seaman, Darren Emerson, Anthony Pappa and Nick Warren. The documentary was also shown in Israel, Slovenia, Eire, New Zealand, Australia and on the USA´s Showtime and is now one of two Global Underground Transmission DVDs. That same year, the UK´s ITV network showed Global Underground taking Danny Tenaglia and a crowd of international clubbers on a float through the Berlin Love Parade.

Grammy-award winning DJ/producer duo Deep Dish joined Global Underground in 2001 with a memorable trip to Moscow where they were interviewed by Russian Vogue and photographed in Red Square. In May 2003, their second Global Underground album from Toronto was the label´s first Billboard #1 Electronic/Dance chart hit.

Sasha, one of the world´s most magical and best-loved DJs, has had a relationship with Global Underground since his first San Francisco mix in 1998. His 1999 Ibiza set is regarded as a classic dance album. In 2004 Sasha launched his Involver series--remaking and reworking tracks before weaving them into a stunningly varied mix. In June 2004 this became Global Underground´s second Billboard #1 Electronic/Dance chart hit.

GU has also moved into television and movie soundtracks and now supplies music for America´s CSI – a show that with a vast global audience is one of the most seen TV shows on Earth. The label has also diversified into game soundtracks–providing music for PlayStations huge-selling SSX Tricky and top game developers like EA Sports.

Now, as GU10 celebrates a decade of cutting edge music and innovation, there are friends and fans all over the world from Pakistan to Slovenia, Venezuala to Montreal. Global Underground captured the cultural explosion of clubbing in music, words and pictures, and has become the focus for an international network of underground dance music aficionados. A real ‘global underground´ celebrated in each album and on the phenomenally popular website to this day.