This is my first post in a series called Obscurities, where I will suggest a fresh listen to albums that never achieved commercial success, or were never radio-friendly to begin with. Of course, millions of albums would fall into this category, but I will highlight music from my own collection. Some are new, some go back to the 1960s, all have some nuggets of musical deliciousness worth listening to. Today’s selections are from the mid 1980s, and both have a retro dance vibe to them.

Underworld: Underneath the Radar

Like the title of this album, the band Underworld has been pumping out great music for over three decades, with very little fanfare. Their biggest commercial success has been the memorable dance single .NUXX. This single has sold over 1,000,000 copies since it was featured on the 1995 Trainspotting soundtrack. In 2010, they reunited with Trainspotting director Danny Boyle to score the production of Frankenstein at the Royal National Theatre. Underworld also scored the music for the 2012 London Olympics. Since their inception in 1987, they have released 8 studio albums, an anthology, and numerous singles and soundtrack songs.

Karl Hyde and Rick Smith are the principles of Underworld, collaborating musically since 1980. With the addition of different musicians over the decades, their sound has evolved into a deep, techno house dance music popular in dance clubs around the world.

But my favorite album from the group is their debut album Underneath the Radar, released in 1988. This album, and the 1989 album Change the Weather, have a unique sound reflective of the first iteration of Underworld. This version of the group disbanded in 1990, and Hyde and Smith refer to this era as Underworld MK1. Inspired by reggae sounds of Screen Gemz and the early electronica of Kraftwerk, Underworld created their own sound of funky electropop dance music laden with guitars and driving beats.

There’s something for everyone here:  the pumping, dancefloor  hustle of the title track ‘Underneath the Radar,’ the funky stomp of ‘Call Me No. 1,’  the driving ska-influenced ‘The God Song,’ the techno-driven beat of ‘I Need a Doctor,’ and the sensuous and lush mellowness of  ‘Pray.’

Here’s one of my favorite tracks from the album, called ‘Rubber Ball (Space Kitchen)’

Rubber Ball (Space Kitchen) – Underworldmap :: {skin:’black’, animate:false, width:’360′, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}

Want to make this album part of your collection? You can purchase a copy here: Underworld: Underneath the Radar

Shriekback: Oil and Gold

This is another band formed in the early 80s that continues to produce new albums to this day. Shriekback was formed in 1981 from former members of the bands XTC, League of Gentlemen, and Gang of Four. The band has enjoyed minor success with dance club singles, but remain a fairly unknown band. A few songs have been featured on various soundtracks.

With various musicians changing their lineup over the years, the core members include Barry Andrews, Dave Allen, Carl Marsh, and Martyn Barker. To date, they have produced 13 albums.

The first two albums by Shriekback were very contemplative and moody, and quite honestly, not much to write home about. I want to highlight their third release, Oil and Gold, which is arguably their finest album.

Oil and Gold marked the addition of musicians Martyn Barker on drums, and Lu Edmonds on guitars. The new members breathed fresh air and a whole new attitude into Shriekback giving them a hard-hitting dance beat sound with an almost punk edge. When the album was released in 1985, the band brought a new sound that was unique. It didn’t quite fit on the dance floor, their wasn’t enough guitar for rock and rollers, no self-respecting punk kid would add their patch to their jacket, and the chaotic, almost frantic background vocals would leave the electronica fans scratching their heads. But combine all the elements of Oil and Gold, and you have an engaging, original and memorable compilation of songs.

Highlights on the album include two very slow, soft songs, that slowly build tension in an almost sinister way. These are ‘Coelocanth’ and ‘This Big Hush,’ both of which were featured on the soundtrack of Manhunter, Michael Mann’s prequel to Silence of the Lambs.

Here’s a song from the album that gives you a good idea of what this band is about. It’s called ‘Nemesis.’

Nemesis – Shriekbackmap :: {skin:’black’, animate:false, width:’300′, volume:0.2, autoplay:false, loop:false, showVolumeLevel:true, showTime:true, showRew:true, downloadable:false, downloadablesecurity:false, id3: false}

Want to make this album part of your collection? You can purchase a copy here: Shriekback: Oil & Gold