Blueski

The song Blueski by Underworld is a flash of those moments where the sound becomes almost physical. It's not just another track from their catalog: it has a pulse that beats in two and a half minutes, with a groove anchored in layers of synthesizers and percussion that don't sound like a repeated loop, but like a living organism. The riff that opens the track doesn't ask for permission: it enters directly, with a clarity that contrasts with the density of the rest of the album, as if someone had left the door slightly ajar for fresh air to enter amidst the electronic storm.

They recorded it in the home studio of Rick Smith, who also polished every detail in his role as engineer. They weren't aiming for a meticulously polished album, but to capture that raw energy that had already been brewing in their live shows. Blueski was released as part of Second Toughest in the Infants, an album they re-edited in 2015 with remastered versions, but which at the time already made it clear that Underworld didn't follow rules: they mixed abrasive rhythms with melodies that stuck like glue, and this track was proof that they could go from intimate to epic in less than three minutes.