Stagger

The song Stagger by Underworld, with its 7:38 duration, is an example of how the band expanded its sonic palette on the album Second Toughest in the Infants. At this stage, working with Darren Emerson, Underworld consolidated their characteristic style, fusing powerful rhythms with melodies that evoke vast spaces. The recording process, with Rick Smith as engineer and the band itself taking on production, sought that particular texture that would define their sound.

The title of the album that Stagger is part of, Second Toughest in the Infants, has a curious origin. It comes from an anecdote featuring Rick Smith's nephew, Simon Prosser, who was six years old at the time. When asked about his progress at nursery school — an educational level for children between four and seven years old in the United Kingdom — the child replied with that phrase. This album also included singles like Pearl's Girl and, in later editions, the well-known Born Slippy .NUXX. The reissue of this work, released on November 20, 2015, offered expanded versions of the material.