Darren Emerson | |
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![]() Darren Emerson (left) performing with Danny Howells (right) in 2017 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Darren Paul Emerson |
Born | 30 April 1971 |
Origin | Hornchurch, London, England |
Genres | Electronic, house, techno, progressive house, progressive trance, breakbeat |
Occupation(s) | DJ, producer |
Years active | 1987–present |
Labels | Time Unlimited, Thrive, Underwater, K7, Boxed, Global Underground |
Website | www |
Darren Paul Emerson (born 30 April 1971) is an English musician, DJ and producer best known as a former member of the British electronic music group Underworld. [1]
Emerson began mixing hip hop records at the age of 14, and by 16 was DJing regularly at local venues. He began to explore House Music and quickly acquired a reputation as one of the top British DJs, and demand for his services saw him playing at top clubs such as The Milk Bar, Limelight, and Venus. [2] Emerson has garnered several accolades such as "DJ of the Month" in The Face and i-D magazines.
In 1990, Rick Smith and Karl Hyde relocated to Romford, where Martin Prudence, brother-in-law of Smith, introduced Emerson to him, [3] with Hyde inviting Emerson to become the third member of techno band Underworld. Emerson's experience DJing in London clubs was an inspiration for Smith, who began making music inspired by the sounds of the then burgeoning British electronic music scene. [4] With Emerson on board, Underworld completed their transition from the synth-pop sound of their first two albums to the techno and acid house sound of subsequent releases. [5] Underworld's first album to feature Emerson, 1994's dubnobasswithmyheadman , was their commercial and critical breakthrough, being called "The most important album since The Stone Roses and the best since Screamadelica…" by Melody Maker. [6]
In 1995, whilst working on their second album, Second Toughest in the Infants , they released the single "Born Slippy .NUXX", which was then re-released in 1996 and became a hit following its inclusion on the soundtrack to Trainspotting .
Emerson left Underworld in 2000, following the release of 1999's Beaucoup Fish. [7] He cited becoming a father as the main factor in leaving the band. [8] His final appearance with Underworld was on their 2000 live album Everything, Everything .
Emerson founded a record label called Underwater in 1994; originally started as a platform to release friends music as well as his own, [9] Underwater has gone on to celebrate 100 releases [10] ranging from techno to house and progressive house. Underwater ran a regular party night at super club Pacha, Ibiza alongside fellow DJ Erick Morillo's Subliminal label from 2001. The duo won 'Best Ibiza Set' in the 2001 DJ Magazine awards. [11]
Emerson also emerged as a much sought-after remix talent, with remixes for acts such as the Chemical Brothers and Björk.
Emerson has released three DJ mix albums on the Global Underground label, Global Underground 015: Uruguay in 2000, Global Underground 020: Singapore in 2001, and Global Underground 036: Bogotá in 2009. [12]
In 2010, he launched a new label, Detone, focusing on club releases by himself and like-minded producers. [13] He played a regular bi-monthly resident slot at London club The End until its closure in 2009 [14] and performed at Sensation White in Amsterdam in 2007.
Since 2017, Emerson has toured as part of 3D, a DJ group also featuring Danny Howells and Dave Seaman. [15]
Emerson was in a relationship with British TV presenter Kate Thornton from 2004. They got engaged in 2007 but ended their relationship in 2011. [16] They have one son named Ben, born in May 2008. [17]
Year | Position | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | 44 | New Entry | [18] |
1998 | 58 | Down 14 | |
1999 | 70 | Down 12 | |
2000 | 34 | Up 36 | |
2001 | 30 | Up 4 | |
2002 | 39 | Down 2 | |
2003 | 53 | Down 14 | |
Hiatus | |||
2005 | 233 | Out | |
Hiatus | |||
2007 | 237 | Out |
Underworld are a British electronic music group formed in 1987 in Cardiff, Wales and the principal collaborative project of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith. Prominent former members include Darren Emerson, from 1990 to 2000, and Darren Price, as part of the live band from 2005 to 2016.
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Dubnobasswithmyheadman is the third studio album by British electronic music group Underworld, released in the United Kingdom on Junior Boy's Own on 24 January 1994. It was the first Underworld album after the 1980s version of the band had made the transition from synthpop to electronic dance music and is also the first album to feature Darren Emerson as a band member.
Beaucoup Fish is the fifth album by Underworld, released in 1999. Following the huge success of the single "Born Slippy .NUXX" from its use in the film Trainspotting, Beaucoup Fish was Underworld's most anticipated release. It spawned several successful singles, including "Push Upstairs", "Jumbo" and "Moaner", which was previously used in the film Batman & Robin.
A Hundred Days Off is the sixth album by Underworld. The album produced two UK Singles Chart entries: "Two Months Off", which reached no. 12 and "Dinosaur Adventure 3D", which reached no. 34. Although this was the first album since Darren Emerson's departure from the group in 2001, the album is not a huge stylistic makeover as the main focus of the band is still trance, techno, and house, although without the thumping beats that defined their previous album Beaucoup Fish. Instead, the album explores more of an ambient and experimental music style.
Global Underground is a British record label and compilation series founded in 1996 by Andy Horsfield and James Todd. The label symbolised the international explosion of dance music during the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s and first manifesto for high-end DJs such as Tony De Vit, Sasha, Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Danny Tenaglia, Nick Warren, Dave Seaman, Darren Emerson, James Lavelle, Carl Cox, and Solomun.
Erick Morillo was a Colombian-American disc jockey, music producer, and record label owner. Having produced under a number of pseudonyms, including Ministers de la Funk, the Dronez, RAW, Smooth Touch, RBM, Deep Soul, Club Ultimate, and Li'l Mo Ying Yang, Morillo was best known for his international work in house music, in particular for the label Strictly Rhythm, and the 1993 hit "I Like to Move It", which he produced under the pseudonym Reel 2 Real, and which was featured in commercials, movies, and ringtones. His label Subliminal Records produced the number-one Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play hit "Fun" by Da Mob, and won the Muzik magazine "Remixer of the Year" award in 1999. Subliminal also brought attention to artists like Eddie Thoneick, Carl Kennedy, and DJ DLG. He was a three-time winner of DJ Awards "Best House DJ" in 1998, 2001, and 2003 and a three-time winner of "Best International DJ" in 2002, 2006, and 2009 receiving a total of 15 nominations in all from 1998 to 2010. He died from a drug overdose at his home in Miami Beach, three days before he was due to appear in court to face rape charges.
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"Cowgirl" is a song recorded by the British electronic music group Underworld, originally released as a single in 1994. The track is from the band's 1994 album Dubnobasswithmyheadman.
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