Transglobal Underground

Infobox musical artist |
Name = Transglobal Underground

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Img_capt = Transglobal Underground live in Athens, 2007
Img_size = 200
Background = group_or_band
Alias = TGU
Origin = London, England
but featuring members of many nationalities
Genre = World fusion music Ethnic electronica
Years_active = 1990-
Label = Nation Records
Associated_acts =
URL = http://www.t-g-u.com/
Current_members = Tim Whelan, Hamid Man Tu (Formerly Hamilton Lee)
Past_members = Natacha Atlas Johnny Kalsi
many others (see text)

Transglobal Underground (sometimes written as Trans-Global Underground or simply as TGU) is a London-based music collective who specialise in a fusion of western, oriental and African music styles (sometimes labelled as "world fusion" or "ethno-techno"). Their first four albums featured Natacha Atlas as lead singer and their single "Temple Head" was used in a Coca-Cola advertising campaign for the 1996 Olympic Games. [http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=67 World Music Central article] ] In 2008 they won the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music after the release of their seventh official album, 'Moonshout.'

Biography

The group was formed in or slightly before 1992 by Tim Whelan (aka Alex Kasiek, [There seems to be some debate as to whether Whelan and Kasiek are indeed the same person (see, for example, [http://www.villagevoice.com/1999-07-20/music/consumer-guide/2 this article] ) however [http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=67 this article] , which was apparently compiled from official band sources, states that they are one and the same.] keyboards/guitar/programming), Hamid Mantu (aka Hamilton Lee, aka Man Tu, drums/percussion/programming) and Count Dubulah (bass). Both Whelan and Mantu (in his previous identity of Hamilton Lee) were founding members of the British new wave band Furniture. Although the group has always had a fairly fluid line-up (and also deliberately clouded their identities for many years with multiple pseudonyms and obscure credits), others who have been long-time members or associates include singer Natacha Atlas, dhol player Johnny Kalsi, rapper Coleridge, vocalist/percussionist TUUP (aka The Unorthodox Unprecedented Preacher), sitar player Sheema Mukherjee and percussionist Neil Sparkes. Artists who have made guest appearances on their albums include Aki Nawaz and Trio Bulgarka. [http://www.inthemix.com.au/reviews/music/18942/ Review from inthemix.com.au] ] Their remix albums include mixes of their songs by Dreadzone, Lionrock and Youth and they in turn have remixed tracks for [Warsaw Village Band] , Banco de Gaia, Fun-Da-Mental, Transjoik and Pop Will Eat Itself.

The first recording by the group was the single "Temple Head" which was shopped around various labels before eventually being released by Nation Records in 1991. Although not a major hit, it was named "Single of the Week" in "Melody Maker" a publication that frequently reviewed and promoted the group, and heavily featured at clubs such as Whirl-Y-Gig. The group was quickly signed to Deconstruction Records, for whom they recorded an album. The label, however, declined to release the album, [ [http://www.global-trance.co.uk/fr_index.html?/Transglobal_Underground.html Article at global-trance.co.uk] ] which eventually saw the light of day on the Nation label as "Dream of 100 Nations". This album marked the group debut of Natacha Atlas, formerly of Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart.

TGU developed a reputation for flamboyant live performances featuring dramatic costumes, belly dancing, endless percussion and members of the group disguised as Nepalese Temple guardians.After 2 more albums and a number of tours around Europe, Dubulah and Sparkes left to form Temple of Sound. A new TGU line-up emerged with the album "Rejoice Rejoice" partly recorded in Hungary featuring a number of Hungarian gypsy musicians, plus percussionist Johnny Kalsi from the Dhol Foundation, which toured Europe supporting Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Atlas then left to concentrate on her burgeoning solo career, with which the core TGU members were already heavily involved as producers. The band subsequently left Nation Records and released the album "Yes Boss Food Corner" on Mondo Rhythmica (part of the Ark 21 label),featuring Zulu vocalist Doreen Thobekile, who Mantu and Whelan still work with as producers. The 7 piece line-up of this time, including British born Asian musicians sitarist Sheema Mukherjee and percussionist Gurkit Sihra, played all over the world and toured the USA twice.

After the demise of Ark21 TGU spent some time working in Egypt, notably with Egyptian vocalist Hakim. On their return they set up their own Mule Satellite label for their 2004 album "Impossible Broadcasting". For the next tour the live band now stripped down to a 5 piece, and, with once more a more club based line-up, started playing the UK regularly for the first time in more than 6 years, turning up regularly at festivals and venues throughout the country.

A flurry of studio activity in 2007 resulted in the release of the bands seventh album, the Radio 3 award winning 'Moonshout,' a collaboration with Real World act The Imagined Village, which won them a Radio2 Folk Award, and the soundtrack to the film 'Whatever Lola Wants' recorded with Natacha Atlas.

Discography

Albums

Bold numbers indicate peak positions on the Official UK Albums Chart
* "Dream of 100 Nations", 1993, 45
* "International Times", 1994, 40
* "Interplanetary Meltdown", 1995 "(remix album)"
* "Psychic Karaoke", 1996, 62
* "Rejoice Rejoice", 1998
* "Backpacking On The Graves Of Our Ancestors", 1999 "(greatest hits album with some new tracks and mixes)"
* "Yes Boss Food Corner", 2001
* "Impossible Broadcasting", 2004
* "Impossible Re-Broadcasting", 2007 "(remix album)"
* "Moonshout", 2007

=DVD=

* "Trans-Global Underground: A film by Guillaume Hero" 2008 "(documentary and live recording)"

References

ources

* [http://www.global-trance.co.uk/fr_index.html?/Transglobal_Underground.html TGU discography at global-trance.co.uk]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:Transglobal%20Underground TGU] at [http://www.allmusic.com/ allmusic.com]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Transglobal+Underground TGU at discogs.com]
* [http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/artists/artist_page.php?id=67]

External links

* [http://www.Last.FM/group/Transglobal+Underground Last.FM: Transglobal Underground group]
* [http://www.t-g-u.com/ Official Website]
* [http://tgu.6.forumer.com/ TGU Chat Forum]