UNKLE

Formed in the mid '90s, trip-hop act UNKLE was started by the owners of the UK electronica/dance label Mo' Wax, James Lavell and Tim Goldsworthy, with turntable ace DJ Shadow on board as well. The group's success was brought on by a cerebral yet highly fun mix of hip-hop beats, woozy jazz samples, and high-profile guest lists that included at various points Ian Brown, Mike D, Thom Yorke, and Josh Homme among many others. UNKLE's 1998 debut full-length, PSYENCE FICTION, is a classic of the illbient/turtablism sound. Lavelle, along with a rotating cast of collaborators, released two more full-lengths under the UNKLE name, including another star-studded affair in 2007's WAR STORIES. Goldsworthy, who left UNKLE early on, founded the DFA record label in 2001 with American James Murphy.