UNKLE

Since its 1992 inception, UNKLE has been the primary musical outlet of James Lavelle. The co-founder of Mo' Wax, one of the most consequential English independent labels of the '90s, Lavelle has been joined by a carousel of primary collaborators and an ever-changing array of guest contributors who have helped him indulge in styles ranging from sample-based hip-hop to downcast stoner rock. The Top Five U.K. hit Psyence Fiction (1998), the debut UNKLE album, was shaped by temporary partner DJ Shadow, but its diversions pointed the way toward the progressively band-oriented albums that have followed through the late 2010s. Co-piloted by the likes of Richard File and Pablo Clements, and involving recurring roles for subterranean rockers such as Josh Homme, Chris Goss, and Mark Lanegan, sprawling albums such as Never, Never Land (2003) and Where Did the Night Fall (2010) have ensured that Lavelle won't be known simply as a trip-hop catalyst. After a seven-year break from recording albums, Lavelle and company returned in bleak, cinematic style with the related The Road: Part I (2017) and The Road: Part II (Lost Highway) (2019).