Avant-Garde Jazz, Electronic, Improvisation | Formed 1997

Cornetist Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor formed Chicago Underground Duo in 1997 as an outgrowth of weekly workshops at Chicago's Green Mill Cocktail Lounge. Their debut 12 Degrees of Freedom, recorded live in January 1997, established their spacious, moody approach to improvisation, drawing comparisons to Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell's Mu. The pair fuse free jazz with electronics, African rhythms, ambient textures, and techno, creating what they describe as "an organic mixture" that transcends categorisation.

Beyond cornet and drums, the duo employ vibraphone, mbira, balophone, bamboo flute, Game Boy, and extensive electronics across albums like Synesthesia (2000), Axis and Alignment (2002), and Locus (2014). Part of Chicago's experimental scene alongside Tortoise and Isotope 217, they also perform as Trio, Quartet, or Orchestra with rotating personnel including guitarist Jeff Parker. After a hiatus following 2014, Taylor and Mazurek reactivated in 2024, releasing Hyperglyph (2025) on International Anthem, nodding to influences from AACM composers and Miles Davis's electric collaborations with Teo Macero. Mazurek also leads Exploding Star Orchestra, whilst Taylor collaborates with saxophonist James Brandon Lewis.