NME is confirming this morning that UNDERWORLD have split. Though the group will be continuing under the Underworld name, it will be without Darren Emerson, who has officially left the trio. The reasons behind the split apparantly involve both financial issues (Emerson made less money than programmer Rick Smith and vocalist Karl Hyde) and the birth of Emerson's first child last May. The break-up will not affect any of Underworld's festival commitments this summer.