IDM Mailing Archive

I saw a new 2x12" on New Electronica (As One - Kirk Deg. label) by Ultramarine in a store that doesn't let you listen to their new vinyl. Anyone heard it? ...is this the same Ultramarine as "Everybody is a Star", etc is... Does this mean the label is going to start releasing more (They released As One, Florence, and a few good comps before the media phrase "electronica" was adopted)..? Solenoid solenoid@europa.com <------+

quoted 3 lines I saw a new 2x12" on New Electronica (As One - Kirk Deg. label) by

> I saw a new 2x12" on New Electronica (As One - Kirk Deg. label) by > Ultramarine in a store that doesn't let you listen to their new vinyl. > Anyone heard it?

Nope. Didn't even know it was out as a matter of fact. I did post a few weeks ago about the 12" that preceded it (I forget the title) but sadly to no response.

quoted 1 line ...is this the same Ultramarine as "Everybody is a Star", etc is...

> ...is this the same Ultramarine as "Everybody is a Star", etc is...

Yes, the LP is called "A Users Guide" and I'm dying to hear it. I really really rate their stuff - the last LP was excellent and Every Man and Woman is probably my favourite record full stop. As a band they should be up there with Orbital, Black Dog, Aphex etc but instead they remain criminally underrated. Not much press or promotion for the new LP either by the looks of things, but it's good that they're out of all that label wrangling with Blanco Y Negro.

quoted 3 lines Does this mean the label is going to start releasing more (They

> Does this mean the label is going to start releasing more (They > released As One, Florence, and a few good comps before the media phrase > "electronica" was adopted)..?

Dunno. I thought they were still going strong before the new Ultramarine LP, but come to thing of it they don' seem to have put much out of late... gb. -- /TheW i http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/lwtcdi/all/4recguid.htm f o L D o dlr WTC "The truth behind record shopping in Huddersfield"

On Thu, 19 Feb 1998, lwtcdi wrote:

quoted 5 lines Yes, the LP is called "A Users Guide" and I'm dying to hear it. I really

> Yes, the LP is called "A Users Guide" and I'm dying to hear it. I really > really rate their stuff - the last LP was excellent and Every Man and > Woman is probably my favourite record full stop. As a band they should > be up there with Orbital, Black Dog, Aphex etc but instead they remain > criminally underrated.

I've been a bit put off by them from the start. The track on "Excursions In Ambience 1", with the bEAGLES sample from "One Of These Nights" was my first exposure, and it left quite a bad taste. Using a bEAGLES sample was bad enough, but then to crossfade over something out of key was unconscionable - like fingers on a chalkboard. Nothing I've heard since has changed my opinion. There's just something a bid too middle-of-the-road about them... Cheerfully yours Che

On Fri, 20 Feb 1998, Che wrote:

quoted 6 lines On Thu, 19 Feb 1998, lwtcdi wrote:

> On Thu, 19 Feb 1998, lwtcdi wrote: > bad enough, but then to crossfade over something out of key was > unconscionable - like fingers on a chalkboard. Nothing I've heard since > has changed my opinion. > > There's just something a bid too middle-of-the-road about them...

I think "Everybody is a Star.." has some of the happiest bleepy, filtery lines on it that I've yet to hear. It is happy and funky without being sappy or just insipid or disposable rave-crap, at least the 6 tracks on that LP that I like. I wasn't too interested in the green LP that came after it. I remember when the 12" with [?old Soft MAchine lead singer] came out (94?), I thought they lost a lot of their originality. Solenoid solenoid@europa.com <------+

quoted 9 lines There's just something a bid too middle-of-the-road about them...

>> There's just something a bid too middle-of-the-road about them... > >I think "Everybody is a Star.." has some of the happiest bleepy, filtery >lines on it that I've yet to hear. It is happy and funky without being >sappy or just insipid or disposable rave-crap, at least the 6 tracks on >that LP that I like. I wasn't too interested in the green LP that came >after it. I remember when the 12" with [?old Soft MAchine lead singer] >came out (94?), I thought they lost a lot of their originality. >

Robert Wyatt it was (he was the Soft's drummer too). That green one, "United Kingdoms", with 2 tracks with Wyatt, was excellently original. It was a blend of an English folky feel with electronica and worked excellently! It was 93 I think.

quoted 5 lines Yes, the LP is called "A Users Guide" and I'm dying to hear it. I really

>> Yes, the LP is called "A Users Guide" and I'm dying to hear it. I really >> really rate their stuff - the last LP was excellent and Every Man and >> Woman is probably my favourite record full stop. As a band they should >> be up there with Orbital, Black Dog, Aphex etc but instead they remain >> criminally underrated.

quoted 3 lines I've been a bit put off by them from the start. The track on "Excursions

> I've been a bit put off by them from the start. The track on "Excursions > In Ambience 1", with the bEAGLES sample from "One Of These Nights" was my > first exposure, and it left quite a bad taste.

Which track was this, just so I know what you're talking about. I'm not familiar with the sample...

quoted 1 line Nothing I've heard since has changed my opinion.

> Nothing I've heard since has changed my opinion.

Well, what have you heard? It's hard for me to tell you what I think you're missing about them if I don't know what you've heard!

quoted 1 line There's just something a bid too middle-of-the-road about them...

> There's just something a bid too middle-of-the-road about them...

Well, I agree that United Kingdoms was maybe a little too clean and tasteful for some people, but I think Every Man and Woman Is A Star sounds like nothing else before or since, and Bel Air is probably the best IDM record since Bytes. In fact the new Plaid LP reminds me of Bel Air a bit with the female vocal tracks and the clean product. As much as I like Not For Threes, I think Bel Air is stronger as an album. The other thing I admire about Ultramarine is their ability to change their style considerably between albums and still create something good at the same time. Their albums are very well considered and they never saturate the market with a billion of their releases and remixes, like some other artists. They concentrate on putting out a good LP every couple of years and pretty much leave it at that when it would probably be easy for them to put out below par stuff just to make money. Solenoid <solenoid@thetics.europa.com>

quoted 4 lines I think "Everybody is a Star.." has some of the happiest bleepy, filtery

> I think "Everybody is a Star.." has some of the happiest bleepy, filtery > lines on it that I've yet to hear. It is happy and funky without being > sappy or just insipid or disposable rave-crap, at least the 6 tracks on > that LP that I like.

I think the whole LP really works. There were two versions about on vinyl at least, the single and double vinyl. I have the double which I think has extra tracks, but it still doesn't pale at any point for me.

quoted 3 lines I wasn't too interested in the green LP that came

> I wasn't too interested in the green LP that came > after it. I remember when the 12" with [?old Soft MAchine lead singer] > came out (94?), I thought they lost a lot of their originality.

I thought this was great stuff also, but I think the LP is a grower and takes quite a while to sink in. Bel Air is totally different, IMO. Shades of their former styles, but less organic but still has plenty of feeling, and is probably the most IDM-ish they've done. gb.

quoted 3 lines not too long ago, someone mentioned the new ultramarine, now on beechwood's

> not too long ago, someone mentioned the new ultramarine, now on beechwood's > new electronica label. can anybody provide me with the name of the new > album? is it out yet?

It's called 'A Users Guide' and should have been preceded by a 12" called 'On The Brink'. I haven't seen either, but I have a feeling both of them are out... I really like to know what people think of this release, BTW. Graham. -- [b]r[e]a[k]b[e]a[t] [e]r[a] _ Roni Size Reprazent Krust Die Suv Full Cycle Dope http://www2.prestel.co.uk/lwtcdi/era/ Dragon V Philly Blunt Chronic Protocol [profiles][discographies][sounds][interviews][news]

lwtcdi wrote:

quoted 6 lines not too long ago, someone mentioned the new ultramarine, now on

> > not too long ago, someone mentioned the new ultramarine, now on > beechwood's > > new electronica label. can anybody provide me with the name of the > new > > album? is it out yet? >

I'D still like to get my hands on a copy of Bel Air.... jeff