ultramarine
ltm catalogue



EVERY MAN AND WOMAN IS A STAR (LTMCD 2345) £10
In 1991 electronic duo Ultramarine recorded this landmark laid-back album, released in this form by Rough Trade in 1992 to great acclaim and eulogised by Simon Reynolds in his book Energy Flash. As well as the sublime single cuts Stella and Saratoga, the album offers a mesh of acoustic textures underpinned by a sometimes dubby, sometimes upfront beat. It's a lavish mix of light yet infectious rhythms and mellow vibes, recalling lazy afternoons and bright summer seascapes. Largely instrumental, the album also features lyric snatches from Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt, while on Stella the found voice speaks to the "deepest part of the soul." Full tracklist: Discovery; Weird Gear; Pansy; Honey; Stella; British Summertime; Saratoga; Geezer; Nova Scotia; Panther; Lights In My Brain; Gravity; Canoe Trip; Skyclad.

Reviews: "Less a rave record than an audio essay about rave culture. Ultramarine's unique style of folkadelic techno is utterly gorgeous, weaving jazzy flutes, glistening acoustic guitars, soft-rock vocals and samples of birdsong and water-ripples amidst the snaking 303s and chugging sequenced grooves" (eMusic, 10/06); "Unique - Ultramarine anticipated the laid-back, enigmatic likes of DJ Shadow and were themselves, in their quiet but effective way, a UK equivalent of De La Soul. Ten years on, this still seems as fresh as newly combine-harvested hay" (Uncut, 9/02); "The essence of the Big Chill festival - four stars" (Q Magazine, 10/02); "One of the first proper artist albums to come out of acid house and remains among the finest works of the whole genre. Any why is that? Simple, no rules" (Ministry, 9/02); "The acknowledged classic of chilled electronica... There were, and indeed are, so many highlights that it seems unfair to point to anything in particular" (Tangents, 7/02); "An album full of suss and vibes" (Whisperin' & Hollerin', 8/02); "Everything about this LP shines brightly, colourfully - a kick in the balls for clubland snobs" (NME, 12/91); "First class laze-out music" (Q Magazine, 12/91; "Their masterpiece: electronic folk music; acoustic techno; the most complete electro album ever - pick your own description" (NME, 7/93); "It's daring open-mindedness produces a genuinely thrilling end result" (Melody Maker, 12/91); "Quite simply some of the most beautiful, ambient music ever heard" (The Big Issue, 3/92); "You can put it on, go away, come back in a couple of years and it'll still be there" (DJ, 12/91); "A wonderful thing. Electronic music for the after-party, to ensure a pleasant yet meaningful come-down, and not a bad song in the bunch" (thetripwire, 01/07)


COMPANION (EMAWIAS VERSIONS) (LTMCD 2352) £10
Cracking 66 minute set of remixes, alternate takes and lost tracks from the sessions that produced the parent EMAWIAS album, as well as the 1993 spin-off remix ep Nightfall in Sweetleaf. Full tracklist: Intro; Weird Gear (Ultramarine Remix); Lights In My Brain (Spooky Remix); Geezer (Sweet Exorcist Remix); The Downer; Panther (Coco Steel & Lovebomb Remix); Outro; My First Canoe Trip (unreleased); Early Discovery (unreleased); Saratoga (Remix); Stella Connects (12" version); Lovelife #1 (unreleased); Nova Scotia (original version); Old Geezer Dub (unreleased); Pansy (live at Glastonbury 1993).

Reviews: "Refreshingly non-drastic remixes plus rare tracks, the best of which (Saratoga) is a divinely sashaying slice of jazz-funk tinged house" (eMusic, 10/06); "Faces you already love, from a slightly different angle" (Blissout, 5/03); "The soundtrack of choice" (Glasgow Herald, 8/03); "The tracks have a more dance-orientated theme to them, but are just as seductive and sublime as ever. Remixes of Weird Gear and Saratoga stand out, along with a live version of Pansy from Glastonbury '93. Summer on wax. You know you can't wait" (Careless Talk, 5/03); "Fills a unique niche between composed pop songs and meticulous, driving dance music" (The Big Takeover, 9/03); "For fans of the original album these versions are different enough to warrant investment, and add value to a landmark album" (Leonard's Lair, 6/03); "Companion contains remarkably little slack, and adds fresh dimensions to the already colourful originals. Indeed these versions of Weird Gear and Nova Scotia possibly better the original blueprint. Best of all, though, is the closing live take of Pansy. It's a lithe, ethnically infused rollercoaster ride that cocks a snook at fellow global beat travellers, with Jimmy Hastings making it clear that the Canterbury scenesters were anything but boring old farts" (Whisperin' & Hollerin', 6/03)


A USER'S GUIDE (LTMCD 2430) £10
The fifth album from Ultramarine, originally released in 1998. Downtempo, Detroit-esque techno and electronics, ideal for deep, late-nite deejay sets and sofa listening alike. A solid return to form. Ten tracks, 70 minutes of music. Full tracklist: All of a Sudden, Surfacing, Sucker 4U, On the Brink, Zombie, By Turns, Ambush, 4U Version, Ghost Routine, What Machines Want.

Reviews: "Like the ambient-techno scene they headed in the early 1990s, Ultramarine were hailed as visionaries. AUG attempts a return to their Detroit-influenced techno roots, and there's a lot to like. Futuristic chill-out" (Q Magazine, 12/05); "As swansongs go, there was still plenty of mileage and inventiveness in Ultramarine. Intelligent chill-out that actually stands up to Boards of Canada's Music Has the Right to Children, released in the same year. Surfacing and Ambush certainly share the same gifts for haunting ambience. Other standouts are the noirish Ghost Routine and On The Brink, where a lovely melody persists underneath the clanking metal. These unfussy, inventive instrumentals certainly make up a surprisingly excellent send-off" (Leonard's Lair, 10/05); "Sounds like a different era altogether, when chill-out had yet to be commercialised and Boards of Canada were barely shimmering on ths horizon. Dubby interlude 4U Version is the highlight" (Uncut, 1/06); "This is a key visionary piece in the timeline of the post-club music scene that still stands up to close scrutiny today. AUG concisely and brilliantly highlights the most interesting route that came from the ambient perimeters of techno and which is still being mapped today by the likes of Boards of Canada" (Whisperin' & Hollerin', 02/2006)

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