“Ambrosia is the perfect door to discover the musical world of Ultimae label”
1 Sub Strata (Max Million & Gusk) 2 Light Tails (Miktek) 3 Distant Industries (One Arc Degree) 4 Principles of Gravity (Aes Dana) 5 Homo Imperceptibilis (Sygnals) 6 Sun Ritual (Sesen) 7 Hyades (Alpha Tek) 8 V.A.N.T.A. (Asura) 9 Why (Memphidos) 10 Ominous Ride (Miktek)
(CD/DDL 74:58) (V.F.)
(Electronica, Psybient)
The French label Ultimae is an equivalence of the English label DiN. Like Ian Boddy's label, the Lyon-based label possesses a nice bunch of artists who shape a stunning EM of which the soft and lascivious rhythms are next to ambiances as cosmic as psychedelic. AMBROSIA (Selected by Fishimself) is a compilation mixed by Greek DJ Fishimself, of his real name Haris Papadimitriou. This latter loves a music without borders, neither rhythmic and nor ambient, where the down-tempos with numerous evolutionary phases reign in absolved masters in the psychotronic spheres of an ambient parallel universe. This compilation flows into our ears with the amazement of its versatility with 10 titles link together as in a long journey in the countries of ambivalent rhythms. So, welcome in the kingdom of the cerebral rhythmic sensuality. Welcome to the eclectic down-tempos of DJ Fishimself.
This superb meshing of styles begins with Sub Strata from Max Million and Gusk. The rhythm is soft and finely drawn by at once heavy and light percussions. Like in a sort of cosmic and astral down-tempo, the rhythm floats in an oneiric structure where crystalline arpeggios, thin pads of suave ethereal voice, morphic guitar chords and synth layers wrapped up in a static mist get enlacing on a rhythm with subtle permutations. Miktek's Light Tails adopts the same cosmic-astral approach with a floating and hopping tempo. The choirs are beautiful. They roam on a misty structure which is slightly embossed by good percussions. Distant Industries from One Arc Degree follows the dreamy ashes of Light Tails with a cosmic and psychedelic down-tempo which spreads its slow rhythm over heavy metallic percussions. The synth draws a melodious approach which floats at big knocks of undulatory arcs, bringing in its melodious trail an uncertain rhythm which appears closer to stars than dance floors and which tergiversates among the breaths of astral mermaids and whispers which awaken a soft paranoia. Aes Dana's Principles of Gravity offers a rhythmic approach divided between its pulsating and ambient passages. The rhythm is forged by percussions with varied forms and tones, offering echoing strikings and other ones coated of cosmic gases effects which are grafting to sequences pulsing at various paces and swirling in hypnotic stroboscopic carousels while the ambient passages are fed by subdued choirs and cosmic layers. A melodious oscillatory piano line opens Sygnals from Homo Imperceptibilis, by far my very favourite on this album. This delicate melodious approach falls in a heavy up-tempo which swirls with lasciviousness around a hordes of keys weakened by a tone of glass. Nice layers from a morphic synth caress this soft cosmic down-tempo which cackle beneath the weight of a good stroboscopic approach. The second part is delicious. The rhythm turns in slow motion, embraced by a soft synth with an envelope of violin strings which float and sing under the hits of hypnotic percussions. Percussions which are divided into halves and multiply their strikings in a great symbiosis anarchy.
After an ambient intro where a rain of heterogeneous tones pours into oblivion, Sun Ritual from Sesen wakes up slowly with a rhythmic approach trapped in its cosmic elements and movements. Alpha Tek's Hyades pursues the exploitation of dark and glaucous ambiances introduced by Sesen before hatching on a heavy down-tempo to melodic envelope slightly jerky. The percussions fall with the subjection of a tick-tock caught in a muddy rhythm which shivers under the shakings of fine hoops and good sound effects so much echoing than reverberating. A little like Sun Ritual, V.A.N.T.A. from Asura marinates in an ambient intro before copulating with a good progressive rhythm which hooks the ear instantly. It's long title which caresses so varied styles such as dark ambient, psychotronic ambient and cosmic down-tempo to progress with an intense cinematographic approach. It's kind of a psychedelic ride fed by hatched pads and chords and coated by a beautiful melodious envelope with an aura as angelic as foggy. A cooing and wave-like synth line shifts shape into a beautiful and crystal-clear sequenced approach to sing the sweetnesses of Memphidos' Why which swirls in a universe chewed by misread percussions. Between psycho drama and psychedelicosmic, Why overlaps ethereal ambiance and crushed rhythm on a bipolar structure where static and white noises are next to a nice melody which has difficulty to make breathe its crystalline sequences. Ominous Ride from Miktek concludes this journey of broken rhythms by a beautiful piece of music where the down-tempo breathes by fine sequences and nice piano notes radiating in a very cosmic atmosphere.
AMBROSIA (Selected by Fishimself) is the perfect door to discover the musical world and the ambivalent rhythms of the Ultimae Records label. If I savoured my ears wide open of pleasure the sublime Interloper from Carbon Based Lifeforms, the pleasure was just as much with this delicious compilation which transcends the borders of an EM with fragrances of Berlin School to radiate of a sound universe so hard-hitting. With a master's hand, Fishimself erects a strong opus on which the homogeneity moves us away from the typical compilations with a skilful dosage of lascivious and languishing rhythms in atmospheres so much ethereal than cosmic, giving birth to a compact album which has no weakness and no dead moments.
Sylvain Lupari (January 10th, 2012) *****
Available at Ultimae Records Bandcamp