Antiseptic

 

Over the last few days I have found time to tidy up my computer, delete unnecessary stuff and back up my data. In the process, I came across a file that I had bought some time ago and had almost forgotten about. This is the debut album from Ultramarine, Folk. Ultramarine are Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond, together an electronic duo from Essex. Formed in 1990 and heavily influenced by the factory sound, they added elements of techno, house and ambient and complemented these with jazzy horns to create a unique sound. In their best moments, you think Happy Mondays have taken the wrong pills and are testing out funk-jazz.

Ultramarine - Antiseptic

2023 - This Year In Music Part I

 

Like every year I do the same as many other among us and take a look back on the musical year. I have to admit that this year was another good year for new music although older bands released some great albums. 

Let's start with a compilation that brought me back music from more than 30 years ago. In 1989 almost the same happened like 10 years ago when punk and new wave turned the music I listened upside down. Young people round Manchester detected the dancefloor with guitar based music and established remixes forever. Come Together: Adventures On The Indie Dancefloor is another excellent compilation by Cherry Red and shows how great music was made at this time. 

A few years ago Cologne's Kompakt label started a compilation series called Velvet Dessert Music. Two months ago they released Chapter 3 where relaxed guitar music meets western meets South American music elements. It's one of those records I used to listen to in the late evening.

After a longer hiatus Everything But The Girl came back with Fuse, an album showing the ability by Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt to write great songs. The songs are more focused on the dancefloor like before but Tracey's voice makes them extraordinary.

Sympathy For Life

 

Brooklyn's indie-rocker Parquet Court released their new album during the last week. I expected from them nothing more than another good album filled with good indie-music. And they fulfilled the expectations from the first song a post-punk hymn full of verve. So far so good. But there are songs on this album where they step out of their cliches and integrate groove and electronic into their sound.  Marathon Of Anger has a minimal groove and the chant imitate Talking Heads to lead us into an Ian Curtis-inspired post-punk hymn.

Plant Life is more a dance-jam that could be a leftover from a forgotten sessions Primal Scream or Happy Mondays did in the early 90s. I think it has nothing to do with copy a great sound it is more transporting great things from the past into today's world. With these songs Parquet Courts show us that they are far better than many of their workmates.

24 Hour Party People

Last weekend I watched 24 Hour Party People the comedy-drama biopic about the rise of Mancester's popular music scene especially Factory Records once again on television. I think I don't have to say much about Factory Records because a lot of was already said by Adam over the last years. What I can say is that it is always fun to watch Michael Winterbottom's movie because he convey the spirit of music from the first Sex Pistols concert into rave and DJ culture. And it is also a tribute to Tony Wilson without him this probably didn't happened the way it did. The development of this music was the road in music that I decided for me. There are so many bands and songs in this movie that makes me grab out my old records and listen to them once again with a smile on my face.

Swerve

Their is a record compilation out now I thinking about to buy. Manchester North Of England shows on seven CD's the musical evolution of this city from the early Buzzcocks to Oasis. Filled with bands from the independent era of the mid 70's to the end of the 80's. Many of them are new to me, others I didn't heard before. One of them I remember well because they were played often in various locations in my hometown. Dub Sex was another brilliant and sadly forgotten Manchester band playing alongside with Happy Mondays and Stone Roses when the came through. I still can enjoy their rough industrial sound. Probably one of the essences that made punk great.



The band reunited a few years ago and I found a footage from gig they played in December 2014. Great stuff.