Various - Family Tree

Eardream Music: 2010

Ah, no! I've had my fill of psy dub, really I have. Going through the entire Fahrenheit Project series from Ultimae, plus a brief detour into spa-a-a-a-ce, has sated my palette for at least a good month. Damn you, alphabetical stipulations. And here I was, thankful for covering different music again. *sigh*

The funny thing is I nearly bypassed this one altogether. Family Tree comes care of Eardream Music, a tiny web-label that's released but a mere half-dozen digi-comps in the few years it’s existed. I stumbled upon this one at the always awesome Ektoplazm, based off a recommendation list from website runner Basilisk. Cool and all, but as I'm sure many folks can relate, downloading from these free music portals creates a tendency of nabbing releases in bunches, some of which get lost in the shuffle and buried within the convoluted file management of hard drives. I'm pretty O.C.D. about keeping track of what I download, and Family Tree still plunged to the depths of my folders.

Long story short, I only just now happened upon this sucker again, which likely means there wasn't much to it that made me want to listen again (assuming I even bothered to play Family Tree when I first downloaded it). I certainly don’t recognize any names here, and nor should I as most of them haven’t released anything anywhere else (so sayeth The Discogs).

The most prolific of the bunch is Tor.Ma, otherwise known as Rafael Hernandez to his fam’ - of course, being prolific here means releasing at least one album, but dude’s got three under his belt. His tune for Family Tree is about what you’d expect from most psy dub music, though it’s got some funky bounce going for it, almost a proper reggae vibe were it not for occasional effects dragging it from the realms of trippy ganja music. In fact, save that and the final of these five tunes, this could almost be considered a reggae dub release.

Each producer does offer a different take on the template too. Austero’s Bettie Page opts for a house jam. Nako sees fit to bring the rude-wobbly side of dub music to our ears in 3 Corazones (no, not dubstep). Prefer your Jamaican jams coming from space? Ish Dub & Juan Cano got you covered with the spliff-bliss Good Bye South Africa.

Yeah, yeah, these tunes aren’t reinventing the wheel, and if I’m honest (am I anything but?), the production’s stiff, missing that extra little mixdown polish that sets great releases apart from the merely decent. Or maybe I’ve just been horribly spoiled by Ultimae this past week - it’s like going down to a 19” monitor after enjoying a glorious 32”. Still, if you favour these sounds, you’ll be well sorted with Family Tree. Hey, it’s a freebie download, and far worse music has been unleashed upon the interwebs than this tidy little collection.

Überzone - Faith In The Future

Astralwerks: 2001

After the successes of Chemical Brotherhood, The Prodigious, and Fatboy Slimstyles, record execs seeing dollar signs figured any ol' 'electronica' act making those break'n'beats musics would keep the cash flowin'. Thus began the proliferation of albums featuring breaks artists and whatever sub-genres they brought. BT and Hybrid had the progressive side of things covered; Adam Freeland brought the nu-skool to attention; DJ Icey repped Florida state; and the West Coast acidy chemical breaks vibe featured The Crystal Method and this Überzone fella’. You remember him, right? C’mon, his City Of Angels material was among the highlights of that era of breaks.

Still, though chemical breaks never died, the mid-‘90s was its only peak of popularity - it even beat out big beat by a couple years in America, though it clearly remained a product of the rave scene with little true crossover potential. The Crystal Method managed it by combining The Chemical Brothers’ block rockin’ sound with their acid, but Überzone was something different. He skewed closer to the electro side of things, finding a nifty, skippity-scratch blend between Florida and West Coast. It was unlike anything else even within the chemical breaks scene, propelling Mr. Wiles to the forefront of the genre. How, then, does one go about marketing the guy, when his sound is so underground?

Hedging bets, apparently. Faith In The Future has all the hallmarks of a big beat album, checking off what was required of a crossover: slick production that can catch your ear while the radio’s playing, guest performers and collaborations, chill cuts for the chicks, and knowing nods to the true heads who’ve stuck things out through thick and thin. Fine, if that’s your aim, but by the year 2001, the crossover formula had grown stale, and Überzone’s debut was quickly forgotten in favor of any-and-all things nu-skool.

All of which actually makes Faith In The Future a pretty darn good album regardless, because Überzone doesn’t fall into either of those camps. He’s an electro-funk guy, and if you don’t believe it, the opener Beat Bionic features veterans of the old school in talk-box action from Bart Thomas and Bigg Robb (of Zapp fame, though credited as Sure 2 B here), and scratch artist Davey Dave. Later in the album, none other than Afrika Bambaataa shows up with his SoulSonic Force for 2kool4skool, capably showing some nu-skool skill while keeping things retro-proper. Most of the album follows this form, with collaborations from Rennie Pilgrem and Ken Jordan (of The Crystal Method) expertly handled while Überzone cuts loose with his brand of electro-acid-funk. Rounding things out are pleasant enough chill tunes with Dreamtime and the titular cut, and the indie-rock warbler track (Frequency with Helmet front-man Page Hamilton) doesn’t drag, also a plus.

I cannot deny Faith In The Future coming off too polished if you prefer your breaks strictly underground, but as few others have ever emulated Überzone’s style, it’s still a fresh sounding album over a decade on.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Seven

Ultimae Records: 2011

Who knows at this point whether Part 6 of Fahrenheit Project was intended to end the compilation series, or circumstances simply made it thus, but for whatever the reason it appeared that would be the final entry. Considering the highs it'd achieved, it also would have concluded on quite a limp note. No, better to do things proper-like and give the series a send-off it deserves. Well, one theory for Fahrenheit Project’s resurrection, after half a decade of sitting fallow.

First off, the cover art itself is something of a tribute to Ultimae of old. It retains the letter-box design (which’d been retired the same year), plus includes the circular graphic that graced many of the original covers before they were redone with new artwork (Part 3, which never received an update, also has it). And lo, Asura finally returns to the series. Oddly, most of the Ultimae regulars are absent: no Cell, no Carbon Based Lifeforms, and Aes Dana only provides his usual track arrangement. True, the latter two had albums forthcoming the same year, but it's a shame not to see them in any musical capacity.

That said, a few familiar names to the Ultimae legacy do crop up. The duo Circular had released their fourth album on the label, and Scann-Tec appeared on Part 6. Hol Baumann gets a credit as well, though it’s care of a remix on Final by a relatively unknown Max Million. A number of other established and fresh-faced acts round out the rest, including that AstroPilot dude again (I told you he was prolific!).

And the music? Chill, of course, though by this point Ultimae’s bread-and-butter was mellow prog psy and blissed ambient techno, and that’s the general vibe going on here. Heck, AstroPilot’s Memories Maze is incredibly brisk, almost breezing along at a proper trance pace. Meanwhile, Asura’s Millenium 3 does something I thought I’d never hear from this label: side-chaining. It’s not even subtle, that distinct pulsing-throb of pad work around the kicks front-and-center throughout the track. After hearing the technique abused by electro house producers and Markus Schulz disciples, I want to hate this track by default. As it plays through, however, I find myself enjoying it, sucked into Asura’s groovin’ little number. Of course, the reason for this is obvious: those other producers are shit, and Asura’s not.

All-in-all, Fahrenheit Project, Part 7 is a welcome addition to the series’ history. Though not quite reaching the highs of Parts 4 and 5, it easily stands on even ground with the early editions. If this does end up being the final entry, I can’t think of a better way of going out than with Solar Field’s OnFlow. It’s such an uplifting tune, forcing a silly grin upon your face as you reach over to the closest person to give them a big, sloppy hug; yet, a touch of melancholy permeates the mood as it fades out at the end. Sending Fahrenheit Project to the heavens, it seems.

Various - Absence Of Gravity

Sentimony Records: 2011

I bought the Fahrenheit Project collection back when it only included up to Part 6. Seems pointless, however, to do a retrospective of the series without also covering Part 7, so off to the Ultimae homepage I went to pick that up. Hopefully it would arrive in the mail on time to carry on here, and sure enough, it did. Wouldn’t you know it though, I went and gummed things up by buying more than just the one CD, forcing me to honor my alphabetical stipulation regarding new music. Don’t worry, folks, we’ll return to our regular Fahrenheits soon enough.

And what prompted me in picking up this curious little compilation called Absence Of Gravity? I’ve been jonesing for a follow-up to Tyler Smith’s Distant System album Spiral Empire for a while now, but unfortunately it appears the project’s been put on hold yet again. Thus, upon seeing a space psy-ambient collection among the third-party releases Ultimae distributes, I was an interstellar moth drawn to a spectral class O-Type star. Who cares if the cover looks a little corny, it’s just, um, going with a ‘90s retro vibe I bet. Yeah, that’s it! Send that CD on over, guys.

Absence Of Gravity has a tenuous theme going for it, something regarding the 50th anniversary of the first space walks. For the most part, it's stylistically similar to old Namlook records, so if you've felt the Braheny school of 'planetarium soundtracking' is too New Age for your taste, you'll be in fine hands here. There are a few psy dub trappings – how could there not be when acts like the prolific AstroPilot and dark psy chap Psyfactor crop up in the tracklist – but nothing that overwhelms the outwordly vibe going on. Instead, we get plenty of dark droning patches capturing the bleakness of deep space, swelling cosmic synths inspiring the grandeur of the cosmos, and the requisite samples of astro-radio chatter and scientific lectures or interviews.

Speaking of such, it's pretty cool hearing Russian cosmonauts on a few of these tracks. Mind, it'a not a huge surprise since this compilation comes care of the Ukraine-based Sentimony – no doubt many of these producers grew up following the Soviet's exploits into space. It’s refreshing to not run through the same ol' Apollo mission dialog nonetheless. And hey, Spectrum Vision brings us a tune titled Tunguska; funny stumbling across that so soon after Russia dealt with another meteor.

Somewhat surprisingly, Absence Of Gravity shows diversity even within its admittedly limited niche. I eat up space music like a black hole eats matter, but it’s a welcome contrast having a few Earth-bound moments like nature sounds in Reactive’s Free Search and ethnic chants in Chronos’ Endless Rotation (it is psy dub, after all). There’s pure ambient noodling early on the CD, brisk chill-out in the middle, and even spacey electro near the end. Overall, a solid collection of downtempo for those who agree space is the place.

Now, about that Distant System follow-up…

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Six

Ultimae Records: 2006/2008

What else could Ultimae do? Half a decade after emerging from the hinterlands of psy chill obscurity, the label was riding an astounding wave of musical success. Their tactic of interspersing albums from their roster with the Fahrenheit Project series probably could have been milked to this day, but that's boring. Nay, by the time Part 6 of this series came, changes were afoot, and perhaps sadly, this would be the last of the Fahrenheit Projects for some time.

Such changes included: launching new compilation-mix series such as Oxycanta and Albedo; heavier emphasis on artist albums; and, most crucially, signing more talent to Ultimae. For a label known for an almost glacial rate of releasing material, such a jump in activity was going to show a little initial strain. Those new series didn't last long, as the increased LP output – almost all which were ace – overshadowed many of them. Why bother, said the fans, with the compilations when much of the best material was on the albums? Fahrenheit Project succeeded because it was as much a sneak preview of such albums as it was a roster showcase, so it was in Ultimae's favour to offer their best material for the series. With names like Solar Fields, H.U.V.A. Network, and Carbon Based Lifeforms practically selling themselves to the faithful now, the Fahrenheit format was no longer required.

So it's in this transitional period we find Part 6. Again, regular Ultimae acts all show up, with a few outside contributors sprinkled about. Still, a notable difference rears its head compared the last few entries, in that there's a lack of CBL. Sync24 does offer one track, mind, but as the duo was working on their sophomore effort, it's possible they didn't have time for Fahrenheit this time out. Maybe Ultimae should have called in Asura? No, wait, he was working on a new album too.

At only nine tracks, this is the shortest of the series, and to be blunt, it isn’t anywhere near as good as the prior two. Granted, those were lofty peaks, but one can’t help but be disappointed they couldn’t maintain at a plateau instead of take a stumble. As with Part 3, the lack of diversity hurts, most of the artists sticking to tried-and-tested psy chill tropes. The production remains top notch of course, but track flow is serviceable at best, everything melding into the same psy-glitch-ambient-downtempo soup Ultimae’s known for.

One of the few surprising developments, however, comes midway, and care of Solar Fields. Instead of offering his typical brand of chill-out, he dives headfirst into the realms of prog psy on Levitate. He’d dabbled in the vicinity of that sound before, but always in a ‘slow trance’ fashion. This tune, though, is incredibly brisk, especially for Fahrenheit Project. It must have garnered him a good response, as his following album, Earthshine, was loaded with the stuff, such that even fans of regular ol’ trance took notice.

And then Ultimae’s exposure truly took off.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Five

Ultimae Records: 2005/2008

Five editions of Fahrenheit Project deep, it's safe to say Ultimae had found a formula that worked. Fresh material from their regular roster, a few contributions from outside sources, and an excellent mix of mellow trance, ambient techno, and cinematic chill keeping the music varied and interesting. Oh, and release it after a fallow year, a handy tactic in building anticipation for the next entry in the series.

By 2005, however, the need to take it a step further must have been on their minds. Mostly fuelled by the popularity of Israeli full-on and Swedish prog psy, the psy scene was enjoying a resurgence of interest, and those into the downtempo side of things were cluing into the label's potential. The buzz generated by their early material had grown into a steady murmur now, but Ultimae had long been a cut above their musical peers, so it's not like they had to up the ante. Besides, Fahrenheit, Part 4 was such a good compilation, I doubt anyone expected them to top that one. Could they even top it?

They fucking smashed it.

For one thing, Ultimae noticed psy's changing trends, and capably found a footing within the realms of prog psy. Not that the label was adverse in dabbling with an upbeat tempo, but it was mostly a sort of 'slow trance' style they were comfortable with. Here, Aes Dana's Purple and Solar Field's Water Silence could easily find DJ set duty with any of the Iboga or Spiral Trax offerings of that year (though probably better suited early in such a set). Wedged among those two are the returning Jaïa and Aural Planet, each providing a different tone of psy dub, keeping variety high and class.

At the other end of the spectrum (and CD) lurks the other Ultimae regulars in Carbon Based Lifeforms (including two solo outings from CBL member Sync24), and Hol Baumann. The former’s sound often skewed in ambient techno’s favor, but even that was seeing changes with the trendy emergence of minimal, drone, and glitch by the mid-‘00s. Following suit, they along with Hol explore such music to great effect. Heck, Baumann’s Final could have made for an excellent capper with strong drum programming and guitar strums complementing the glitch, but Sync24’s suitably named ‘Epilogue Edit’ of Wake takes us out in fine fashion.

And then there’s the middle section! Holy cow, it’s the best string of music I’ve heard out of all these Fahrenheit Projects, no small feat considering how strong the track arrangement usually is. Processing Lights from H.U.V.A. Network is a lush piece of ethereal chill, then Cell somehow outdoes that with his own haunting Blue Embers. Joining them is prog psy vet Marius Katz, bringing a touch of actual ambient techno funk to the proceedings, and sounding not a touch out of place in the process. How he do that!?

Okay, that’s enough enthusiastic rambling from me. If you can only get one Fahrenheit Project, Part 5’s the one. Trust.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Four

Ultimae Records: 2003/2007

Even as a label known for infrequent releases, releasing a mere two in 2002 is a small amount for Ultimae. Did a busy tour schedule not allow for it? Financial strains? Albums sat on for perfectionist’s sake? Perhaps that last one, as sophomore efforts from Solar Fields and Aes Dana, plus a (proper) full-length debut of Carbon Based Lifeforms were all released in 2003. Oh yeah, and the fourth installment of the Fahrenheit Project series came out too.

Come to think of it, I wonder if the young Ultimae was having finance troubles too, on account this (and the second limited Aes Dana album) initially came out as a CDr. Like most of their early material, it was reissued with new artwork, and perhaps due to the odd fashion it was first released, Fahrenheit, Part 4 had the honors of being the first receiving such treatment in ’07.

Which makes sense, as Fahrenheit 4 is easily the best of the series yet! If Fahrenheit, Part 2 found Ultimae with some swagger of confidence in their sound, this one has them in a full-on strut (no, not full-on psy …although that was growing popular too). Whereas Part 3 noodled about too much with an over-exposure of but a few producers, this one comes off focused and driven, unique music from the Ultimae mainstays rubbing shoulders with new and established talent from abroad.

Of the non-Ultimae contributors, it’s an interesting mix. Mostly on a psy dub tip, Ochi Brothers and Aural Planet were well established by 2003, and their music reflects the spectrum of organic and synthetic sound the genre could run; newcomer Puff Dragon meets them somewhere in the middle with his Chinese Radio. Also returning to the series is Vibrasphere, who, along with Spiral Trax, were quickly establishing themselves as a force to reckon with in the scene. Say, sounds like another label at the time, doesn’t it?

And speaking of Ultimae, the regulars all come correct this time in standing out from one another. Solar Fields’ Union Light finds him dabbling in space synth, while Aes Dana returns to his industrial roots with a cold bit of ethereal techno in Memory Shell. After their strong Ultimae debut, Carbon Based Lifeforms’ don’t lose a step, Epicentre (Second Movement) working a similar looping, building melody as they did with MOS 6581 while adding more instrumentation and a didgeridoo. Awesome! Not to be outdone, Cell combines the best elements of Aes Dana and CBL in the form of Audio Deepest Night, a cold yet lovely slice of bleak ambient techno; the ol’ ‘winter canvas’ sound. Also returning is Hol Baumann, closing Part 4 with another fresh take on the psy dub template. Still no Asura, though. Where’s he been, anyway?

Still, by 2003 the buzz surrounding Ultimae was growing, and I can easily see Fahrenheit Project, Part 4 converting many a curious listener back then. A decade on now, I’ve no doubt this compilation would have the same effect. It’s that damn good.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Three

Ultimae Records: 2002/2008

Let’s get something out in the open: Ultimae ain’t perfect. They’re very good at what they do, great even, but sometimes they slip. For instance, you know the little incense stick included with your orders? Well, they sent Lavender Bliss in one of mine, and dammit, I was countin’ on Summer Rain. Fail!

Okay, I’m being silly there, but yes, not everything they release is gold. Though I’ve never come across an Ultimae CD that’s anything less than bronze, when a label maintains such a high level of quality, even ‘just okay’ can be disappointing. Credit due where it’s deserved though, as their first year of operation saw a string of strong releases in the first two Fahrenheit Projects, plus the debuts of Asura and Solar Fields. To kick off the following year, they released Part 3 of their flagship series, and it’s… well, not as good as the first two.

The trouble lies with one of the few critiques one could find in Ultimae as a whole: their roster has a tendency to sound all alike, indistinguishable from each other. To be fair, this is a complaint one can make for nearly any smallish label, in that cultivating talent with shared musical aesthetics is standard business practice. The first two Fahrenheits got around this potential hiccup by bringing in established acts to spice up the musical variety. Now that Ultimae had gathered a respectable roster of their own, however, they gave their homegrown talent most of the spotlight for Fahrenheit 3. It unfortunately renders much of the CD down to a pleasant-but-mushy gloop of psy-chill music indistinguishable one artist from the next. Even after playing it just now - maybe the third or fourth time since I got the whole Fahrenheit package - I still have trouble remembering much of significance.

As if to drive the point home, the first track that always sticks in my mind comes from one of the non-Ultimae posse, Nabab by Toirés (who’d also cropped up on Fahrenheit 1). It’s a fairly standard bit of Indian-flavoured world beat, but oh such a respite from everything else. Mystical Sun also contributes with Blue Magnetic Ocean, a tune that’s far more uptempo for the chap’s style.

Another thing of note with this compilation is the debuts of Carbon Based Lifeforms and Ultimae ‘supergroup’ H.U.V.A. Network. CBL actually had an MP3.com release a couple years prior, but with a proper label behind them now, the duo makes good on their opportunity with a lovely slice of ambient techno in MOS 6581, plus a chill-out closer with Metrosat 4. As for the Aes Dana/Solar Fields collab’, it’s suitably cinematic given the players involved, but one suspects they’re capable of better.

That, along with another solo outing from Aes Dana, plus two more from Solar Fields, is likely why so much of Fahrenheit 3 sounds interchangeable. It’s not a deal breaker, but if ranking the series, Part 3 takes up the rear. Oh well, one of them had to.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part Two

Ultimae Records: 2001/2008

Striking while the opportunity was hot, Ultimae completed their transformation from Infinium and released Fahrenheit Project, Part 2 the same year as the first, using the tried and tested method of exposing your new label by flooding the market. Nah, that's not it. The first volume was such a success that it attracted high-profile talent eager to contribute to the project, and Ultimae was happy to oblige, even if a quick turnaround was odd. No, wait, that's probably not it either. Maybe a combination of both?

Whatever. The second in the Fahrenheit series is unique amongst the others, in that it features artists that are quite recognizable even without the Ultimae association. Nuclear Ramjet had a minor hit with Deep Blue that year, while Vibrasphere and Khetzal would turn out highly regarded careers within the psy trance scene in the ensuing decade. Oh, and ambient luminary Robert Rich contributed a new track, which is nothing short than a coup for a fledgling ambient label like Ultimae was. Rich’s music career traces back to the scene’s earliest years of the ‘80s, and though he never quite reached the same status as Roach, Braheny, or Stearns, he still carved out an important niche within space music’s history. So yeah, Rich... Ultimae... good stuff. So good, in fact, that the tune he provided, Somnium, bookends the whole compilation, first as an intro, then in its full version to close out in dark, mysterious droning fashion.

And the rest of the music? Pretty darn good, I’d say. The above artists all turn out typically psy leaning downbeat tunes, while Chi-A.D. returns with an even better psy dub jam with When The Effect Came. Another regular contributor to these early Fahrenheit compilations was Mystical Sun, who’s meditative blend of ambience and world beat provided a nice contrast to the CDs’ upbeat moments, offers a typically calm track with Waters Of Life.

As for the Ultimae regulars, their productions find them on much stronger footing than the last outing, their music hinting at newfound confident swagger. Solar Fields opens Fahrenheit 2 with Electric Fluid, mixing psy and ambient techno to great effect. Elsewhere, Aes Dana’s Summerland shows off the ‘slow trance’ sound that would become another of Ultimae’s trademarks, and Bénarès from Hol Baumann gets into funky world beat, which wouldn’t sound too out of place on that Elemental Chill: Earth compilation. Cell, another frequent Ultimae contributor, also debuts here, his Keun Yung showing that classic ambient techno was far from dead even at the turn of the century. Shame there’s no Asura on this one, but after two tracks on Fahrenheit 1, a step back for the other Ultimae artists to shine is fine.

Not much else to say about Fahrenheit Project, Part 2. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a better CD than the first, as it’s missing a truly knock-out track like Asura’s They Will Come, but overall it’s a slicker package. Going from strength to strength: the Ultimae manifesto.

Various - Fahrenheit Project - Part One

Ultimae Records: 2001/2008

Damn it, Ultimae, stop being so classy. Purchasing your material is already a worthy investment, but you offer bulk packages too? How can any fan of the label resist gathering up all that back catalog? So yeah, snagging up the entire Fahrenheit Project set was a no-brainers for yours truly, which means ya’ll better settle in, folks, as we’re in for a long one here. But first, some backstory.

In the beginning, Ultimae wasn’t Ultimae; it was Infinium. This is why CDs carry an “inre” for catalog numbers. It was little more than a promo-copy outlet, but they did manage a couple proper releases before the change, including the first Fahrenheit volume, a series primarily highlighting exclusive music from their roster. Fast-forward some years later, and Ultimae's done pretty well for itself. May as well reissue those early CDs with new artwork and updated sonics, which is what we get here.

Actually, I'm just assuming Fahrenheit 1 was given a fresh mixdown, as the production quality is on par with later material. Few releases sounded this good back at the turn of the century, much less a start-up label within the psy scene. To be fair, Ultimae has never been strictly a 'psy chill' label, dipping their toes into ambient techno, space music, glitch, dub, and so on. Still, the label’s primary link is to panoramic psychedelics, and their earliest work doesn't hide this fact.

Almost every Ultimae regular make contributions to Fahrenheit 1, some of whom had yet to even release solo work of their own. Asura already had an album out by this point (through Infinium), and gets two tracks here, the second of which, They Will Come, is a blinder of a tune. Label co-honcho Aes Dana offers an early work called Skyclad, a brooding bit of dark downbeat befitting of someone with an industrial background. Hol Baumann, an occasional Ultimae chap who’d finally make a solo album all the way in 2008, shows up with some ambient techno in Another. There's also some dude calling himself Solar Fields here, with a track titled Outlined Surfaces, an unremarkable mish-mash of psychedelic chill that doesn’t lead to much. Still, I think he'll do alright for himself in the coming decade.

Rounding the compilation out are several established acts from the psy and ambient camps. Craig Padilla’s Beyond Beta harkens to the sort of calm padwork one might find on a Steven Roach label, Chi-A.D. goes proper psy dub on our ears with Slide, Distortion Orchestra’s Fire Maiden sounds like a long lost +Fax tune, and… what’s this? An old licensed track from True Frequencies to close out? I thought Fahrenheit Project was all about fresh material?

Ah well, Ultimae was still new (technically not even in existence yet!), so a little feeling-out process is expected. Considering how unknown many of the names involved were at the time, this first edition of a flagship series is as solid a starting point the label could have hoped for.