"V/A - Passages"

[Trance2MoveU]

 

Artist: Various

Title: Passages

Label: Ultimae Records

Date: April, 2014

 

1. James Murray - Passing Through Walls

2. Fingers In The Noise - Delicate

3. Cygna - Within

4. Brando Lupi - Opal

5. Miktek - Kinematics

6. Murya - Der Blaue Engel

7. Martin Nonstatic - Moments

8. Lars Leonhard - Deeper Direction

9. Aes Dana - Units

10. Connect Ohm - 9980 (Cell Remix)

11. Max Million - Skying

12. Zinovia - Northern Wind

 

For those of us that don't worship at the altar of Ultimae this compilation appears to be nothing special. Typical cover art presentation with a nice photo. At first glance there are only a few recognizable names (for me anyway) and I was filing this under just the next album in the release train.

 

You would think I'd know better by now.

 

True the artists aren't the household names we've become accustomed to, but treat that as a negative at your own peril. This compilation does what Ultimae does. Soft, gentle downtempo with somber melodies and glitchy grooves. After the opening track (didn't like it, went nowhere) we're treated to relaxing grey day music. Delicate is just that; wispy tones as rain streams down the window. Within is open mouth discovery as I journey through a hidden ice cave. The strings give it a very cold feeling as percussive sounds ping off the walls. Opal is the exit from that cave bringing a vast frozen vista into view.

 

Kinematics is a lush march that takes its time as does Der Blaue Engel, but the latter has more melodies and glitch. Shortest here, but more memorable. The rain falls during Moments and Deeper Direction picks up the tempo. Unlit by the guy I'm actually familiar with is rich and melancholy with some haunting piano. The Cell remix didn't do anything for me and I found it a tad boring. Skying has a full and hopeful sound and Northern Wind closes it out with some nice ambient piano.

 

Ready for me to trot out the often used maxim? While none of the tracks themselves are stellar can't do without, the flow itself is the star. Very relaxing all the way through with rich sounds echoing the hallmark of Ultimae artists. It's not my favorite Ultimae release by far, but it's soothing, quality chill. If you buy the Flac version from Ultimae I think you get the continuous mix.

 

Ultimae

 

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