This ep contains five new songs plus three remixes for the beautufil and highly danceable 'Lama' (somewhere betwxeen Joy Division and The Human League). The names of the remixers are quite interesting: Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), Malcolm Holmes (OMD) and Lights That Change. Those names prove that Ummagma already has made some impact in the world of electronic music and with good reason too. I really like all the versions of 'Lama' but let's go into the other tracks as well.
'Orion' is a fragile, electronic piece of work, gently and dreamy. It's sounds a bit like a dreampop lullaby, beautifully sung by Shauna. In fact, that song inspired me to do the 'fragility' intro of this review. 'Winter Tale' sounds a bit like Massive Attack meets Boards Of Canada meets Austra, which is a stunning combination to be honest. 'Galacticon' delves a bit deeper into ancient synth history and somehow reminds me of the very early days of Kraftwerk or Klaus Schulze. 'Ocean Girl' is an odd, folky tune and a decent closer for this ep.
So yes, Ummagma bight become one of the acts to keep an eye out for in the near future. I can defintitely see them touring with big acts, from the trip-hop giant Massive Attack to shoegaze deities Slowdive. I can also see Ummagma gain many followers everytime they play. I wouldn't even be surprised if 'Lama' becomes a huge hit, both in the alterative as in the popular scenes.
Serge