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| Ummagma |
Ummagma is one of those bands
that you are pretty happy to find, whether it happens coincidentally or through
a friend. In any case, they have something to share with the world – you could
call this bliss music, giving the listener an uplifting feeling that resonates
aurally and even at the gut level. Both albums are equally as powerful,
reflecting the two sides of the band’s personality and influences, with even
some influences permeating throughout both albums – specifically Pink Floyd,
Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. Really, they sound like neither concretely, but
constantly offer strong reminiscences of both. It would be more accurate to say
that, if you could imagine these two bands put into a blender with a handful of
others – including Robert Fripp, Pat Metheny, The Sundays, Joe Satriani,
Stereolab, and The Cranberries – and then throw in a few berries that you can’t
find anywhere but some ethereal floating island, Ummagma might be what you get.
This band is highly recommended.
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| Ummagma - Antigrafity |
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| UMMAGMA |
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| UMMAGMA |
Ummagma
– a Canadian-Ukrainian duo comprised of Alexander Kretov and Shauna McLarnon –
deliver titillating and grounding "easy positive music" with richly
layered landscapes, pulsating sound and mesmerizing vocals. Ummagma’s eclectic
yet harmonious potpourri of alt pop, dreampop, post-rock, post-punk,
ambient/ethereal, space rock and progressive/art rock serves up a mixture of
sublime resonance, beats and rhythm to create a virtual dream pop rock haven. McLarnon’s
delicate airy gossamer-like vocals often draw comparisons to Elizabeth Fraser
of Cocteau Twins fame with glimmers of Stereolab, The Sundays, Curve and
Slowdive. Kretov's spellbinding potion of guitar, vocals, synths, beats,
programming, effects create an impeccable Floydish Fripp-laced soundscape to
help the listener take flight.
Alexx
handles composition, all instruments, arrangement and vocals, as well as
recording, mixing, mastering and video production, while Shauna McLarnon deals
with vocals, composition, lyrics and band management. For Alexx, making music
began in childhood and recording began with a double-deck recorder in what was
now a young and free post-Soviet Ukraine. Shauna’s experience in creating music
began with solo compositions while studying in Russia's Siberia and Moscow and
living in northern Canada. Sasha is originally from Kremenets, a town in
western Ukraine, and Shauna is from Whitehorse, Yukon in northern Canada.
She is apparently addicted to Russia and Ukraine, so she has lived there for
about 12 years.
Ummagma
began as an affair with love and sound in Moscow back in 2003, when Alexx and
Shauna were both living at the time. They met at an acoustic guitar concert and
fell into a relationship, which developed into a marriage and the musical partnership
we know today as Ummagma. Until then, Shauna was mainly singing acapella and
working with various Moscow musicians, while Alexx was a solo guitarist
experimenting with home recording. After beginning to make music together, they
set up their own home studio, which they brought with them to Kiev, moving there
at the peak of the Orange Revolution in 2004. With every move
(Moscow-Kiev-western Ukraine-Yukon-western Ukraine), they continued to hone
their musical and recording skills, upgrade their studio and record music.
Shauna and Alexx currently live in Ternopil (western Ukraine) with their
daughter Nika and work in their recording studio, where Alexx also records and
produces other artists’ work.
In
mid-July, Ummagma independently released 2 full-length LPs ("Ummagma"
and "Antigravity") on Bandcamp at http://ummagma.bandcamp.com. Despite
the fact that Ummagma’s music encompasses several music genres, there persists
a common remarkable theme, elevating and stirring effect. Apart from the above
groups, Ummagma is often likened to Blonde Redhead, Peter Gabriel, AIR, Sigur
Ros, Arcade Fire, Pink Floyd, Michael Brook, Lush, Mercury Rev, Talk Talk, Snow
Patrol, Exitmusic, Ultravox, Bowery Electric and M83, but the listener will find
an unmistakable sound truly unique to Ummagma.
The
2 debut albums have received a good response with press coverage and radio
airplay in roughly twenty countries. Ummagma currently sits
at #6 in the Scottish New Music Charts for September-October and held at #38
for August-September. Ummagma was #2 in New York’s Indie Darkroom Radio charts
throughout July and August, and jumped to #1 for September and October. Ummagma
has been in Forkster “Rocks It Out” Top-15 ratings for 15 weeks now and is
currently ranked #1. Ummagma also ranked
high in the Twitter Music Charts in late August and early September and
currently ranks #1 on Reverbnation among Indie Alternative Bands in Ukraine.
Ummagma was named Band of the Week on the Indie Bands Blog for September 9-15
and ranked fourth in the TOP-10 Indie Bands for September 2012, according to
that same publication. Rolling Stone Russia will run an interview and feature
story on Ummagma in its November issue.
Our
pages and sites:
FACEBOOKCBCbandcampLast.FmSoundcloudTwitter
YoutubeReverbnation
Our music
videos:
BFD BFD
Lama Lama
1+1=3 1+1-3Colors Colors
Upsurd UpsurdRisky Risky
Ummagma press excerpts:
“A refined and multifaceted musical junket follows with a
host of delightfully upbeat songs, and not one seems misplaced or expendable
throughout. With a rich use of instruments at the capable hands of Kretov, the
album maintains a sense of fluency and rhythm, even as each song has its own
distinct character and individuality…
Kretov and McLarnon have shown how well they can blend different genres
and create something exceptional independently”. ~ Sound of Confusion Sound Of Confusion
“The closest that I can come to describing their sound is to
compare Peter Gabriel's album Up, hints of James Blake, and the entire decade
of '90s music. There are just way too many genres and influences heard within
Ummagma's music to give a completely accurate description… Both Antigravity and
Ummagma are extremely spectacular works. Each album transports you into a realm
of relaxation and broad soundscapes… Ummagma is on an entirely different level.
This is art.”
~ The Record Stache The Record Stache
"With a mix of ambient, jazz and dream pop, the duo
digs deep exploring textures, heavy on echo and reverb. The first album of the
set brings back Mike Oldfield and the Cocteau Twins. The duo's shared love for
folk shines through in the vocals in NIMBY, with a bit of The Cure guitar as a
spanner in the works. Orion finds them in full sci-fi mood, while River Town
flows like a gentle brook. Ummagma basks in the sun mostly, while Antigravity
lurks in the shadows. The second album is a bit more avant-garde, diving in
head first with a floating keyboard part on top of a nervous back beat, until
the voice of Shauna McLarnon soothes the building tension."
~ Here Comes the Flood Here Comes the Flood
"This reminds me a bit of when Liz Fraser appeared on
the Massive Attack album Mezzanine. McLarnon’s gossamer-like vocals hang so delicately
over Kretov’s beats and programming. I love the way her vocals are so airy, but
there’s so many layers, or at least plenty of effects. And then, of course,
there’s that very Liz Fraser-esque glossolalia at the very end of the song…
After some of that glossolalia and a section where it’s really thick with
synths and some very fragile guitar, the drums come in pretty heavy. The synthy
bit is still there, and that Slowdive-y guitar is still there, but I just like
how big the drums get at that moment."
~ This Is That Song This Is That Song
“Ummagma's music has a lot of different influences including
shoegaze, dream pop, indie rock and prog rock. The band is compared
to an array of different bands including The Cocteau Twins, Blonde Redhead,
Talk Talk, Lush and the Bowery Electric. After listening to the two albums,
comparisons to Asobi Seksu (Lama), Peter Gabriel (BFD) and Exitmusic (Beautiful
Moment) would not be unwarranted…
I was initially skeptical of all of the different musical
styles on the albums, but came around after hearing how good the song-writing
and production is. The songs musical styles run from highly texturized, to
euphoric, ethereal, dreamlike and ambient to rhythmic and beat driven… I am not
saying Ummagma's albums are classics, but they are very good.” ~
Aural Report , Aural Report
“… music that covers a wide range of music from atmospheric
ethereal wave and heavenly dream pop right through to guitar-based indie rock
within their two debut albums. The duo writes uniquely beautiful music somewhere
on the border between the so-called "golden age" for the 4AD label
(soothing ethereal, soundscapes with a direct association with Robin Guthrie of
Cocteau Twins) and the canonical guitar characteristic of indie rock; all of
this with elements of shoegaze, post-punk, and even progressive rock, as
strange as that combination might otherwise sound. In general, all of the more
recognized representatives of the vanguard (such as Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel,
Blonde Redhead and the amazing group Mercury Rev) have found their own distinct
reflection in the work of this group Ummagma, which is obviously atypical even
for our indie music scene.” ~ TOP-10 (original
in Russian) Top 10 (Original In Russian)
“In many ways Ummagma's work recalls the adventurous and
unified approach of much of the 4AD labels' late eighties/early nineties
output... Multi-instrumentalist Alexx Kretov skillfully, and with apparent
ease, creates lush and evocative soundscapes for their songs to inhabit…
There's a major hint of nineties underground music here - plenty of shoegaze, a
little trip hop and a lot of ambient electronica, but this barely scratches the
surface of what's going on.”
~
The Active Listener - The Active Listener
"Ummagma’s Antigravity puts
you into that space between real life and your daydreams. It’s full of new wave
magic that’s enough to absorb any ounce of “bad day” that was thrust upon you. Antigravity doesn’t
overwhelm your senses; it soothes them and sets your mind at ease. You’re put
into a very good place after having a listen, almost like a form of therapy. It’s
no secret that we could all use a bit of that." ~
Dingus on Music Dingus On Music
"After the first listen, one is shocked by the wide
musical range presented here. This is not one of those cases when a group
adheres to a single style and, by the middle of the album, the group's
distinctive sound can be clearly distinguished. This is the result of an
eight-year experiment with sound, which is geared towards the works of a range
of artists including Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros and James Blake… It's interesting
to not only listen to Ummagma's music but to actually explore it."
~ Fufuturism (original in Ukrainian) - Futurism
“Ummagma is one of these gems… designed in innocence, dreams, a psychedelic
folk climate, and a shoegazer dream that boils down to sublime relaxing and
soothing music, with synths and loops that combine with guitars in crystalline
cascades to create the perfect atmosphere for dreaming. The latest interview has the fortune of being
accompanied by a soundtrack of angels, Ummagma. Shauna’s vocals provide a
beautiful overlay to everything… the
fortune of being accompanied by a soundtrack of angels, Ummagma.”
~ The Blog That
Celebrates Itself (original in Portuguese) The Blog That Celebrates Itself
“Indeed, there comes a moment that is somewhat difficult to
describe their sound, as the combination of styles within the band’s two
full-length debut albums is very wide. There is a bit of post-punk, ambient,
and even folk textures in songs like "Lama" and "Kiev" from
the "Antigravity" album, but also, what are perhaps sound aesthetics
like Mazzy Star and Slowdive will generate a feeling that, upon entering
Ummagma’s world, the listener really finds something very special and also very
candid.” ~ My Blog Cliché (original in
Spanish) - My Blog Cliche
“The debut album “Antigravity” is a mixed-emotion experience
of beautiful melancholy and uplifting euphoria all found in one album,
virtually taking the listener on a journey via the band’s musical interludes.
This album will appeal to fans of modern bands like Blonde Redhead and Asobi
Seksu, as well as older 80s bands of the 4AD epoch (especially Cocteau Twins)
and Talk Talk, with a little Sputniks Down, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno and Slowdive
wedged in there too. Ummagma has essentially achieved an incredible feat of
bringing together some otherwise seemingly non-combinable musical genres
(post-rock/dreampop/folk rock/progressive rock/shoegaze) all within on album
and they have done so rather handsomely.” ~ Only The Finest Music Only The Finest Music
“This combination makes for a sound that contains a feel of
distant horizons, rooted in an historical perspective. The output, though
equally as broad spread, has a dreamy willowy quality to it, to which the
listener can settle back and feel the worries of the day drift out of the mind.
Ethereal wisps of smoke drift past the ears passing in a haze and the head is
set free on a journey of hypnosis. The duo use a mix of electronic and
instrumentation to deliver their output and they have poised the balance
finely, as they do with the duality of vocal which creates a further dimension
to the ambient textures.” ~ Indie Bands Blog
“… Ummagma such a potent musical cocktail. Not only do they
represent a delightful and broad mish-mash of genres – dream pop, ethereal,
post-rock, post-punk, progressive rock, shoegaze and ambient – but they can
sometimes even mix different genres right within a song. The effect is
impressive – this duo has effectively generated what can be considered a unique
dreamy dynamic and eclectic sound… The listener can get aurally lost in these
journeys – with Alexx’s dreamy voice and impressive instrumental skill, and
with Shauna’s intoxicating vocals, together they create diverse rich
atmospheres set against luscious dream pop soundscapes and textures.” ~ Musica Media Our Music Media
“… either one or the other album can (and usually do) frame
what at first seems to be a universe of hazy dream pop, but then a thorough
hearing reveals much, much more… On Ummagma’s official Facebook page, they cite
'bands we like' as including The Smiths, Boards of Canada, Cocteau Twins and
Radiohead, and this broad palette is apparent in the colorful offerings
presented in their two discs… the album “Ummagma” is more upbeat, warm, and
physical - and I personally see much in common with Yo La Tengo but less noisy,
while “Antigravity” is more melancholic, cold and dreamy... the pulsations in
the form of beats are sometimes understated, sometimes exposed with (unhinged)
distortions and fluctuations that are synthetically layered with Shauna’s sweet
vocals and Alexx’s introspective.
~ Pequenos Classicos Perdidos Pequenos Classicos Perdidos
“These albums offer the world two distinct works of sublime
beauty and quality. While the self-titled album "Ummagma" and
"Antigravity" are separate albums, they effectively fit together
cyclically to form a whole, transitioning between dreamy drifting songs and
melancholic melodies to those that are invigoratingly pulse-driven, bringing
the soul through intense and warm soundscapes. This double set of debut albums are
well dosed between several music genres: electronica, ethereal, ambient,
post-punk, new wave, dream pop and shoegaze, where the senses and emotions
blossom freely between the notes of each and every one of these songs.”
~ Ride Into the Sound (original in Portuguese) - Ride Into The Sound
“Amazing things happen not only in fantasy novels and tales
by the Brothers Grimm, but also in the reality in which we live… The end
product [of Ummagma] is, at the same time, both energetic and meditative music,
characterized by strong ethnic influences and shaped by the experience of
northern European music from the past thirty years, from Peter Gabriel to Sigur
Ros. But here we are talking about actual experience, not about copycatting or
borrowing of any kind.”
~ F5 magazine (original in Russian) F5 Magazine
“Their sound can be framed as what we call "dream
pop", but the duo’s releases extend this range in ways that make their
sounds comparable to Cocteau Twins, Blonde Redhead, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel,
AIR, Sigur Ros, Stereolab, Michael Brook, Lush, Mercury Rev, Talk Talk, Snow
Patrol, Ultravox and Bowery Electric. In July 2012, the duo did something
rather innovative – they released the band's first two albums at the same time.
Two full-length albums. These are not EPs, not singles, but two fully-loaded
disks. And they are polished.” ~
Floga-Se Floga - Se
“Love gives form to more love. That's the way it works and
listening to the album "Ummagma", clearly this seems to reach the
individual unsuspecting listener, who has no idea that he will be immersed in
this realm of beauty and stunning diversity… Two things are quite impressive:
when they sing in unison, and they show the mastery in performing songs in such
a wide range of styles – somewhat like a woman who looks great in whatever she
wears. This album is highly recommended to lovers of the following musical
genres: indie rock, post-rock, post-punk, dream pop, power pop, ambient,
ethereal, shoegaze (newgaze), progressive rock and even folk rock.” ~
Music Wizard Music Wizard
“Back in July, Ummagma pulled a bold maneuver and decided to
release not one, but two, albums as their introduction to the music world.
Fortunately, they've been getting quite a bit of good press, and the albums
have been picking up some steam. I sat down and listened to both albums back to
back before I wrote my original feature, and the payoff was an extremely
rewarding listen.” ~ The Record Stache
“With years of working together, this duo has evolved in
musical terms, so that, at this stage, they have come to produce an expressive
mix of essential and ambient songs inspired by Shauna’s beautiful vocals. This
finally brings us to Ummagma’s two albums. Each of them is special and
certainly resents a strong beginning of a phrase highlighted by their lyrics
and the remarkable and descriptive music they create. Their music has touched
on not one or two, but many many more musical genres so that their first two
albums effectively have something to offer everyone.”
~ Terapija.net
“For those who have not yet encountered Ummagma’s music,
their first two albums brought the world an epic soundscape mixture of
dreampop, progressive rock, post-rock, post-punk, ethereal/ambient, and indie
rock rarely seen since the early 4AD era. This latest release represents a
welcome addition to the band’s repertoire as it takes them beyond their
already-wide range of musical genres into what appears to be new and welcoming
territory.” ~ Musica
Media
"While the former work shows a more upbeat and sunny
facet of Ummagma, the latter reveals a hazier aura… [they] go wider and
incorporate a rich cosmos of musical influences, ranging from Acoustic Folk to Electronics
(yeah, they live in pure harmony there) with a strong Dream Pop/Shoegaze-esque
signature in a very natural way, as if it's just natural for them to gravitate
(sic) in such spheres. Wherever they point their guitars and effects, if they
decide to turn off the sonic lights or not, doesn't matter; the results are
always great and can easily bring the listener to stellar dimensions." ~ Lovers Who Are Seekers
"Antigravity" offers a full bouquet of diversity,
similar to that which we see in the self-titled album "Ummagma"...
There seems to be quite a bit more melancholy and inward reflection in the
second album, while the first album seems to have a higher level of notable
'drive'. Both are wonderful and mysterious because there is so much to discover
here and that discovery continues to take place with each repeated listen.” ~
Music Wizard
“In an era where fear seems to be the main instinctive driver
for many musicians, this duo seems to stay far from such territory and these
releases certainly are powerful enough to reach audiences around the world
because these songs are timeless.” ~
Canibal Vegetariano
“Ummagma’s music entails a layered combination of
influences from dream pop, jazz and progressive rock with what appears to be
North European music metaphors, with their sounds largely like a rich fusion of
Sigur Ros, Cocteau Twins, Stereolab, Blonde Redhead and Peter Gabriel. It is
dreamy, lovely and positively energetic, with all of their songs pleasantly
differing from each other. Most importantly, Ummagma’s music is rather unique
and doesn’t quite sound like anything else that we’ve heard before. Highly
recommended for listening… [they] have nevertheless managed to make some pretty
amazing music.”
~ Journal “apopüler dergi’ (original in Turkish)
“Ummagma is a group comprised of Alexx Kretov, who is
Ukrainian, and Shauna McLarnon, who is Canadian. Together they have managed to
create music that covers the current indie spectrum from its various tangents:
folk, post-rock, dream pop and still others, offering listeners an elusive
ambient aspect, which is subtle and light, while drumming up imagery of dreamy
places graced with highly cinematic touches.” ~ Cassette Blog (original in
Spanish)
“In a short window of time, not only have they given us 24
wonderful audio tracks, but also 5 video clips, every one of which is worthy of
attention… The product [of the video clip for the song “Upsurd”] is an
exquisite juxtaposition of gorgeous uplifting male and female vocals with
magnificent music against the backdrop of a mirror-like video of what is wrong
with our society… It seems that the pair have revealed yet another of their
talents.” ~ Musica Media
“Ummagma’s music encompasses several genres of music –
post-rock, post-punk, dream pop, nugaze, ambient/ethereal, and progressive rock
Similar artists/ sounds like: Cocteau Twins, Sigur Ros, Blonde Redhead, Asobi
Seksu, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, AIR, Stereolab, Michael Brook, Robert Fripp,
Richard Barbieri, Lush, Exit Music, Mercury Rev, Talk Talk, Snow Patrol,
Ultravox, Spiritualized, James Blake, Violet Indiana and Bowery Electric.” ~
Capas de Culto
“Ummagma is an extremely captivating band filled with
brilliant music paths of emotions… They remind me of the brilliant early
ambient music years of 4AD Records artists… I see a tremendous drive and vision
in Ummagma… I can’t see anything, but superb music roads ahead by this
brilliant duo.”
~ FORKSTER "Rocks It Out" (originally posted July 27, 2012 & every week after)
“While the music on Ummagma’s first two albums presents a
mix of dreampop, progressive rock, post-rock, post-punk, ethereal/ambient, and
indie rock, this latest release continues to demonstrate the flexibility of
their sound.”
~ Canibal Vegetariano
“It’s impossible to pigeon-hold their music into any
particular musical style. In July, “Ummagma” debuted their album “Antigravity”,
dishing out a fine mix of post-rock, post-punk, nugaze and ethereal music. The
album offers an explosion of associations… the music harmoniously intertwines
with moments from each of our own personal lives and the way we perceive them.
The track “Lama” is capable of plunging you into free flight, and the sound of
“Beautiful Moment” gives the sense that we so rarely notice and appreciate
life’s beautiful moments.”
~Muznews.com (original in Ukrainian & Russian)
Other press coverage (interviews/charts/etc.):
What I Learned at Bandcamp: Ummagma (detailed interview)
~ The Spec Blog
Victorialand with Ummagma - An Interview (detailed
interview)
~ The Blog That Celebrates Itself
Band of the Week 9th to 15th September 2012 (Ummagma is at
#2)
~ Indie Bands Blog
TOP-10: September 2012 (Ummagma is at #2 throughout August
& Sept)
TOP-10: October 2012 (Ummagma is at #2 throughout August
& Sept)
http://blog.indiedarkroom.com/index.php/top-ten-october-2012/
Ummagma – Antigravity
~ Eden is Neon
“Ummagma has come up with a wildly inventive reach for all
corners of the indie world. Post Rock, Dream Pop, Indie, Jazz and more are
stirred into a masterfully polished moment of beauty.”
~ Charlie Nieland, Her Vanished Grace (USA)
30 Bands/Musicians Better Than Oasis
~ The Fire Station
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