Ultramarine
Every Man and Woman is a Star
Darla
On Every Man and Woman is a Star, Ultramarine raised the bar for other electronic artists. This release was hailed around the world as groundbreaking and helped to usher in the works of “electronica” to mainstream listeners. One wonders why it took so long for the release to have a proper stateside release – some ten years after it was originally released.
Surprisingly, this release holds up well. The album maintains an organic feel despite its many samples and orchestration. There is a lightness and freshness to the tracks that make it a nice complement to much of the current electronic music currently being released. Snippets of dialogue and samples, most of it quasi-new age in subject matter, serve as the sole lyrics and reflect the attitudes of the time when this album was cut. My favorite track that epitomizes this style is “Stella,” where the narrator recounts her ability in becoming “centered” through the act of dancing.
Every Man and Woman is a Star is an album that would not be out of place sitting next to early Orb or The Shamen in someone’s record collection. Albeit ten years after the fact, this is a nice sunny album that remains upbeat throughout. An attentive listener will find elements of dub, folk music, electro pop and a host of other styles. As a primer, this release indicates that many strands that other artists would use to coast to the top of the charts in later years.
Darla Records: http://www.darla.com
