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Ultramarine

Real Name:Ian Cooper & Paul Hammond
Profile:London-based duo Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond. Began life in 1989 initially inspired by early UK house music and long-standing schoolboy crushes on the white funk of A Certain Ratio, 23 Skidoo and Cabaret Voltaire. Their early releases were issued on the seminal Brussels-based label Les Disques du Crépuscule and shortly afterwards by Brainiak Records, a label closely affiliated to The Brain club (an early purveyor of regular house music nights in Soho, London). Their debut album Folk was issued by Crépuscule in 1990 but the group are best know for their classic second album Every Man And Woman Is A Star, initially released on Brainiak in 1991 and given a wider audience with the release of an expanded version on Rough Trade (UK) in 1992; neatly described by Simon Reynolds in his book Energy Flash as:

Perhaps the first and best stab at that seeming contradiction-in-terms, pastoral techno... all sun-ripened, meandering lassitude and undulant dub-sway tempos... like acid-house suffused with the folky-jazzy ambience of the Canterbury scene.

Ultramarine were one of the first groups of their generation to take electronic music into live situations and were adventurous in their integration of live instrumentation on stage and in the studio. Live appearances included a US tour in 1992 with Meat Beat Manifesto and Orbital and a US/European tour in 1993 supporting Björk. The group's collaborative work was also a strong feature – this included a songwriting/recording partnership with Robert Wyatt, recordings with Kevin Ayers and David McAlmont plus various live and studio sessions with members of the London jazz scene, including Lol Coxhill, Iain Ballamy, Elton Dean, Dave Green, Roger Beaujolais, Greg Heath and Jimmy Hastings.
Every Man And Woman Is A Star was followed by the albums United Kingdoms (1993) and Bel Air (1995) – both released on Blanco Y Negro (UK) - and A User's Guide (1998) on New Electronica. Most recently, LTM Publishing (Les Temps Modernes) released Companion (Every Man And Woman Is A Star Versions) (2003), a collection of remixes and alternative versions from the group’s early-90s period, and reissued A User's Guide (2005).
URLs:http://www.ultramarine.uk.com
http://www.myspace.com/ulmarine
Members:Ian Cooper (2), Paul Hammond
Name Variations: All | Ultramarine | Ultra Marine
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Releases:
Wyndham Lewis (EP) ◄ (2 versions)   Les Disques Du Crépuscule 1989
Folk (Album) ◄ (3 versions)   Les Disques Du Crépuscule ... 1990
Stella ◄ (2 versions)   Dancyclopaedia ... 1990
Every Man And Woman Is A Star (Album) ◄ (8 versions)   Brainiak Records ... 1991
Weird Gear / British Summertime (12")   Brainiak Records 1991
Nightfall In Sweetleaf (Maxi, EP) ◄ (5 versions)   Rough Trade (UK) ... 1992
Saratoga / Nova Scotia (7")   Rough Trade (UK) 1992
Kingdom (Maxi) ◄ (5 versions)   Blanco Y Negro 1993
United Kingdoms (Album) ◄ (3 versions)   Blanco Y Negro ... 1993
Barefoot E.P. (EP) ◄ (4 versions)   Blanco Y Negro 1994
Hymn (CD, EP)   Blanco Y Negro 1994
Bel Air (Album) ◄ (3 versions)   Blanco Y Negro 1995
First Air (12", Promo)   Blanco Y Negro 1995
Sketches (12", Promo)   Blanco Y Negro 1995
Hymn (Maxi, Single) ◄ (5 versions)   Blanco Y Negro 1996
A User's Guide (Album) ◄ (3 versions)   New Electronica ... 1998
On The Brink (12")   New Electronica 1998
Carl Craig Remixes (12")   Real Soon 2003
Companion (Every Man And Woman Is A Star Versions) (CD, Album)   LTM Publishing (Les Temps Modernes) 2003
Remixes:
Lazarus (Remixes) (Single) ◄ (3 versions) Lazarus (Ultramarine Mix) Creation Records 1994
Missing (The Bootleg Mixes) (EP) ◄ (2 versions) Missing (Ultramarine R... Atlantic ... 1994
Never Mind The Distortion (Album) ◄ (3 versions) Nobody Home (Ultramari... Victor Entertainment Japan ... 1994
Colore Remixes EP (CD, Maxi) Colore (Ultramarine Mix) Virgin France S.A. 1996
Drop 5 (CD) Nobody Home (Ultramari... Materiali Sonori 1996
Music With No Name Volume One ◄ (2 versions) All Men Amen (Ultramar... B&W Music 1996
Pussycat (Single) ◄ (3 versions) Pussycat (Ultramarine) Dedicated ... 1997
We All Want To Be Free (2x12") We All Want To Be Free... Astralwerks 1997
Beep!!! (CD, Comp) We All Want To Be Free... Astralwerks 1998
Never Mind The Distortions (2xCD) Nobody Home (Ultramari... Victor Entertainment Japan 2003
Production:
Rave:1 (CD, Comp) Stella Delabel 1992
Excursions In Ambience (CD, Comp) Saratoga (Upstate Mix) Caroline Records 1993
Taking Liberties (2xCD, Comp) Trace Element Totem Records 1994
Mix:
In A Field Of Their Own Volume 2 - Glastonbury 93 (2xCD) Pansy New Musical Express 1993
Appears On:
Missing (The Bootleg Mixes!) (Maxi, EP) ◄ (7 versions) Missing (Ultramarine R... Atlantic ... 1994
Trance Europe Express 3 (2xCD, Comp + Box) Before Volume 1994
C'Mon Kids (CD, Maxi, CD2) From The Bench At Belv... Creation Records 1996
Tracks Appear On:
Funky Alternatives 6 ◄ (2 versions) Interstellar (Edit) Concrete Productions 1991
Live At The Brain 2 ◄ (2 versions) British Summertime Brainiak Records 1991
Rave:1 (CD) Stella Delabel 1991
Rave:1 (Comp) ◄ (2 versions) Stella Delabel 1992
Volume Four (CD, Comp) Saratoga (Remix) Volume 1992
B Sides. The Best Of Brainiak Records (CD) British Summertime, Ca... Brainiak Records 1993
Excursions In Ambience (CD, Comp) Saratoga (Upstate Mix) Caroline Records 1993
In A Field Of Their Own Volume 2 - Glastonbury 93 (2xCD) Pansy New Musical Express 1993
Rough Diamonds - Rough Trade Singles Club Vol. 1 (CD, Comp) Saratoga, Nova Scotia TDK Core Co. Ltd. 1993
Taking Liberties (Comp) ◄ (2 versions) Trace Element Totem Records 1994
Trance Europe Express 3 (Comp) ◄ (2 versions) Before Volume 1994
FMCD May 1995 (CD, Enh) Toe Bongo Future Music Magazine 1995
Electronic Species (CD) Gated Latin ES Tonträger 1996
Funky Alternatives - Best Of Volume One To Eight (CD + Box) Interstellar (Exclusiv... Concrete Productions, Indigo (2) 1996
Treat The Gods As If They Exist (CD, Ltd) Naf Gonad Auf Abwegen 1996
Volume 15 - Technology Alert! (CD, Comp + CD, Comp, Enh + Box) Altered Ego Volume 1996
Foundations: Coming Up From The Streets (2xCD) Russian Roulette Feedback Communications 1997
Industrial Virus (3xCD, Comp + Box) Interstellar (Re-Edit) Dressed To Kill, Dressed To Kill 1997
Sally's Photographic Memory (2xCD, Comp + Box) Source Volume 1997
Technological Elements 2 (2xCD) Hooter (Carl Craig Remix) Natural Records 1997
Chinese Whispers (CD) Ultramarine Mix Sprawl Imprint 1998
Essential Techno (2xCD, Comp) 4U (Further Details Re... Beechwood Music 1998
Industrial Hazard (3xCD + Box) Interstellar (Re-Edit) Dressed To Kill 1998
This Is... Techno 3 (2xCD + CD) 4U (Further Details Mix) Beechwood Music 1998
Alternator One: Best Of Funky Alternatives (CD, Comp) Interstelar New Millennium Communications, New Millennium Communications 1999
Industrial Hazard (CD) Interstellar Fuel 2000 1999
Industrial Hazard (One) (CD) Interstellar Dressed To Kill 1999
Pure Techno (2xCD + Box) 4U Cartel 1999
Strictly Chill Out (CD) On The Brink Beechwood Music 1999
Strictly Techno (CD, Comp) Ambush Beechwood Music 1999
This Is... Chillout (3xCD) On The Brink Beechwood Music 1999
Techno - A New Dimension (3xCD) 4U Beechwood Music 2000
Chillin' Voices (2xCD, Comp) Discovery, Honey Sunnyside Up 2001
Crépuscule For Café Après-midi (CD, Album, Comp, Dig) Stella Victor Entertainment Japan 2001
Essential Chillout (6xCD) On The Brink Beechwood Music 2001
The Night Watch (CD) Saratoga LTM Publishing (Les Temps Modernes) 2001
This Is... The Best Of Chillout (6xCD + Box) On The Brink Beechwood Music 2002
Black Music (2xCD, Comp, Ltd) The Place LTM Publishing (Les Temps Modernes) 2003
Little Darla Has A Treat For You V.20 Summer 2003 (CD, Album, Comp, Smplr) Saratoga Darla Records 2003
Nu:electronica_ (2xCD, Comp) 4U (Further Details Mix) Beechwood Music 2003
A La Peanut Budder Sandwiches (CD) Discovery Igloo Music 2004
Chillout Voices Volume 2 (2xCD, Comp) Discovery, Honey Sunnyside Up  
Unofficial Releases:
Lemon 24 - Old Skool (CD, Comp) British Summertime Lemon (Magazine) 1998
Volume Three (2x12", Comp) Source (Carl Craig Mix) Not On Label (Carl Craig) 2005
Afro Trance - Cosmic Communication (LP) Antiseptic Cosmic Communications  
Noorty Butt Unrelezed Vol. 3 (12") Hooter (Carl Craig Ver... Not On Label  
RareKirk (2xCDr, Ltd) Geezer (Sweet Exorcist... Not On Label (Richard H. Kirk)  
User Reviews:
Alastis, Mar 20, 2004

One of the worst things that one can say about this band is that they are no longer around (i can safely assume that, since their latest release came out in 1998).

Its a shame, really, since their music sounds great. Its a mix of some different styles: ambient, folk, dub and i guess that they were one of few who could mix electronic & live instrumentation equally well.

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