Ultra (Zomby album)

Last updated
Ultra
Ultra (Zomby album).jpg
Studio album by
Released2 September 2016 (2016-09-02)
Genre Electronic
Length52:14
Label Hyperdub
Zomby chronology
With Love
(2013)
Ultra
(2016)
Singles from Ultra
  1. "Sweetz"
    Released: 2016

Ultra is the fourth studio album by British electronic musician Zomby. [1] It was released via Hyperdub on 2 September 2016. [2] It features contributions from Banshee, Burial, Darkstar, and Rezzett. [3]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.4/10 [4]
Metacritic 71/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Mixmag 9/10 [9]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Pitchfork 7.9/10 [12]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Resident Advisor 3.2/5 [14]
Uncut 8/10 [15]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Ultra received an average score of 71 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [5]

Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the album 3 stars out of 5 and said, "Although it's not without some dazzling moments, this is the Zomby album with the lowest quantity of thrills." [6] KC Orcutt of Consequence of Sound gave the album a grade of C, saying, "On Ultra, it simply feels as though something is missing, and overall, makes more sense as an appetizer than the entrée." [16] Isa Jaward of The Observer gave the album 4 stars out of 5, calling it "an unapologetic pastiche of 90s rave culture and retro video games." [11]

It ranked at number 48 on The Wire 's "Top 50 Releases of 2016" list. [17]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Reflection"4:59
2."Burst"2:02
3."Fly 2" (with Banshee)5:28
4."E.S.P"2:59
5."I"2:02
6."Glass"4:29
7."Sweetz" (with Burial)6:58
8."Her"4:51
9."Quandary" (with Darkstar)4:20
10."Freeze"2:17
11."Yeti"2:18
12."S.D.Y.F" (with Rezzett)5:32
13."Thaw"3:56
Digital edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."Tenkyuu" (with HKE)3:38

Charts

Chart (2016)Peak
position
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [18] 25
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [19] 48
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [20] 18

Related Research Articles

<i>LCD Soundsystem</i> (album) 2005 studio album by LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem is the debut studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released on January 24, 2005, jointly through DFA and Capitol Records in the United States and EMI elsewhere. The album encompasses genres that range from dance-punk to electronica to indie rock to dance music. The album was critically acclaimed upon release and was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Many singles were released to promote the album, including the band's breakout "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House", which reached number one on the UK Dance Chart in March, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperdub</span> British electronic music record label

Hyperdub is a British, London-based electronic music record label and former webzine, founded by Steve Goodman, a.k.a. Kode9. The label was formed in 2004, and grew out of the UK's early dubstep scene. Artists signed to the label have included Burial, Cooly G, Dean Blunt, DJ Rashad, DVA, Fatima Al Qadiri, Ikonika, Jessy Lanza, Klein, Laurel Halo and Zomby.

<i>So This Is Goodbye</i> 2006 studio album by Junior Boys

So This is Goodbye is the second studio album by Canadian electronic music group Junior Boys. It was first released by Domino Recording Company on August 22, 2006 in Canada, and on September 11, 2006 in other territories. Junior Boys, now solely comprising the duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus following the departure of founding member Johnny Dark, recorded the album in Hamilton, Ontario and wrote much of the album's material, with the exception of a cover of the Frank Sinatra song "When No One Cares".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burial (musician)</span> British electronic musician

William Emmanuel Bevan, known by his recording alias Burial, is a British electronic musician from South London. Initially remaining anonymous, Burial became the first artist signed to Kode9's electronic label Hyperdub in 2005. He won acclaim the following year for his self-titled debut album, an influential release in the UK's dubstep scene which showcased a dark, emotive take on UK rave music styles such as UK garage and 2-step; it was named the album of the year by The Wire. Burial's second album, Untrue, was released to further critical acclaim in 2007.

<i>Untrue</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Burial

Untrue is the second studio album by British electronic music producer Burial. Released on 5 November 2007 by Hyperdub, the album was produced by Burial in 2007 using the digital audio editing software Sound Forge. Untrue builds on the sound established by Burial on his eponymous debut album from the previous year, notably through its more prominent use of pitch-shifted and time-stretched vocal samples. The album, like Burial's previous work, also draws on influences from UK garage, ambient, and hardcore music.

<i>Dedication</i> (Zomby album) 2011 studio album by Zomby

Dedication is the second studio album by British electronic music producer Zomby, released on 11 July 2011 through 4AD.

Zomby is a British electronic musician who began releasing music in 2007. He has released music on several labels, including Hyperdub, Werk Discs, and 4AD. Zomby's influences include oldschool jungle music and Wiley's eskibeat sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darkstar (band)</span> British electronic music group

Darkstar are a British electronic music duo. Since 2007, they have released music on Hyperdub, Warp and 2010 Records.

Liam Sylvester McLean, better known by his stage name Joker, is a British record producer who creates music in genres such as dubstep and grime and was known for creating the subgenre "purple sound". He was named "2009 king of bass music" by XLR8R magazine and was featured in the September 2009 issue of The Wire magazine. He has contributed to two releases produced by the London-based record company Hyperdub. He also runs his own label known as Kapsize Recordings. His debut album, The Vision, was released on 31 October 2011 through independent label 4AD. His sophomore LP, The Mainframe, was released on 16 February 2015 through his own Kapsize imprint.

<i>Its All True</i> (Junior Boys album) 2011 studio album by Junior Boys

It's All True is the fourth studio album by Canadian electronic music duo Junior Boys. The album was released on June 13, 2011.

<i>Kindred</i> (EP) 2012 EP by Burial

Kindred is the fifth extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. It was first released on 13 February 2012 digitally by Hyperdub, with a vinyl release following on 12 March 2012. The EP was met with praise, with Metacritic assigning an averaged score of 88 out of 100 based on 17 reviews from mainstream critics. In Japan and selected world markets, Hyperdub issued Kindred as a compilation with Burial's previous EP Street Halo on 11 February 2012. The release, Street Halo / Kindred, placed on the Ultratop 50 albums chart.

<i>Street Halo</i> 2011 EP by Burial

Street Halo is the fourth extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. It was released on 28 March 2011 by Hyperdub, who announced the release five days prior. The EP serves as Burial's first solo release since his second studio album Untrue (2007).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burial discography</span>

English electronic music producer Burial has released two studio albums, two compilation albums, one mix album, sixteen extended plays, and fourteen singles. Burial debuted in May 2005 with the release of his extended play South London Boroughs on the Hyperdub label. His eponymous debut studio album followed in May 2006 and was praised by music critics for its unique incorporation of 2-step garage, ambient, downtempo, dubstep, and trip hop styles. Following the releases of the extended plays Distant Lights (2006) and Ghost Hardware (2007), Burial released his second studio album Untrue in November 2007 to critical acclaim. It peaked at number 58 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 57 on the Ultratop 50 chart for the Belgian region of Flanders. Untrue later received nominations for the Mercury Prize and the Shortlist Music Prize, with the album experiencing a 1004% sales increase in the week following the Mercury Prize awards ceremony.

<i>Truant / Rough Sleeper</i> 2012 EP by Burial

Truant / Rough Sleeper is the sixth extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. It was digitally released by Hyperdub on 14 December 2012, with a vinyl and CD release following on 17 December 2012.

<i>Quarantine</i> (Laurel Halo album) 2012 studio album by Laurel Halo

Quarantine is the debut album by American electronic musician Laurel Halo, released on May 21, 2012 by Hyperdub. It received acclaim from critics, and was named release of the year by British magazine The Wire.

<i>With Love</i> (Zomby album) 2013 studio album by Zomby

With Love is the third studio album by British electronic music producer Zomby. It was released on 17 June 2013 through 4AD.

<i>Chance of Rain</i> (Laurel Halo album) 2013 studio album by Laurel Halo

Chance of Rain is the second studio album by American electronic music artist Laurel Halo. The album was released on October 28, 2013, by Hyperdub and is Halo's second instrumental release of 2013, alongside her extended play Behind the Green Door. The album cover is the work of Halo's father, Arthur Chartow, drawn in the 1970s.

<i>Rival Dealer</i> 2013 EP by Burial

Rival Dealer is the seventh extended play by British electronic music producer Burial. It was released digitally by Hyperdub on 11 December 2013, with a physical release following five days later.

<i>Oh No</i> (Jessy Lanza album) 2016 studio album by Jessy Lanza

Oh No is the second album by Canadian musician Jessy Lanza. It was released on May 13, 2016, by Hyperdub. The album features co-production from Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan and was preceded by the singles "It Means I Love You" and "VV Violence".

<i>Dark Days + Canapés</i> 2017 studio album by Ghostpoet

Dark Days + Canapés is the fourth album by British vocalist and musician Ghostpoet.

References

  1. Song, Sandra (2 September 2016). "Elusive Producer Zomby Doesn't Really Care About Anything But The Music, TBH". Paper . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. Lozano, Kevin (30 June 2016). "Zomby Announces New Album Ultra, Featuring Burial Collaboration". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  3. Murray, Robin (30 June 2016). "Zomby Announces New Album 'Ultra'". Clash . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  4. "Ultra by Zomby reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Reviews for Ultra by Zomby". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 Kellman, Andy. "Ultra – Zomby". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  7. Jonze, Tim (1 September 2016). "Zomby: Ultra review – electronic moodscapes that sometimes cover familiar ground". The Guardian . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  8. Jones, Chris (1 September 2016). "Zomby – Ultra review: short on both inspiration and energy". The Irish Times . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  9. "Zomby 'Ultra' (Hyperdub)". Mixmag . 9 September 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  10. Worthy, Stephen (October 2016). "Zomby: Ultra". Mojo (275): 99.
  11. 1 2 Jaward, Isa (4 September 2016). "Zomby: Ultra review – digital beats of the 90s". The Observer . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  12. Sherburne, Philip (6 September 2016). "Zomby: Ultra". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  13. Yates, Steve (October 2016). "Zomby: Ultra". Q (364): 113.
  14. Finlayson, Angus (5 September 2016). "Zomby – Ultra". Resident Advisor . Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  15. Dale, Jon (October 2016). "Zomby: Ultra". Uncut (233): 40.
  16. Orcutt, KC (30 August 2016). "Zomby – Ultra". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  17. "Listen to The Wire's Top 50 Releases of 2016". The Wire . December 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  18. "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  19. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  20. "Zomby Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 March 2017.