Ultravillain - I N V U

There is something exceptionally special about the debut LP  from Vancouver's Future Pop duo, Ultravillain.  The overall production of the album has a dark and edgy quality that's created from the breathiness of  Chris' vocal delivery against the primal breakdown of the beats and bass line created by Tobias.  Each track is crafted in such a manner that everything that Chris does, vocally, is fully supported and never trampled on.  I've said it in other reviews of their previous works that these two gentlemen know how to create music that is going to stimulate every part of you.  They know exactly what buttons to push and how to bend those rules to the point of breaking without ever doing too much.  It's a very fine line they walk because male driven electronic music generally doesn't have as large of a following as say a female fronted group would but these guys know exactly how to pull it off.

I think the work that an electro rock or synth driven producer puts into the creation of a song tends to be much more intensive than just laying down a guitar or a piano because the melody has to be crafted from scratch with electronics.  Each part of the track has to be looped and created utilizing an exceptionally creative hand that has a depth of understanding in how all of the pieces are going to come together as a melody.  It's building a machine.  It's making sure that each and every piece adds up to the whole as a unified sum total of the parts.  Tobias has a deft hand at making sure that there isn't anything out of place and that it all works.  Without the creation of the rhythm and structure of the track, the song doesn't work and there isn't anything for Chris' vocals to ride on.  And ride they do.  They are fluid and they are precise.  Each and every syllable is given the utmost care as he puts them out into the universe for consumption.  Without harping on the idea that there is an inherent overall sex appeal to this album, the guys have again created something that's primal and visceral that just settles into you that feels so good.  I think a lot of it has to do with the slow, methodical, purpose driven beats that never seem rushed or overdone.

So let's talk about the album.  Mostly importantly, it's not left repeat for about a week.  If I'm in my car, it's playing.  I've dug into these tracks and I honestly say, I N V U is the coolest electro album I've listened to in a very long time.  First and foremost, the tracks are gigantic.  With an average running time of about 4.07 minutes, these 13 tracks are pretty beefy.  You are absolutely getting every ounce of their talent and desire to make the best possible music they can.  Each song fits so perfectly with the entire album that you don't even realize you're over halfway through the album by the time you reach, "Human".  I can't decide which song is my favorite because they are all so good.  Whether it's what's being said as a social statement in, "Believer" or the super sexy lyrical delivery from "Garden"; each song could easily stand on it's own as a single and there aren't any that I want to skip over when it comes to them in the line up.  Leading off with "Talk About" was a fantastic choice because it sets the tone of the album.  You quickly get an idea of what's to come and the bar is set pretty high and I don't feel as if they ever let you down.  "Get Invisible" is this crazy atmospheric track that just fills you up when you close your eyes and let the song just kind of wash over you. "666" has this funky retro vibe to it but the story it tells is this cautionary tale of not getting involved when you know you want to but it's the worst idea ever because you know how bad it's going to turn out in the end.  If something a little more aggressive is your speed, "All We Get" fills that nicely.  It's on the primal end of the spectrum with a more raw and edgy beat.

If you can't tell by now, I am an unapologetic fan of this group and I want to see them do amazing things.  I want huge collaborations. I want their music to be featured in television shows and on soundtracks. I want a lot for them because more than anything they create amazing music and they are genuinely nice guys.  I don't think this album will go too far from my heavy rotation playlist.  I really hope they are able to get what they need from the public from this album because it's a solid album and I am seriously in awe of the talent that went into making it.

UltraVillain on the Web

http://www.ultravillain.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UltraVillainMusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UltraVillainMusic
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ultra-villain

Ultravillain - Lost in You EP

If you're into music that challenges you, not only intellectually but emotionally as well, Ultravillain will satiate your desires.  They have released their debut EP on their website as a free download and it's an album that I actually wish I would have been able to buy because I would love to support them in a financial manner.  The album is far more mature than a debut and has a quality that most artists take years to develop.  The lyrics are well crafted and never compete with the synth and vice versa.  Both Chris and Tobias work in tandem to create something special.  If these four songs are a representation of what they are capable of doing on their first shot out of the gate, I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us.

Much like their first single, "Break Out", this EP is full of dark sex appeal that never crosses the boundary into smutty or too much.  I think that's a helluva thing to do because it is very easy to quickly become a parody of yourself without trying but they have straddled the line and do so without trying, it would appear.  I think the driving bass lines and the slow tempo of the backing tracks against Chris' voice just build this perfect scenario that just create steam.  I am amazed at the range that Chris has.  He has one of the most interesting voices I think I've heard in a long time.  I would totally be ok with him singing the phone book to me.  The themes of the songs aren't as overtly sexual as "Break Out" but maybe there's some residual sexiness carrying over from that song that just amps up the appeal of these tracks.

Each of the four tracks has it's on personality and it's own ability to stand on it's own.  I've listened to several full length albums of late from artists that have been in the game a long time and I have been sorely disappointed because all 10 or 12 songs are just one note.  They're flat and there's not enough variation to distinguish one from another.  I would throw one of those albums on as background noise at a party just to fill up the silence.  I can't say that for this EP.  People would stop to listen to every track and hang on every lyric because there's interest there.  It's made up of four individual parts that make this incredibly fascinating machine and it commands your attention and deserves to be heard.  These guys have an intention and they have a destination in mind where they want to you get to and when you get there, the headspace is filled with this melancholic bliss that leaves you wanting more.

The track order on an album always amazes me because it can either fuck up the vibe or it can keep you spinning.  The way the tracks are laid out on this EP are genius.  Putting "Death Rattle" third is like the greatest car chase in the best action movie ever.  It's the beginning of the third act and it just takes you and sends you to the stratosphere.  It's deliberate in it's execution and it wouldn't have the impact it does if it was anywhere else in the line up.  Then to follow it with "Sensitive Mind" helps you come down.  It's the breather you need after your mind has been blown, the cigarette after, as it were.  Starting with "Lost In You" sets the tone of where this trip is taking us.  It's the foreplay of the album.  It's easy and slow but the lyrics are seductive and you don't realize how wrapped up you get until you are hooked.  You then take "Crosses" and it creates this bridge between the songs that begins the uphill ascent needed to get you into position for lift off.  It's sleek and mercurial and just slides between your fingers.  It also is a bit of a deceiver.  When you first listen to it, you just want a slow groove to sink into but when you pay attention to the lyrics, it's got this power to it that just makes you say, "Damn".

It's an amazing EP and I think it helps to set the stage for Ultravillain to become one of the premier ElectroRock groups.  They have been gaining momentum with the release of the video for "Break Out" and this EP is only going to propel them to new heights.  You can download both this EP and "Break Out" for free on their website

UltraVillain on the Web

http://www.ultravillain.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UltraVillainMusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UltraVillainMusic
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ultra-villain

UltraVillain - Break Out

This gem slipped by me last month and for that I am sorry.  Vancouver Future Pop duo, UltraVillain are serving up dark, sexy, sultry vibes in their video for their debut single, "Break Out".  This track is hot.  This group is hot.  The production on this is a slow build that never wears you out.  The synth is solid and doesn't sound repetitive like other artists can.  It has a very futuristic vibe and combined with the strength of not only the vocals but the lyrics and the imagery this song is freaking amazing.  I really think that this group is sleeping giant that is just waiting to take the industry by storm and with the right promotion in a few months everyone is going to know them.  This song has just the right amount of sex appeal that it doesn't border on dirty or too much.  It's a great track and I think it has the potential to be huge.  They have an EP titled, Lost In You coming out March 13 of this year so make sure you are looking out for it.  I can't find much about them online so I am going to do some investigating, in the meantime I'll just leave you with this video and a cold shower if you need it.

By the way, you can also download the track for free here: http://t.opsp.in/g0WY2 or buy on itunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/ultravillain/id589099585.  As awesome as it is to get it for free, go support them.  It's a dollar.  Don't get the Venti today, just get the Grande.  The song is better than the coffee anyway.

UltraVillain on the Web

http://www.ultravillain.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UltraVillainMusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UltraVillainMusic
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ultra-villain