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With winter<\/span> now underway, Ummagma<\/span><\/a> will be releasing the dreamy single \u2018Winter<\/span> Tale<\/span>\u2019<\/a>, along with an captivating b-side courtesy of celebrated dreampop pioneer and 4AD recording artist A.R.Kane<\/a>\u00a0(plus bonus radio edit). In the holiday spirit, this release is being offered as a gift to listeners.<\/p>\n Ummagma<\/span> is comprised of\u00a0Shauna McLarnon\u00a0and\u00a0Alexander Kretov. On this track, Ummagma<\/span> unveils the shimmery glow of otherworldly delicacy, full of layered yet decipherable lyrics, sway and palpable electronic sounds. Reaching a more confident spot than before, this is Ummagma<\/span> stripped of some of the devices the band formerly cloaked their sound in, offering up a beautiful yet different shade of melancholy than on previous releases. Paradoxically, the duo seemingly find equilibrium as they ponder the passing of time and detriment of inactivity.<\/p>\n Rudy Tambala of A.R.Kane lends his hallmark oceanic dream-space twist to this track with a kickback to his \u201869\u2019 album, evident even from the title \u2018Mix 69 Style\u2019, recalling such classic tracks as ‘Baby Milk Snatcher’ and ‘Spermwhale Trip Over’.<\/p>\n Back in the 1980s, A.R.Kane was the first to coin the term “dream pop”, referring to the music they make. They went on to influence everyone from My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive to Andrew Weatherall – whose long-running night ‘A Love From Outer Space’ derives its name from their seminal 1989 track. They also were an important progenitor of shoegaze, trip hop, acid house and post-rock. Widely recognised as one of the most influential bands of their era, they laid ground for many musical genres that came to dominate the alternative music scene. AllMusic\u00a0<\/a>describes\u00a0A.R.Kane\u00a0as \u201cthe most criminally under-recognised band of their era\u201d.\u00a0The Guardian\u00a0<\/a>calls their work \u201csome of the 80\u2019s most extraordinary music\u201d.<\/p>\n A.R.Kane and Ummagma<\/span> have been enjoying a budding friendship over the past year surrounding their involvement with shoegaze indie legends The Veldt<\/a>. Together they decided to put a little something together as a gift for this festive season.<\/p>\n “Ummagma<\/span>\u2019s sound is so trippy I had to buy new studio monitors to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating…If Underworld or Chemical Bros did their song ‘Lama’, it would be proclaimed an instant classic,”\u00a0says\u00a0Rudy Tambala of A.R.Kane.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Their latest\u00a0\u2018Frequency\u2019 EP<\/a> features contributions by several legendary artists, including\u00a0Cocteau Twins\u00a0master\u00a0Robin Guthrie\u00a0and\u00a0Malcolm Holmes\u00a0of\u00a0Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, both of whom bring their signature sound to their mixes. This EP follows their debut albums \u2018Ummagma<\/span>\u2019 and\u2018Antigravity\u2019.<\/p>\n As ever, they take the listener through a cosmic yet introspective dreampop and ambient journey, tinged with shoegaze and synthpop flair. Their new offering explores such themes as space and distance, timelessness, escapism, and the search for tranquility.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was so much positivity and a real sense of magic the day we recorded this. A whirlwind had just passed, the electricity supply was once again stable, and we were virtually bursting to get into the studio and capture on our energy on tape, so to speak,\u201d explains Shauna McLarnon, vocalist for Ummagma<\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Before relocating to Canada, Ummagma<\/span> had won the Alternative Eurovision\u00a0on\u00a0Amazing Radio, representing Ukraine. They gained wider recognition through being featured in\u00a0Rolling Stone Russia<\/a>,\u00a0Louder Than War, Electronic Sound Magazine, BBC6 Music\u00a0and Spain\u2019s national Radio 3, among others.\u00a0‘Frequency’ numbered in more than 30 \u2018Best of 2015′\u00a0charts and was named the\u00a0Top Release of 2015<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Stereo Embers Magazine\u00a0and\u00a0Dreampop Album of the Year\u00a0<\/a>by\u00a0The Record Stache.<\/p>\n\n
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