ARTIST: Urban Myth Club
TITLE: Helium
LABEL: TRL Music
GENRE: Ambient
TIME: 54:02 min
SIZE: 73,8 MB
RIP DATE: Apr-14-2006
RELEASE DATE: Apr-17-2006
WEBSITE: n/a
Track List:
01. E=umc2 00:47
02. I Feel It 04:06
03. Calling 07:07
04. Schnorkle 03:28
05. Breathe 06:00
06. Spacewalk 06:45
07. Moon And The Night 04:07
08. Bird's Eye View 03:59
09. So Beautiful 05:44
10. Atlantic 04:20
11. Sanctuary 04:59
12. Secret 01:23
13. Cloud 9 01:17
Release Notes:
"Urban Myth Club have produced one of the finest,
most complete, most beautiful and truly gorgeous
albums my ears have heard for years. When I've first
came across "Helium", I was blown away, just taken
aback with the quality of the song-writing and the
beauty of their arrangements. It's quite frankly
stunning. One of the best downtempo albums ever
released. Beautiful, stunning and simply adorable.
Flawless. As close to musical perfection as it
gets."
Ben Mynott (Blues & Soul Magazine / Fragile State)
"Attention - every now and again you get blown away
by someoneÆs music; HELIUM has not only blown me
away but knocked me out. Urban Myth Club have
arrived and delivered an album which is musically,
lyrically and production-wise, right up there with
the finest. Whether youÆre in love, hanging on a
beach, lounging, having a run, driving or just
entertaining, every track has a story to tell and
touches the inner soul, like the tear jerking æI
Feel ItÆ".
Pathaan (DJ Magazine & Ministry of Sound Radio)
"Helium is a lush chill out album, with some very
strong tracks, comparable to artists such as latter
day Delerium, Royksopp, and even Massive Attack
during itÆs moodier moments û the sauntry I Feel It
being a prime example, as SzembekÆs cool vocal
swoons across deep gliding synth pads. Calling,
meanwhile, would fit most comfortably onto a James
Bond soundtrack CD, thanks to its cinematic synth
sweeps, a hardly surprising element of the album
considering the history of a couple of Urban Myth
ClubÆs members as film composers. The instrumental
Schnorkle, with its brassy stabs and urbane
atmospheres carries a similar filmic sophistication.
Atlantic, with its gentle piano chords surrounded by
punchy beats and choral sounds, is particularly
reminiscent of Talk Talk circa 1986, whilst the airy
Spacewalk brings something new to the table -
twinkling and glistening as the title suggests, this
has a nice dubby rhythm, interspersed with various
astronautical samples.
The track that really stood out for me, however, was
the melancholy, So Beautiful. Rowan GodelÆs
beautiful female vocal really breathes life and
emotion. GodelÆs vocal, which really is exceptional,
then swans its way through the glistening keys of
Sanctuary to produce another finely carved pop
number. An enjoyable album, ....excellent tracks,
mostly superior to its contemporaries. Well worth
checking out. (7.8/10)"
Barcode Magazine
"I didnÆt manage to hear Urban Myth ClubÆs
performance at Eastnor this year. You know how it is
- things to do, people to see, music to listen to.
But one of my defining memories of the festival is
the sound of the hypnotic opening chords of æSo
BeautifulÆ drifting across the site, everywhere from
the Chill stage to the bars and stalls, accompanied
by groups of punters asking each other æWhatÆs this
tune? Gorgeous isnÆt it?Æ
Played as his summer set opener by Pete Lawrence,
itÆs a classic electronic ballad in the tradition of
LambÆs æGoreckiÆ or StaticÆs æInside your HeavenÆ, a
rich five and a half minute slice of emotion topped
off by Rowan GodelÆs touching vocal.
æHeliumÆ is Urban Myth ClubÆs first full-length
album and, as well as æSo BeautifulÆ, it includes
all four tracks from æThe Secret EPÆ that created
something of a buzz around these parts earlier in
the year.
Writers and producers Ian Sanderson and Dezz use
electric pianos, strings and warm analog synths as
the main colours in their palette of sound, which
comes to rest somewhere between the polished coffee
table chill of Air and Zero 7 and the mellow drama
of Ilya or early Goldfrapp.
As youÆd expect, æSo BeautifulÆ is the standout
track here but the cinematic opener æSchnorkle,Æ
æMoon and the nightÆ with its haunting clarinet, and
the powerful æSanctuaryÆ, featuring another
exceptional vocal performance from Ms Godel, run it
pretty close.
Urban Myth Club make music that drifts softly and
draws you in slowly, and with DJs ranging from Adam
Freeland to the venerable whispering Bob Harris
already lending their support with airplay and rave
reviews, the chances are youÆll be hearing a lot
more of them in 2006."
BigChill.net
One Day Everyone Will Have This Album
Helium is one of those sleeper albums that is
spreading by word of mouth, and gathering a bigger
and bigger following that you can be pretty sure it
will be in everyone's collection. It's simple and
beautiful soundscapes are reminiscent of Zero 7,
Moby's "Play" and Groove Armada, but they have their
own unique sound. The achingly beautiful centrepiece
of the album "I Feel It" is an instant classic."
Pete More, iTunes, 5 Stars