Ultimae Records

Ultimae Records was set up late 1999 by Vincent Villuis, at the time member of the goa chill band Asura. Originally the label was called Infinium Records, although a US company politely requested they ceased using this name and hence the change to Ultimae Records. The aim was to be able to produce their own album. A few months later we met and started working together on the promotion and distribution of this album Code Eternity and on the first compilation : Fahrenheit Project Part 1. I was just back from 5 years spent in London and Brighton, where I experienced really mad trance parties and gathering across the UK, had been to a couple of studios and was really willing to put my energy to the service of this music. The compilation was released early 2001.

Our next idea was to produce an artist album. From the people we had been in touch with there was one whose music really stood out : Solar Fields. So we invited him to France and spent a few weeks working on the album, mix, mastering & artwork. Solar Fields is a Swedish artist from Göteborg. He came back here for the first live act in November and this summer he will be playing at the OM Festival in Toronto (21-23 June 2002) and the BOOM Festival in Portugal (21-24 August 2002).

Once the album was ready to launch we started selecting tracks for Fahrenheit Project Part 2. This compilation was released exclusively on our website, Psyshop, Chaos Unlimited and Backroads before Christmas and then in January in the mainstream shops. By then we had decided to work on distribution in a different way and signed agreements with Wirikuta and Saiko Sounds for all the eastern territories and the US. September 2002 saw the release of Fahrenheit Project Part 3.

We also launched a new website featuring an online boutique with secure payment. In the UK our records are available via Chaos Unlimited. Our next projects include the Aes Dana album, Xentrix album and trance compilations.

The record production and artist promotion is only a part of Ultimae's mission, we also work on sound synchronisation for advertising and films, website design, development and translation (French-English) and pure design (logos, record covers, advertising...).

Written by Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records

CD Album: Asura - Code Eternity

Released 2001 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by C. Farewell, C. Maze and V. Villuis. Mastered by Hubert Cuypers. Ambient music can often be more powerful than upbeat dance music; Asura demonstrate this principle perfectly. When I first put 'Code Eternity' into my CD player I was mesmerised by the originality and beauty of this recording. Indeed I have never considered "ambient" and "Goa trance" as two genres that could be fused, yet here on 'Code Eternity' this is exactly what Asura have achieved. Each track is wonderfully detailed, with the analogue Goa sound blending with a symphony of electronica and live ethnic instruments. The highlight for me personally on this debut album is the opening track, 'Like a Summer Day', a hypnotic, slow stomper which, like most of the tracks, is long at just over 10 minutes. As an album 'Code Eternity' flows effortlessly from end to end, with each track a journey through its own individual soundscape, luscious in sounds, sometimes haunting, undoubtedly breathtaking. Of all artists in my collection this compares closest to Banco-de-Gaia, and needless to say that fans of Toby Marks will find comfort in this music. Indeed I find many similarities between these two artists, not just in the use of ethnic samples and instrumentation, but also in the structure of the tracks, where lengthy ambient intro's give way to low bpm electronica. Overall this is a refreshing work of art and an essential CD for any collection. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Fahrenheit Part One

Released 2000 on Ultimae Records. Compiled by Vincent Villuis and Sunbeam. Mixed by Vincent Villuis (Asura). Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Fahrenheit Part Two

Released 2001 on Ultimae Records. Compiled by Vincent Villuis and Sunbeam. Mixed by Vincent Villuis (Asura). Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Fahrenheit Part Three

Released 9/02 on Ultimae Records. Compiled and mixed by Koala (former member of French band Jaďa) and Ultimae Team. Mastered by Huby Sea. Many thanks to Sunbeam & Vincent Villuis @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album. The third installment of the Fahrenheit Project features ten previously unreleased down-tempo & ethereal soundscapes. Described as "visual and dreamlike", the electronica featuring on this compilation is much lighter than the previous two installments in this series and in my opinion makes for the better of the three.

CD Album: Fahrenheit Part Four

Released 11/03 on Ultimae Records. Compiled and mixed by Vincent Villuis (Aes Dana, H.U.V.A Network). Mastered by Huby Sea. Many thanks to Sunbeam & Vincent Villuis @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Solar Fields - Reflective Frequencies

Released 2001 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by Magnus Birgersson. Compiled and mixed by Vincent Villuis. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Solar Fields - Blue Moon Station

Released 26/03/03 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by Magnus Birgersson. Building on the success of his first album, Magnus Birgersson takes his Solar Fields project to another dimension with this fantastic journey through sweeping & majestic etheral soundscapes. Acclaimed by the international press as "the Swedish The Orb...", a wholly justified compliment and a reflectance of the sheer brilliance of this album. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Aes Dana - Season 5

Released 2002 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by Vincent Villuis (Asura), except tracks 3, 5 & 9 by Vincent Villuis and Mahiane (Sunbeam), and track 8 by Vincent Villuis and Pascale Auffret. Voice on tracks 2 & 6 by Vincent Villuis and on tracks 3, 7, 8 & 9 by Pascale Auffret. Mastered by Huby Sea. Aes Dana (which translates as "men of art") have already contributed two exclusive tracks on the first two installments of the Fahrenheit compilations, plus 'Undertow' on Fahrenheit Pt.3. Combined with the fact that Aes Dana is essentially Vincent Villuis, then you can start to guess what this album is all about. For the sake of those who have not encountered these previous Ultimae Releases, 'Season 5' is a collection of downtempo electronica (i.e. essentially ambient Goa trance) that gradually builds into morning trance, a series of small tales made of samples and waves, charged with the energy of deep bass and tribal beats. The title refers to the fifth season, the one that does not exist but can at times be perceived, as exemplified by an Indian Summer or the beginning of Spring. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Carbon Based Lifeforms - Hydroponic Garden

Released 25th June 2003 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by Johannes Hedberg and Daniel Ringström. The debut album from Carbon Based Lifeforms is another strong release on the ever reliable Ultimae Records label. 'Hydroponic Garden' boasts deep and spacey ambience, with recognisable elements from The Orb of days gone by. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: H.U.V.A Network - Distances

Released March 2004 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by Magnus Birgersson and Vincent Villuis. Mastered by Huby Sea. "When Swedish artist Solar Fields (Magnus Birgersson) meets French artist Aes Dana (Vincent Villuis) the outcome is H.U.V.A Network, a downtempo project where north and south regions mix and jumble together in a fluid manner. The pair of sound architects explore ambient-electronica landscapes and their multiple layouts."

Deeply spaced out through to tribal stomping tempo's, 'Distances' is an incredible journey through deeply tranced-out ambient electronica. Breathtaking aral landscapes and hypnotic grooves make this the perfect smoking companion. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

CD Album: Aes Dana - Memory Shell

Released 9/04 on Ultimae Records. Written and produced by Vincent Villuis (Asura & H.U.V.A Network), with Mahiane (Sunbeam) for composition, arrangements, voice and storytelling, Pascale Auffret, for her unique ethereal vocals, and mastered by sound engineer Huby Sea.

Following on from Season Five, Aes Dana present a deep and spacey journey into morning psy-trance. Many thanks to Sunbeam @ Ultimae Records for the copy of this album.

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