Ultra Material: EP3 | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Brisbane based dreampop / shoegaze outfit Ultra Material have been releasing high quality music for five years, including two albums and two EPs. This has now been added to with a third EP, appropriately titled yeah, you got it ... EP3.

The six songs provide a package which is more slowly paced than much of their previous offerings. If you know Ultra Material’s earlier work, there is enough in here that will sound familiar - floating waves and washes of sound, ethereal vocals, pulsating rhythms.

One of the features of Ultra Material which sets them apart is the multiple layers and complexity of their sounds. On this latest EP, the vocals often serve as another instrument rather than sitting separate from or above the music - so much so that some of the songs feel like instrumentals.

Rather than the shimmering, faster-paced, pop gems which have been scattered through their earlier releases, the slower pace of these songs provides the opportunity for the music to slowly build, evolve or shift atmosphere gradually - much like watching how the patterns of the billow and swirl of smoke can shift with each slight shift of wind.

This is a set of songs made for repeat listening. Rather than the sugar hit of an instantly catchy pop banger, this music is worth taking the time to develop a deep and meaningful relationship with. Each encounter opens the opportunity for discovering something new within the shifting ephemeral soundscapes.

- Andrew Bartlett.