Music Monday #44: The Album by Ultrabeat

"Don't leave me hangin coz you know what I'm feelin, I go crazy, I go crazy, And if I asked you would you stop me from fallin?  Would you save me?  Would you save me?"
- 'Elysium (I Go Crazy)' - Ultrabeat

Returning again to Electronic Dance Music [EDM] there are a few artists who manage to create tracks that go on to become massive hits within EDM, although they remain relatively unknown to the mainstream.  Ultrabeat are an example of this polarity achieving their first hit in the EDM scene in 2003 with 'Pretty Green Eyes' which went #1 in the UK Dance charts and #2 in the UK's main charts, but beyond this single they would not reach the same height again within the main chart failing to get another top 10 hit, but they would go on to score 6 more top 10 hits within the Dance chart with their music becoming a staple throughout the 00s spawning countless remixes that were featured on numerous dance compilation albums.

'Elysium (I Go Crazy)' took Scott Brown's existing 'Elysium' track, remixed it, added vocals and released it in 2006 to reach #4 in the Dance chart.  This track in particular holds a fond place in my heart because I first discovered it when I started clubbing, it had featured on several dance albums and became an anthem to my life for a time.  The lyrics that Ultrabeat added to the track deal with the search for love, and that moment when you think you've found it but you still aren't quite sure how they feel in return, this is a mindset I have felt many times in my life and more than once I have been left wondering if they would catch me if I fell. 

'Better Than Life', 'I Wanna Touch You', and 'Sure Feels Good' all speak to this feeling of defining what love is, whether or not you are actually in love, and the confusion that exists in that head-space.  Not surprisingly the reason this album connected with me so much was because this went on to become associated heavily in my mind with the love chain I got caught up in, the confusion I felt, and the desperate attempt to make sense of it all. 

The last track I want to pay particular focus to is the single mentioned above, 'Pretty Green Eyes' this went on to become associated in my mind with one guy in particular, the lyrics "Pretty green eyes, So full of wonder and despair, It's all right to cry, For I'll be there to wipe your tears, And in your arms, Together we're in paradise, And it's so nice, You'll never have to be alone" are just a platter of platitudes to devour when you're lovesick.  It's not surprising then that I formed the attachment to those words.  The music of this album is the main appeal however, EDM is often centred around the music first with the lyrics forming an afterthought, and given Elysium in particular started out as a hardcore track without a vocal it perhaps demonstrates that best. 

Ultrabeat, along with XTM, Ian Van Dahl, Tomcraft, DJ Sammy, Cascada, Micky Modelle, Alex K, Audiolush, Scooter, Flip & Fill, N-Trance, Milk Inc, Angel City, Love Inc, Apollo, and Special D to name a few all became artists that marked that time of my life with music that helped me process my emotions, their music for the most part didn't have lyrics that were profound but they spoke to feelings I had and the search for something uplifting and transformative that could take my mood from something negative and turn it into something positive.  I would feature them all in this list if I could but many of them produced many more singles than albums which is quite common within EDM as most artists within the genre gain their exposure through DJ sets, producing remixes for other artists, or being featured on prominent compilations like Ministry of Sound's Annual, or Clubland, or the Euphoria compilations. 

There's so much more to EDM than the handful of hits that reached number 1 in the mainstream charts, and most artists within the genre quickly learn that loyal fans and knowing your target audience can produce a steady income and plenty of opportunity.  EDM has seen the rise and fall of many artists that mainstream chart watchers would not have heard of but can still step out onto a stage in front of thousands of people screaming their name at dance music festivals and club nights at superclubs, venues with capacities in the order of thousands.  It's easy to be oblivious to entire worlds that exist beyond the specific view of the world that mainstream media presents.  It is for this reason more than any that my attitude to music has always been to try first, judge second, to experience the music first before I form an opinion of it because there have been countless artists over the years who I have loved who you would not expect me to like if you followed the stereotype that some of my music taste would portray, yet another reason why I specifically chose to compile this list with a mix of artists rather than sticking to a given genre.