UFO : V

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John Edwards Gunn

Not the 70s heavy rock outfit, this UFO is United Future Organisation from Japan, specialising in future jazz of astonishing clarity and detail. Listening to this album is like viewing a beautiful panoramic scene on a cool, clear day up in the mountains. Close attention is repayed in spades as ever more facets are revealed, but you can only appreciate its true beauty when seen as a whole.

The main thrust of V is a smooth melt of jazz and electronica, but UFO are skillful at bringing in a variety of styles and instruments, including superb acoustic guitar playing on "Esperanza" and the full-blown Latin blast of "Suite Espagnole". Meanwhile, "Microcosma" is a playful arrangement of abstract ambient textures, but the great strength of this album is that the variety never feels forced, it never feels like a compilation. Whatever the style, these tunes flow together in a natural way, with a perfect balance between the elements. Uncluttered, the sound is always spacious and expansive.

Vocalists appear occasionally, but aren't allowed to dominate their tracks. Mark Murphy's supper club voice purrs hokey lyrics on "No Problem" about a mythical innocent past. Valerie Etienne sings beautifully on "World Thing", but the lyrics are a half-arsed re-write of "Melting Pot". It's a common failing in dance music generally. You hire a soul diva, but forget to write a worthwhile song for her to belt out. Jon Lucien scats up a storm on "Listen Love", but when he sings words, they're pure mature cheddar. If you isolate these songs they're a bit hard to take, but within the context of the album they fit the mood well.

V is very carefully structured, which makes it one of the few 70 minute CDs to work as an album rather than just a collection of tunes. It moves from the unruffled surface calm of the first two full-length tracks - the first 15 minutes of the album - right up to the full-blooded dancefloor action of the last three, with a subtle, easy acceleration.

The quest of modern studio-bound musicians and producers for perfection in the mix too often result in slick, bloodless, easily-digestible 'intelligent dance music' that does nothing for the body or the mind. With V, United Future Organisation provide a masterclass in taking a step forward into a world where technical excellence can be put at the service of feel and emotion in music.

Posted on February 1st, 2003.

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