True strength lies in calmness and restraint. At least this is the conclusion you come to when listening to UMA‘s new tracks on the self-titled debut album, which was recently released by Seayou Records. Ella and Florian Zwietnig, the two heads behind this project, play a mesmerizing style of electro-pop music that does not follow conventional rules.
The music of the German-Austrian duo has nothing to do with mass-compatible, uniformed sounds and heralds the arrival of a new approach to electro-pop. UMA’s songs could be located somewhere between ambient, trip hop and pop, but it is rather hard and unfit to describe their music with ordinary musical categorizations, since Ella and Florian Zwietnig position their idiosyncratic style and sonic visions far away from the usual trimmed and tailored electro-pop music concepts.
This is mainly due to the fact that the two protagonists move the artistic aspect of their work to the fore. The new album has songs that are less expansive and more minimalistic, but the attention to detail is all the more impressive. Less sometimes really is more. Each tone and sound, even the smallest (interfering) noise, takes a rightpul position in the pleasant, warm and delicate sound universe of UMA and makes complete sense.
With their tremendous craftsmanship, the Berlin-based duo understands how to bring all the countless individual parts to the point and transform them into songs that are full of atmosphere. Additional tensions emerge from the contrast between Florian Zwietnig’s mechanical-electronic sound structures and the multi-layered vocal performance of his wife Ella. A contrast that rubs against each other and builds an outstanding dynamic range and vibrancy with a very special feel.
In a certain way, UMA are breaking new ground with their debut. Instead of going for dance and party music, the twosome takes the opposite route in the direction of profound depth and maturity. This approach should be infectious enough to warrant our attention.
Links
UMA | http://uma-music.net | https://www.facebook.com/00UMA
Seayou Records | http://seayou.bandcamp.com
Text: Michael Ternai (translated from German)
Link to German version: http://www.musicaustria.at/node/22320
Photo credits:
Album cover © Anette Hansen
UMA © Magdalena Bichler
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