Customer Reviews

All Systems Are Go Go

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I don't know what younger people think of this, but if you were born in the 50s I can't understand how you could fail to love it. The mix is spot-on perfect and the tunes remind me of what we used to hear when we were 16 and stayed up until 3AM passing J's, drinking Coors and watching old movies. This isn't serious stuff, so I'm reluctant to review it on the same level as FSOL or Autechre, but it deserves 5 stars for succeeding perfectly at what it sets out to accomplish. Ursulla 1000 does a better mix than many far more prestigious "underground" DJ's and this is a masterpiece of its kind, better than the stuff he writes himself, I'm afraid. Listening to it late last night I actually found myself laughing out loud during during such perfectly titled tunes as "60s Porno Bird," they were so get-down funky it was like someone getting inside your brain and trying to tickle you to death from the inside out. Tower of Power once asked "What is Hip?" This is, man, and anyone who doesn't love it must be on some seriously bad head trip. Indispensible for all but the grim and humorless.

I hate to be pedantic but sometimes I have to (I'm German). Ursula 1000's CD doesn't have much to do with "what Germans call 'Easy Listening'". Sorry, Amazon, but that statement only confuses people. When I listened to this album I got reminded quite a bit of what Japanese DJs, in particular, Pizzicato Five are doing. And it turned out that the first song actually is a remix done by Pizzicato Five's DJ. So you get plenty of weird Sixties' riffs, short sound snippets, weird bongos, some of the stuff Fatboy Slim made popular etc. etc. It's a lot of stuff and probably you don't really want to listen to it on the side. It's a great CD for a party, and it's also great to listen to if you play it really loud (and I mean loud). Some of the songs on the CD aren't that great but they gain something from being part of the mix. In the end, you have to be aware that the CD is a continous mix, and while something like that usually works very nicely in a club, it might not always work at home. The guy who sold me the CD said he liked Ursula 1000's DJing he had seen but he wasn't too happy with the CD. I like it because I dig Pizzicato Five.

This is one I picked up on a whim and it's now one of my all time favorite records. I cannot suggest this record enough. If you have any doubts about the talents of Ursula 1000 this one will clear them all up. Awesome.

He's done it again. What a brilliant piece of samplership! This Album makes me want to party, its a sound piece of mixing and great choice of sassy sounds, which have been blended into a perfect shake. Anyone who is a big fan of bigbeat, nu-jazz and the funky side of retro breaks cannot miss this. The now sound is also a brilliant pick. I have gotta say that this album has topped my list effortlessly. Its cheerful, fun, and funky. Buy it!

surprisingly good even with repeated listens because the quality of the studio production in high. Its very upbeat and tongue-in-cheek, and most of it is very danceable. Poeple who take pop music seriously will hate it, but then again they probably wouldn't be looking at this review in the first place

Remember "The Thunderbirds" stop-action, clay-mation-esque series that used to air. That campy, mid-to-later sixties spy/space thriller? This could very well be the soundtrack to that series...particularly if the Thunderbirds resided at the Playboy mansion and threw parties all night long, every night.

The latest installment from DJ Ursula 1000 proves to be slightly different from his last release. A little more campy, largely due to the hype around Austin Powers. In that respect, it becomes increasingly difficult to play this cd without the masses thinking you're mad over Austin Powers and that whole scene.

However, the vibe is still there, and his choice of tracks is rather enjoyable. Most of the songs feature the typical grinding organ and reverbed guitars (Stratocasters and Fenders no doubt). The mixing proves smooth and the transition from one song to the next is very well done. As always, Ursula 1000 demonstrates his good ear.

I like this cd very much, and dig the entire ESL catalogue for the most part. However, it's hard to determine how to approach this cd. If Ursula 1000 is serious, it becomes a little more difficult to swallow this release. The campiness of it all seems to outweigh any seriousness to it. If it's all tongue-in-cheek, then it's fantastic. But, appreciate it for what it is, and you will not be disappointed. Purists, however, would be better off opting for ANY Jimmy Smith cd, or the likes of Lonnie Smith or Ronnie Jordan. Even still, look into just about anyone on the Ubiquity label, such as Greyboy, James Taylor Quartet, Night Trains, Snowboy, or the like.

Worth noting, the presence of Mo Horizons on this release is just about worth the price in itself. As always, a stunning mark left by Mo Horizons, mixed fantastically by U1000.

'Twas on the waters of Lake Powell when I first heard this one and it was immediately captivating. Kitchy beats, vocals and samples abound. This is for parties and cocktail hours and if you aren't smiling by the 4th track or so, go put on a mopey emo record and don't bother the rest of us who like to have fun. If you like Ursula 1000, check out my podcast at RadioDetour.com

A good mix of music to make the room shake. An orchestral hit from "James Bond", a riff from Beck's "Mixed Bizness", and a lot that I've heard before but can't quite identify. A lot of fun.

We are most definitely a Go Go with Ursula 1000's bubbly concoction of 60's pop carnival channeled through samplers and pressed to please on a shiny CD. The scary part is this is a DJ mix; it's frightening to think there are so many producers caught in such a time warp. So be it, let the fun begin!

Right away you'll see the campy attitude is in full swing as ECD's marvelous "Direct Drive" hits you with harpiscord, nonsensical singing and the infectious beat. Hear the crowd noise piping in- have a blast, baby! You'll work through an array of catchy tunes, mixed surprisingly well, laced with enough elements to be thorough songs and not just cheeky pisstakes. Meaning odd horns, lots of German, bongos, the token "how to play the drums" record sample and so on shape the songs but don't make them.

It's hard to sustain both the style and our interest over 70 minutes without making some exceptions. Ursula 1000 slowly steers you to instrumental hip hop to fill the middle, and it's through this series of routine cut & paste sampedelica that the energy dips. "Sally's Walk," a remake of Stetsasonic's classic, is but one tangent that strays too far from the concept.

No matter, he ends with a string of beach party breakbeat snappers that would be pitching you beer and cars as we speak if the name Fatboy Slim were attached. Groovy I say. Grade: B

While this is an interesting CD, it is mostly background instrumental music as opposed to sing-along, I-really-have-to-dance-right-now music. I recommend it, but I definitely prefer Ursadelica for its fun factor.