ULAN BATOR - Ego: Echo 2LP

Highly recommended.

Ego: Echo is the fourth album by the French post-rock band. Produced by Michael Gira of Swans. Originally released on CD in 2000. Remastered and reissued for the first time on double vinyl.

Produced my Michael Gira but sounding nothing like any of the bands he's normally associated with, Ulan Bator, while in "rock" mode, have a definite affinity with Sister-era Sonic Youth. Then there's a more experimental, Krautrock side of them that allows them to do a song like "Hemisphere," which is dominated by lounge-jazz style piano, or 16-minute "Let Go Ego," the last two minutes of so consist of nothing but a monotonous, way off-key chant of the title. It can be a pretty frustrating listen, but I've got to admit that I haven't really heard anything like it.

Special guests: Michael Gira from The Swans (Background Vocals), Jean-Hervé Peron from Faust (French Horn)

"Ulan Bator’s music follows an eccentric orbit, while their power is usually kept simmering in reserve. The players investigate the borders of song structure.They build up enormous tension (...) they played a marathon three hour set with Faust early last year. Hard to imagine, given Ulan Bator's inherent sense of control: halting on the brink before complete freakout sets in is what makes the group so special". - The Wire