The Brain Behind Ultramundane
A chronological look at the music of Shaadie Khoury.
Oziris – Storms from the East (Oziris)
See my main post on Egyptian black metal.
Ultramundane – A Kingdom at Birth (Ultramundane)
Mostly instrumental (save two lo-fi black metal tracks) Mogwai-ish debut with a full band.
Ultramundane – Withered Mysteries of Creation (Ultramundane)
Khoury’s first album as an electronic solo artist. Mostly instrumental with many passages recalling ’70s German electronic music. Extremely dark – the mood echoes the atmosphere of A Kingdom at Birth.
Ultramundane – Planet (Ultramundane)
A more “modern” electronica-sounding album, although some parts still have that ’70s German feeling, while others seem inspired by video game music. Half the songs are collaborations with Trinity, Jue Huller, James Wright and Omnitechnomatrix. More of a transitional album.
Ultramundane – Another Day (Ultramundane)
A very focused darkwave album that establishes the direction for future albums. More Dead Can Dance than Klaus Schulze and more collaborations with James Wright, Trinity and Oblivion.
Ultramundane – Forever Is (Ultramundane)
The darkest album up to this point. “Psyflipya” is almost trip-hop, while “Within Shadows” evokes the driving soundtrack of a video game. The title track is the angry messages of an ex-girlfriend set to soothing music. Also contains the first collaboration with Shanna Dawn, “Your Memories.”
Ultramundane – Exiled (Dimension Studios)
Shanna Dawn collaborated on seven out of the ten tracks here. Sonically, the Attrition and Dead Can Dance comparisons are particularly applicable. Ultramundane’s second album of 2003.
Ultramundane – The Perilous Morose (Dimension Studios)
On this album, Khoury returned to the forefront of the band with his strongest material yet. Two-thirds of the songs are solo efforts; the rest are collaborations with Shanna Dawn, Montie Cox and even Khoury’s old bandmate Ahmed Samadie.
Ultramundane – Reign of the Searing Seers (Dimension Studios)
Two years after The Perilous Morose, Khoury released this album that fuses the ’70s German electronic sounds of his earliest recordings with the darkwave sound he had established in the meantime. Features a great collaboration with DJ Sophie.
Ultramundane – Eons of Sanity (Dimension Studios)
Khoury’s last album, released in 2007. His darkest and best album to date.
