Formed around core instrumentalists Ian Cooper and Paul Hammond, Ultramarine deserve to be more renowned than they actually are. The aptly-titled 'Folk' was first released in 1990 and was amongst the first to borrow from folk as well as jazz and meld this into dance music. Even now this album sounds fresh; a statement which cannot be applied to many dance albums over a decade down the line. One of the most striking features of their debut is that clarinet was such a prominent part of the music. Together with the accordion, this previously-unheralded instrument blends in surprisingly well with tight and languid rhythms. 'Bastard Folk' is arguably the pick of the bunch where a distant female vocal is attached to a playful melodic rhythm; it recalls the clash of styles which A. R. Kane persevered with to such tantalising effect. Running it close are 'Softspot' - an even more unlikely success given that slap bass, juddery percussion and a sampled vocal are the components - and the seminal singles 'Stella' and its remixed brother 'Interstellar'. Ultramarine would gain more plaudits for their second release but this is just as pleasureable, albeit in a less obvious way