Chaos Star Media
ubik.'s set was a journey to end a journey. The night was awesome so far, almost a soundtrack to some strange event, and ubik. was hear to deliver the final notes. They only played seven songs, but those songs demanded attention, especially in a few of the breakdowns. The music was methodical and purposeful, almost to the point of driving the listener forward to the night's destination. As we neared the end of our rhythmic, tumbling, persuasive odyssey, ubik. didn't quite 'hold our hand' but they walked beside us, setting the atmosphere for whatever lay ahead. They were communicating something, they were communicating a mysterious type of poetry. Melodramatic or not, they delivered a musical atmosphere that described a journey filled with dramatic, destructive importance. Sadly, if you weren't there, my words can't recreate it, but watching the crowd, I knew I wasn't alone.
...this is all just metaphor, but ubik. provided what turned out to be an movie based on sound without sight. They grabbed at many different sounds and tempos and energies. They played for themselves and for the crowd. Having seen them construct their set list only minutes before, the sequence ended up working in a terrific manner, as it offered many of the bands facets. Every member of the band delivered a fantastic performance in their own right, and together, they delivered once hell of a performance.
ubik. delivered humor, talent, and very strong communication to the crowd. Each band shook the walls, made us move, and made our ears ring, and ubik. topped it off with one hell of a reminder that music, whatever the genre, is art; is communication, and can be very powerful.
--Christopher Elliott, 9/19/12
Seattle Rock Guy
Usually I’m not much of a fan of female metal singers (just like I’m not a fan of male trip-hop singers, you get my drift) but Ubik is clearly an exception. They are just as good as Jefferson Airplane circa ’67 mashed up with Tool circa ’97 and I’m not kidding. This album builds, shreds, spaces-out, breathes, crushes and more. A great listen cover to cover. Oh, Ubik sports dual bass players, too. Check that shit. Word on the street is a new album in the works, so let’s hear it already!
--Matt Abramson, 10/19/10
The Stranger (up and coming)
ubik. is an enigmatic band. Singer Michelle's delivery and demeanor recall the fiery feminist punk energy of Spitboy. Their stage-right bass player conjures the apocalyptic funk-skronk of Skeleton Key. Their stage-left bass player—perhaps compensating for the absent guitar player—churns out heavily effected proggy leads. Together, their sound is a perplexing blend of the more experimental anarcho punk of the late '80s and early '90s (Dog Faced Hermans, Submission Hold, Contropotere) and the rowdier descendants of the prog-rock scene (Primus, Mr. Bungle, Victims Family). ubik. is certainly not for everyone, but they're definitely a band that should be explored by adventurous listeners.
--Brian Cook, 12/13/09
Blank Point by (sic)Things:
Seattle heavy-robot rockers Ubik are taking over. By servo or sword they will surely conquer. The four-piece eschews guitars, and instead dominates with two fully-pedaled bass guitars. They self-recorded and mixed this six song EP at the famed Octagon in Seattle. The intensity of their live show translates very well to disc. The effected vocals and basses come through as well, which can tough to catch in their live show.
The recording is excellent; the songs are fantastic and the CD looks great itself. People might accuse me of being biased in this review, but I am not being biased at all. This CD is full of well-written, well-played agit-robocore and it completely resonates. I must admit I have been a fan of this band since their first show. Michelle and company deserve Seattle's full attention. Michelle's vocal are powerful whether she is singing or growling. Tyler's drumming is really great, and Eric and Joel work very well together. Check this band out. Two tracks that sit especially well are "!!!!!!" and "External Retraction."
--A. Algerbay, 11/18/08
Grotesque's Victim of the Week:
ubik. is another band I came across at the Autonomous Mutant Festival. As soon as I heard Michelle sing, and listened to the band play, I was awe-stricken. They had some difficulties with sound seeing as how they were playing in the woods in the middle of nowhere and are used to playing indoors, but I was still highly impressed. The bass duo is AMAZING, and Michelle's voice is phenomenal! Add in some of that funky percussion and that's Ubik.
Not only is the music out-of-this-world great, but the poetry within the lyrics is absolutely gorgeous in every way imaginable. Such a voice combined with so much beauty within the lyrical content is almost too much to grasp. There's no wonder why everyone that knew ubik. was stoked for them to play at AMF.
It's heavy, pretty, fun, deep, and there's a little bit of something in it for everyone. So check out ubik.! Add them on Myspace and support! Most of all, GO TO A SHOW!! They play in Seattle frequently, and sound amazing live!!
--PURE METALOCITY by Gina Grotesque, 07/03/08
Ubik & Leeni, Last Saturday at the Jewel Box Theatre
They're metal, they're progressive, they're punk, they're deathy speed-core, they're slow crunchy melody; forget it. Like them or not, Ubik is two basses drums and vocals, and they're a force. Quirky, fast, slow, melodic, dissonant, and self-rendering; the music ranges from raw screaming to melodic interludes as easily as water flows from crashing cataract to ocean. There's nothing calm about it. Even when vocalist Michelle Pannell's voice is soothing, there's an undercurrent of growl. Two basses, one standard and one tenor played by Joel Fletcher and Eric Charles respectively, alternate between popping, whining, chords and arpeggios. Dexterous fingerwork bridges a flux between extremes of absolute distortion and melody while drummer Tyler Griffith uses a violin bow on his cymbals to create a crashing effect of noise. I dare you to try and define them.
This band is gaining some incredible momentum in Seattle and their schedule is beginning to reflect their growing fanbase. They even have a mention on the Wikipedia page for "Ubik". Good lord, Artomaton doesn't even have a Wikipedia mention! Of course, this site's namesake isn't exactly a word, is it? Moving on.....No matter what kind of music you like, you should make an effort to see this band play. Keep your eyes and ears attuned for more shows and more press, because I think they're going to take over the world....or at least Seattle and Portland. I can only hope we're ready.
--Artomoton.org, 01/10/08