Artist description Producer and remixer George Hagegeorge has put together Urania with vocalist Melissa Sharlat, who has also appeared on "Spider's Bride" by The Clay People and with Under the Noise. Urania is named after one of the 9 muses of Greek mythology. The music is driven by a pagan, and solar energy, that drastically contrasts the current vibe of many industrial bands featuring more emphasis on melody and complex percussion arrangements. ================================

Music Style Industrial/Electronica

Musical Influences tribal, industrial, drum and bass, ethnic

Group Members George Hagegeorge & Melissa Sharlat

Albums Aquarius , Initiation (CD and D.A.M. CD), U-Tek (D.A.M. CD only), Irony Of Land (single, D.A.M. CD only)

Press Reviews ALTERNATIVE PRESS by Aaron Johnston #130 Their style is more dispersed than a Russian food line on Sloppy Joe day, and they do it all very well. If you're unconcerned with the minutiae involved in the classification of musical styles, this is for you... Yes, it's good! ================================ OUTBURN Skippy Longstocking - issue #8 If ever there was a CD to be picked up by merely reading a review, this would be the one...Hagegeorge is an electronic spectacle with the ease in which he slides from Euro-dance to mindf*** as an unnoticeable industrial assassin...Hagegeorge is back to doing his own music and it has some serious potential to gain a large fan base. ================================ INTERFACE David Sexton issue #14 "Attention to detail and thick beats are characteristic of Hagegeorge's work...The funky edge to the beats plays well with the well written synth and vocal parts, both minimal to give room for groove and style. This is one of the few electro-industrial releases this year truly worth seeking out. ================================ CMJ Vicki Aubin issue #603 "Enveloping drum 'n' bass, industrial, electro-pop and more under one roof, Initiation marks the next progression for...programmer George Hagegeorge and vocalist Melissa Sharlat. Cleverly combining melody with...rhythms, styles and spatial planes, the album provides a short history of where electronic music has been and a precursor to where it's going." ================================ INDUSTRIAL BIBLE "Urania's Initiation is a potent CD that is both exciting to the mind and body. The man behind the mask of Urania, George Hagegeorge, is no stranger to this scene... producer for The Aggression and Pygmy Children, and remix master for a variety of projects (BiGod 20, Hellsau, Clay People, etc.) Hagegeorge knows how to create multidimensional musical pieces. With Urania Hagegeorge explores a variety of electronic sub-genres...Thus far in his career, Initiation is the highlight, which is saying quite a bit considering I've enjoyed everything he has done. What Hagegeorge has done with Urania far surpasses what most musicians are accomplishing today. Initiation is truly an amazing CD and should not be overlooked." ================================ GRINDING INTO EMPTINESS "...a full-length release has been in high demand - and now Initiation is finally here! The album completes George Hagegeorge's metamorphosis into his Urania identity...Hagegeorge has created a masterpiece in Initiation...The many sides to the album only make it more enjoyable, giving each listen a more well-rounded feel. As can be expected, that well-rounded feel makes Initiation infinitely more enjoyable than a straight electrodance album. George Hagegeorge proves himself beyond measure that his talent is a force to be reckoned with; he and Melissa Sharlat do an impeccable job of putting Urania on the map. ================================ PARADIGM SHIFT ...we get the kind of intense, dance-oriented, hard-edged music that is coming from bands like Urania..."Initiation" is a unique collection of beats and instrumentation, with an emphasis on the heavy technological aspects. Nonetheless, the human element comes through very clearly. The music is emotional, aggressive, and exhilarating. Deep atmospheric sounds resonate behind hard insistent rhythms. The lyrical content is transcendent, dealing with issues of experience that could only be considered spiritual or evolutionary. The darkness of the music is a starting point -- ultimately, I think what Urania is doing is transcending the anxiety and fear communicated by the heavy rhythms...Urania creates a particularly thick texture of sounds and rhythms and the attention to detail on many levels is apparent. Urania is not for the timid, but if you are interested in powerful electronic music, this a recommended album. ================================ SONIC BOOM "Metamorphosis" would be a more suitable title for this release as the Urania portrayed here blossomed considerably from their debut EP. Every aspect, mood, and style of the music has changed. Gone are the light, wafting electronics from the "Aquarius" EP. In their place are feedback driven percussion, Drum'n'Bass rhythms, and Club style Electro. Urania has emerged from their Disco-era cocoon into an Electro Monarch Butterfly and they want to stretch their wings on the dance floor." ================================ INDUSTRIAL NATION "What can be regarded as tribally influenced house music...a blend of mainstream with the agressive...very sinuous and very sexy" ================================

Additional Info Urania's "First Swirling" also appears on 'Awake the Machines Vol. 2' compilation. "Secret" remix by BoomChrPaige appears on Cryonica Tanz Vol. 1. All photographs on this page by Cheryl Fair

Location Baltimore, MD - USA

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