If you want to say to me Techno is not soulful I am going to reach for Journey of the Dragons and you are going to be saying sorry. And then you are going to be on Discogs looking up the music catalogue for Underground Resistance and if you were of age when they were releasing stuff you are going to go and sit in a corner and cry like a baby as you realize that one of the greatest electronic music groups on planet earth you completely missed. Here's hoping you don't have to tell that to any children you may already have.

couldn't agree more. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in club 69 in Paisley. It was such a small club with so many regulars and a chilled atmosphere after their set they just mingled with the clubbers so managed to have a chat with them. Such nice guys. ah them were the days. ;¬)

just essential...stunningly beautiful and absolutely timeless deep space detroit techno, electro, house, jazz fusion from Mike Banks. This to me is the blueprint for what was to come from UR, Mike solidifying his direction and diverse sound following the departure of Mills and Hood from UR in 92. Gone is the abrasive rave and acidic sounds of UR 89-92..this is the deep space continuation of the earlier Nation 2 Nation with its somewhat earthly themes (big stone lake for example) the planetary themes touched on by World 2 World (jupiter jazz and cosmic traveller)... we are now bridging galaxies, sailing the stars with Astral ancestors, through deep space and into infinity. Its just as much about where we came from as to where we are heading. Also the track Methamorphosis Is I believe a reference to this turning point....snippets of older UR classics such as panic, sonic destoyer, punisher and Rob Hoods aggressive MCing live in utrecht phase in and out of the sci fi drone of a new creation....and there is also a reference on the label to the birth of Interstellar Fugitives , the UR based techno supergroup which would follow a few years later. Amazing ep, jazzy, trancey, deep space electro, married in some ways to the red planet series as much as UR itself. Hi tec funk as well as hi tec jazz are being born here. Inarguably as essential as mills waveform transmissions, hoods minimal nation and arguably the finest true techno record ever made. You can only get Journey of the Dragons co produced with Juan atkins here....and surely, as one of the most loved, sublime and revered pieces of techno ever made, Mike banks wants you to seek this "album" out as it would sell like hot cakes if re-released in its original form. Trust him - buy if you can and drift out into the galaxy and beyond.

G.O.A.T for all electronic heads in the world. must to have, must to known EP...and "Journey Of The Dragons" - something not from our world. 20-30-40-50-100 euro...it doesnt matter. just have fun and think about the music and life. UR-Forever.

This is still one of the greatest examples of Detroit Techno. A seamless journey to the 'beyond'. Sit back, relax and let the music take you to where you want to go. Hi-Tech Jazz, indeed!

Stardate: 05 30 93 is a reference to the Deep Space Nine episode 01x18 "Dramatis Personae" first aired May 30, 1993

journey of dragons.. journey of dragons... if i ever get to play that track at the right moment, to the right crowd, ill die a happy man

love that OLD SKOOL DETROIT flavour still can be played with garage old skool house THE KEY...... LUV is dA mESSAgE : D

amazing record!, this can still be found on the submerge site along with other classics

Journey of the Dragons sounds a lot like an obscure Manuel Göttsching track called "Niemand Lacht Rückwärts"but I guess the sample comes from that Jean-Luc Ponty track "Computer Incantations For World Peace" I really can't say for sure between the two?!

"Hi-Tech Jazz" appears here in an edited down version. There's a fake outro in the original version and then it picks back up again for a reprise. You are not really missing much in the version that appears here but it was nice to have a couple of minutes without the saxophone.

the best of the best

Nice! Classic

sit down and listen to it.fabulous.

Journey Of The Dragons is an amazing track, still sounds great today almost 20 years after it was released. If you like this track I'd recommend checking out Computer Incantations For World Peace by Jean-Luc Ponty released in 1983, pretty similar but without the electro-techno beats.

i agree with ajams..rhythm of infinity is probably the best bit of music ever written..outstanding!!.

'Deep Space 9' for me, please...all day long : )

Maaan, they WERE the days (sigh)...what happened?

We aged! Shit init. . . . . . .

.

we all got into RAAAAGAAAAJUNHGLE !!! BRAAP BRAAAAPP

Since this doesn't seem to have been mentioned or noticed, I'm pretty certain side D ('Rhythm Of Infinity'/'Metamorphosis') is supposed to play at 45 RPM, unlike the rest if the EP which is pressed at 33. 'Rhythm Of Infinity' then goes from being a 90 BPM 4/4 plodder with pitched-down drums to a typical UR 130bpm space-techno monster - probably my favourite track on the EP alongside 'Journey of the Dragon'. Similarly the samples on 'Metamorphosis' (Rob Hood's live intro to 'The Punisher' etc) play at the correct pitch when on 45.

With this legendary Galaxy 2 Galaxy release Underground Resistance truly deserves loads of respect. In my eyes this release is groundbreaking and sets a new standard for the possibilities of electronic music. The great warm basslines and the elements of soul, funk and jazz are unparallelled in this genre of house/techno. Underground Resistance always has been an innovating label and group of artists. This record has to be at the top of my list of alltime favorites out of the Underground Resistance catalogue. Hi-Tech Jazz is the only track, I think, which also came out on vinyl in a later stadium, including a live version. I already owned that record. But it is great to own the original version. The B side is the side which I like the best. Journey of the Dragons maybe is the most well known track on this record. The immense depth is just amazing, it goes on and on and on. But I have to say, my favorite track has to be B2 Star Sailing. This is just what Detroit is all about. the great funky rhythms swing like hell! Just original innovative stuff for the ages. The C side kicks of with Astral Apache, another great track it makes me think of The Martian. Just like C2 actually, but that one is indeed mixed by The Martian (Mike Banks?!). I like the Deep Space 9 track, it takes you right into the deep space with the paranoid technosounds but at the same same it still contains funk in the drum rhythms. Techno the way I like to hear it. That's why I'm also a big fan of The Martian/Red Planet. On the D side you also can find a great deep downtempo techno track by the name of Rhythm of Infinity. Indeed a perfect fitting tracktitle to the music. How do they do it? It is a track for open minded technoheads. It will take you to a new dimension in techno music. These two legendary pieces of vinyl close down with Metamorphosis. A haunting braincracking track. Some early releases of Underground Resistance can be heard in the background at times, Sonic Destroyer and The Punisher for example. At some point there is avocal saying "Are you down with the underground" I'm not sure where that one comes from though. This record is worth tracking down at all costs. You won't be dissapointed, that's one thing I can guarantee!

Now, it's time for resistance.On this EP, Mike Banks recalls memories of Bruce Lee or Geronimo, two warriors who fought their way through existence. Of course repeating that an UR record is a must-have is a bit unnecessary but this EP is particularly important since it includes the track that intiated the techno jazz thing (we're in 1994!): "Hi-Tech Jazz". Though its synthetiser-generated saxophone solo sounds a bit dated, it is still incredibly powerful as it embodies the soul and passion that characterizes Detroit's sound so much. A classic which influenced musicians from the world over.

A brilliant record. Listen to "Metamorphosis" to hear samples of "Riot", "Sonic Destroyer", "Livin' For The Night", "Sometimes I Feel Like" and the introduction of "Punisher" from a gig in Utrecht, Holland. All this played over deep space exploration tones. Essential UR that is still as solid as it was when it was released 10+ years ago.

Am I the only one who hears irritating high pitched frequencies (I mean on the level dogs hear at) in the track Hi-tech Jazz. They bugged the hell out of me, so much so I had to sell my copy. A shame, as i neglected to remember how good 'Journey of the Dragons' is. Nuts.

Still ur's best track,'Hi-Tech Jazz'temporarily marked a move away from aggressive militancy into the realms of star sailing cosmology-a place they would return to often.Universally adored, and a big crossover hit.

'Journey of the Dragons' seems to have been inspired by Jean-Luc Ponty's 'Computer Incantations for World Peace'. (Find a sound clip and check the similarities... see?)

i high tech jazz on a Dave Angel mix CD in around 1994, and spent ages trying to discover what it was called. i finally went into Londons premier techno store (now closed) called Fat Cat, and as soon as i played it to them , the man reached bihind him without even having to look it up amoung his massive library of techno, and plucked it straight out. as he handed it to me he said "we always stock this sort of shit here" and i was happy. I used to listen to it on a loop for HOURS on end. True blueprint techno, going straight to the jazz roots with its sax.

Supposedly this is the creme de la creme of the series. I'm not so sure. It's a solid ep with some choice built like a brick shit house play set phasers on kill when played tracks. Tracks like these require some room to really be effective.