"The neon above the door reads Ultra-Lounge. By walking through this door you step back into time. Not too far back. Just a few decades. Back to a time when "evolution" meant taking out the olive and putting in an onion. When Generation X was a secret atomic weapon aimed at the White House by double agents and long-legged Russian spies whose names only Matt Helm could pronounce. This is a place clothed in the skins of leopards and sharks. An era bathed in high-octane hi-balls and swimming in elixirs made more potent by garni and dangerously curved glassware. Time here is viewed through the seductive haze of slow-heated gazes. Lipstick-kissed cigarettes ashtray-dance with cigar stubs and cherry stems. The atmosphere mambos to a soundtrack of cool. Rumbling saxophones, jazzy vibes, over-heated Hammonds, and the sexy chill of a brush across a cymbal. Bold, exotic rhythms strut to the cacophony of the Atomic-Age." So began the press kit sent to Vik in early 1996. While the lounge was still under construction, Capitol was gearing up to release the first six volumes of the now infamous Ultra-Lounge series. Ultra-Lounge (along with Scamp) was one of the first labels to join the Vik's party. At that time, Ultra-Lounge promised "six collections and then follow with classic album re-issues." All the tracks came from the original masters, though many were re-processed into stereo for the mass market. Many of the artists in the series were available for the first time on these collections. A short list of artists? Well: Martin Denny, Les Baxter, Yma Sumac, Dean Elliott, The Out-Islanders, Tak Shindo, Bas Sheva, Alvino Rey, Jackie Gleason, Billy May, Chuy Reyes, The Don Baker Trio, Jack Costanzo, The Mallet Men, Jonah Jones, David Rose, and many more. Each collection also came with cocktail recipes to quench your body's thirst as you quench your musical thirst. All in all, it held the promise of a tremendous series. So what happened? Well, 1996 stretched on and Capitol continued releasing collection after collection. 12 in all by the year's end. They wisely decided to hold off on six more volumes until 1997. As for the "classic album re-issues"? Well, three disappointing and expensive double CD collections by Denny, Baxter and Gleason are not exactly what the collector would hope for in a "classic re-issue." Another year with Baxter's "Passions," Dean Elliott's "Zounds..." (Capitol HAD licensed this to an indie label..then took it back two years ago. It remains in limbo.), Denny's "Exotic Moog" and other classics languishing in the vaults. With the dawning of 1997, the media had turned it attention to "electronica" as the next big thing and Ultra-Lounge continues to churn out the cheez-whiz. They now have their own site (www.ultralounge.com), so have no need for Vik's (or any other lounge site, it would appear). Besides, they made their money and the project REALLY isn't that important to them any more. For the record, Vik highly recommends the first nine volumes in this series. From exotica to vocals to crime to cha-cha-cha and more, these nine CDs provide an excellent start for the neo-hipster.