fbpx
Wikipedia

Ulver

Ulver (Norwegian for "wolves") is a Norwegian experimental electronica band founded in 1993, by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg. Their early works, such as debut album Bergtatt, were categorised as folklore-influenced black metal, but the band has since evolved a fluid and increasingly eclectic musical style, blending genres such as experimental rock, electronica, ambient, trip hop, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise, progressive and experimental music into their oeuvre.[1] 1997 marked their international debut with the release of their third album Nattens madrigal through German label Century Media. However, following discord with the label, Rygg formed his own imprint, Jester Records, in 1998.[2]

Ulver
Ulver, 22 February 2010, Kraków
Background information
OriginNorway
Genres
Years active1993–present
Labels
MembersKristoffer Rygg
Tore Ylwizaker
Jørn H. Sværen
Past membersSigmund Andreas Løkken (deceased 1996)
Robin Malmberg
Carl-Michael Eide
Stian Thoresen
Håvard Jørgensen
Erik Olivier Lancelot
Torbjørn Heimen Pedersen
Hugh Steven James Mingay
Daniel O'Sullivan
Websitejester-records.com/ulver

In 1997, Rygg invited composer and multi-instrumentalist Tore Ylwizaker into the band, and together they changed Ulver's musical direction. Their first musical endeavour together, Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, drew from a variety of non-metal sources, including classical and avant-garde, and the works of William Blake. Metamorphosis (1999) and Perdition City (2000) followed, showcasing further experimentation and explorations into electronic music. In 2000, author Jørn H. Sværen joined the band, and since then, the core of Ulver has been Rygg, Ylwizaker and Sværen. In 2009, Ulver expanded their line-up: British multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan became the fourth core member, and several other musicians were enlisted as supporting and live members; of the latter, Norwegian musician and producer Ole Alexander Halstensgård has since established himself as another prominent member of the band.

Ulver has performed at several prestigious venues, including Queen Elizabeth Hall (2009), the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet (2010), Teatro Regio di Parma (2013), Labirinto della Masone di Franco Maria Ricci (2017)[3] and held artist residency at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (2018).[4]

The band have sold in excess of half a million records, been three nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Awards, Spellemannsprisen, in different categories,[5] won Album of the Year at the Oslo Awards for Shadows of the Sun in 2008,[6] won the NATT&DAG award for Best Live Act in 2011,[7] and earned a global reputation for stylistic unpredictability.[8]

Author and musician Julian Cope has said, "Ulver are cataloguing the death of our culture two decades before anyone else has noticed its inevitable demise."[9]

History edit

The Black Metal Trilogie (1993–1997) edit

The band was founded in 1993 in Oslo by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg together with Grellmund, Robin Malmberg, Carl-Michael Eide, Håvard Jørgensen, and A. Reza. Ulver issued their first demo cassette, Vargnatt, in November 1993. Their music and style was consistent with the Norwegian black metal subculture of the early 1990s.[10] However some have noted the avant-garde, jazz, rock and gothic influences that would later shape the band's sound.[11] The archaic Dano-Norwegian lyrics were greatly influenced by Scandinavian folktales and inspired by Baroque poets such as Ludvig Holberg and the hymn-writer Thomas Kingo.[12]

Their debut album, Bergtatt, the first part of what has become known as Ulver's "Black Metal Trilogie,"[13] was issued in February 1995 through Norwegian label Head Not Found. The album was met with critical acclaim, and was notable for blending black metal, harsh vocals and blurred, buzzing guitars with quiet, folk-like acoustic passages. It was praised for its unique atmosphere and was described as "mysterious, melancholic, eerie, and oddly tranquil."[14]

Prior to their second album, founding member Grellmund committed suicide on New Year’s Day 1996 at the age of 19. Kveldssanger, issued March 1996 by Head Not Found, Ulver eschewed a typical black metal sound by incorporating classical guitars, cello and choral chamber chants overlaid with subtle orchestral landscapes. The album was a drastic contrast to Bergtatt, whilst still retaining the atmospheric and folk themes. Rygg has since remarked that Kveldssanger, despite strong content, was an "immature attempt at making a classical album".[15] The album was praised for its atmosphere, evoking a feeling of quiet, eerie solitude.[16]

Following the success of their first two albums, Ulver signed with German label Century Media for their third album Nattens madrigal, issued in March 1997, marking the band's international debut. The album showcases a black metal style similar to Bergtatt, abandoning the acoustic and atmospheric elements of Kveldssanger, with an intentionally underproduced sound. The album has been described as "raw and grim black metal at its blackest."[17] A common myth about the album is that the band spent the recording budget on Armani suits, cocaine and a Corvette; and recorded the album outdoors in a Norwegian forest on an 8-track recorder.[18] Rygg, however, has stated that this is not true, and possibly a rumour started by Century Media.[19][20] The album has been described as "so fast and ferocious and the vocals so garbled that it's best just to take the sheer sonic force as reflecting the band's concept, rather than trying to piece it all together."[18]

Metal Injection concluded "Kveldssanger had no electric instruments, Nattens madrigal had no acoustic instruments, but Bergtatt, has both acoustic and electric instruments; it's like they spliced the elements from Bergtatt into two separate albums. If that's the case, then Nattens madrigal really showcases the black metal prowess of the band. The album answers exactly why people were so angered by Ulver's transition away from black metal, and why people are still bitter at their direction today."[21]

In 1997, Century Media issued The Trilogie – Three Journeyes Through the Norwegian Netherworlde, a limited edition collection, containing Bergtatt, Kveldssanger and Nattens madrigal in LP Picture Disc format, housed in a cardboard box, with a booklet and bonus posters.

Beyond black metal (1998–2002) edit

In 1997, Rygg invited composer and sound architect Tore Ylwizaker into the collective in order to expand their artistic and musical visions; and together they stepped over the boundaries of black metal aesthetics, creating a genre-defying work in Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, released in December 1998. The album was issued through Rygg's own imprint, Jester Records, a label born out of discord between Ulver and Century Media.[2] Musically, the album blended electronics, industrial music elements, progressive metal and experimental rock, adding ambient passages. Lyrically, the album incorporates the entire text of William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, utilising guest vocalists on several songs. The album received widespread acclaim from critics within both the rock/metal and alternative music press - being awarded "album of the month" in several high-profile magazines such as Terrorizer, Metal Hammer, and Rock Hard and ranked highly in their end of year's best polls. However, the album's transitional nature perhaps alienated many fans of the band's first three albums — causing a backlash from the black metal scene.[citation needed]

Ulver, now only consisting of Rygg and Ylwizaker, issued an EP, Metamorphosis, in September 1999. The music moving to the more heavily electronic approach, bridging the gap to the film-noir ambiance of 2000's full-length album Perdition City.[22] In the sleeve notes to Metamorphosis, the group declared:

Ulver is obviously not a black metal band and does not wish to be stigmatized as such. We acknowledge the relation of part I & III of the Trilogie (Bergtatt & Nattens Madrigal) to this culture, but stress that these endeavours were written as stepping stones rather than conclusions. We are proud of our former instincts, but wish to liken our association with said genre to that of the snake with Eve. An incentive to further frolic only. If this discourages you in any way, please have the courtesy to refrain from voicing superficial remarks regarding our music and/or personae. We are as unknown to you as we always were.[23]

Perdition City, issued in March 2000, was described as moody, atmospheric electronica,[24] cinematic in scope,[25] evoking a soundtrack for an imaginary film. Kerrang! praised the album, ranking it top ten that year, noting "This ain't rock 'n roll. This is evolution on such a grand scale that most bands wouldn't even be able to wrap their tiny little minds around it."[5] Musically, Ulver not only explores new genres, but also shift from extrovert, into more introverted moods, or interior music.[26]

Later that year, Jørn H. Sværen joined the band. The band followed up Perdition City with two improv/minimalist/ambient/glitch companion EPs, called Silence Teaches You How to Sing and Silencing the Singing, in September and December 2001, respectively. The material featured here was loosely recorded during the sessions for the Perdition City album.[27] The style is more experimental/atmospheric and less beat-oriented; rather mood pieces that revolve around the Perdition City theme.[28] Due to the experimental nature of the music, both Silence EPs were limited to two thousand, and three thousand copies. However, both EPs were re-released as one disc, under the title Teachings in Silence, in November 2002.[29]

Ulver, now with more confidence in their ambient sensibilities[30] descent into the world of film soundtracks, producing scores for Lyckantropen (issued as Lyckantropen Themes, in November 2002), Svidd neger (issued as Svidd neger, in September 2003) and a joint soundtrack with singer/songwriter Tom McRae for the multiple award-winning Uno. Ulver were praised for their soundtrack work, and their ability to adapt[31] and providing a sense of continuity to each film.[32] The song "Silence Teaches You How to Sing" was later used in the 2012 supernatural horror film Sinister.

Ulver celebrated their ten-year anniversary with a remix album, 1993–2003: 1st Decade in the Machines, issued in April 2003, featuring contributions from Third Eye Foundation, Bogdan Raczynski, Fennesz, V/Vm and Merzbow.

In 2002, the trio announced that they were working on a string remake of Nattens madrigal, but Rygg later stated that the project "is in a state of total dormancy."[33]

Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun (2003–2008) edit

 
Ulver, live in London 2011

In August 2003, Ulver issued an EP, A Quick Fix of Melancholy, essentially a teaser for the forthcoming album, Blood Inside.[34] A delicate marriage of orchestration and electronica[35] the EP features text by Christian Bök and a remix of a song from Kveldssanger.

In 2004, the group collaborated with Sámi vocalist Mari Boine and percussionist Marilyn Mazur to score Mona J. Hoel's film Salto, salmiakk og kaffe. The film premiered in August 2004, however, the soundtrack remains unreleased.

Ulver issued Blood Inside in June 2005, produced together with King Crimson collaborator Ronan Chris Murphy. The album returns to more classical arrangements and instrumentation,[36] described as "a beautifully crafted album of both substance and style. Certainly, Blood Inside is still not for everyone, but those who choose to indulge in this will find themselves rewarded on every level."[37] "[Blood Inside] is ambiguous and full of intricate layers and influences working to tell a story that is both haunting and mesmerising. Garm's beautiful distorted vocals act as outcries of a desperate man hidden, pushed in the background of the story that the instrumentation tells."[38] Webzine Avantgarde-metal.com concludes: "the sound of the album is maybe their most extravagant, extrovert, dynamic and wild, ranging from swing band to danceable hard electronic pop, with a lot of peaceful moments in between so much energy."[39]

Ulver and drone metal band Sunn O))) collaborated on the fifteen-minute track "CUT WOODeD" - a tribute to the deceased film director Ed Wood,[40] which later appeared on Sunn O)))'s WHITEbox box set, issued in July 2006.

Shadows of the Sun was issued in October 2007 in Europe[41] and the United States[42] and would include collaborations with artists Pamelia Kurstin contributing theremin, Mathias Eick on trumpet and Christian Fennesz, adding supplemental shimmer.[42] Rygg described it as "our most personal record to date."[43] Described as "low-key, dark and tragic,"[41] the album received critical acclaim,[44][45] and in February 2008 the album won the Oslo Awards for Album of the Year, in 2008.[6] The album was also voted best album of 2007 at the website Sonic Frontiers.[46]

Changes in personnel (2009–2012) edit

In 2009, Ulver announced it would become a quartet. Its three extant members — Kristoffer Rygg, Tore Ylwizaker and Jørn H. Sværen — enlisted British composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan (Æthenor, Guapo, Mothlite) into the collective.[47] Ole Alexander Halstensgård was another prominent musician to be included in the live-act.

The band accepted an invitation to appear at the Norwegian Festival of Literature, at Maihaugsalen (part of Maihaugen) in Lillehammer, Norway on 30 May 2009. The collective were accompanied by guest musicians Lars Pedersen (aka When) on drums, Pamelia Kurstin playing Theremin and Halstensgård (a founding member of Norwegian group Paperboys). The success of this performance lead to them embarking on a string of other live performances in 2009 and 2010, selling out prestigious venues, such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Volksbühne in Berlin and La Cigale in Paris before they returned to their homeland for their performance at The Norwegian Opera House.[48] Ulver were the first band outside the established Norwegian music scene to be invited to play at the Opera House.

The first album to feature the quartet is Wars of the Roses,[49] issued in April 2011 via Kscope, preceded by a single, "February MMX," in February. The album entered the Norwegian National Album Charts at Number 17. SputnikMusic noted, "Wars of the Roses' thoughtful conception and execution serves only for a thoughtful listen. After all this time, it still remains a privilege to bear witness to these wolves evolve once again."[50] Murat Batmaz, commenting for Sea of Tranquility webzine, noted, "it amalgamates musical traits from its predecessors while re-shaping them with a more direct approach."[51]

In November 2011, Kscope released The Norwegian National Opera,[52] a film documenting Ulver's performance at The Norwegian National Opera on 31 July 2010. Described as "mesmerizing and stunningly beautiful"[53] and "a unique and at times hypnotic live experience; far from a conventional one; more akin to a piece of performance art than a standard concert."

Ulver's next project, Childhood's End came in the form of a collection of covers of "60s psychedelic chestnuts",[54] issued on Jester Records, under license to Kscope, in May 2012. The album, a reinterpretation of '60s psychedelia, was intended by Ulver as a reflection on lost innocence.[55] The album received favourable reviews; Ben Ratliffe, writing for The New York Times, praised Childhood's End for its treatment of the original music, commenting that "these cover versions reward the ambition of the original songs, draping them with stateliness." Placing the album in the context of Ulver's discography, Ratliffe noted that Childhood's End is "the most straight-ahead Ulver record ever, but still strange".[56] A music video for "Magic Hollow", directed by Justin Oakey, was released in April 2012.[57]

In 2012, Roadburn Records issued an installment in their Roadburn EP series on 7″ vinyl, featuring the songs "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" b/w "Reverberation (Doubt)." Limited to 500 copies, of which 100 copies is gold vinyl - the release commemorated Ulver's performance at the Roadburn Festival, 013, Tilburg, in the Netherlands, on 12 April 2012.[58] The full performance at the festival was issued as Live at Roadburn in June 2013 via Roadburn Records. It was the first and only time tracks from Childhood's End were performed live.

Announcing a new DIY approach, Ulver released a press statement, The Art of Dying,[59] an articulated rant about the changes in the record industry.[60] The band collected some covers and curiosities, and made them available to download as Oddities & Rarities#1, including material from tribute albums and the Uno soundtrack.

Messe I.X–VI.X (2012–2015) edit

Ulver were commissioned in 2012 by the Tromsø Kulturhus (House of Culture) in Norway,[61] in a cooperation with the Arctic Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra cultural institution to compose and perform a Mass. With additional aid and advice from composer Martin Romberg, and contemporary composers/musicians Ole-Henrik Moe and Kari Rønnekleiv, Messe I.X–VI.X was composed and first performed live by Ulver, alongside the Tromsø Chamber Orchestra on 21 September 2012. The band then took the recordings back to Crystal Canyon, Oslo and spent winter and spring in post-production, honing the material for its studio-equivalent. Issued in August 2013, Ulver's tenth studio album received universal critical acclaim, described as "a challenging work and an album of rare beauty".[62]

In January 2014, Ulver collaborated with Norway's National Theatre, providing the soundtrack to Demoner 2014 (translated Demons 2014); based on a text by Geir Gulliksen, in turn freely based on the Dostoyevsky novel Demons (also known as The Possessed),[63] the play premiered on 8 February 2014.

On 2 January 2014, Ulver announced an 11-date European tour, "the February dates will consist of partly new and improv-based material, likely to revolve around motifs already familiar to our familiars. We are looking forward to get out there, and hope for some interesting music to be born those evenings and nights. We also aim to document some of it for those of you who cannot come."[64]

Ulver released a collaboration album with Sunn O))), entitled Terrestrials, issued in February 2014 via Southern Lord.[65][66][67] Produced by Rygg and Stephen O'Malley, it has been described as "three live improvisation pieces".[68] On 10 December 2013, a sample from the closing track, "Eternal Return," was released for streaming.[68][69] It was also streamed on Pitchfork Advance on the day it was released, until 10 February 2014.[70]

In April 2014, Century Media announced Trolsk Sortmetall 1993-1997, collecting together the albums Bergtatt, Kveldssanger and Nattens madrigal, as well as the band's original demo cassette, Vargnatt, and other rarities.[71]

In July 2014, Ulver contributed a cover of Shirley Collins' "Poor Murdered Woman" in support of Burning Bridges & Fifth Column Film's project The Ballad of Shirley Collins. A film, book and tribute album honouring the life and work of this musical pioneer and folk legend.[72]

On 3 June 2015 on the band's official website, in a statement titled Only Theatre of Pain, Ulver announce a number of forthcoming projects; including Messe in Concert at the distinguished Teatro Regio, Parma, Italy, 16 November 2013, with the Mg_Inc Orchestra. A live document of their concert featuring Pamelia Kurstin, including 15 minutes of new music written and performed specifically for the scene and topped up with full orchestra versions of "Little Blue Bird" and "Eos". They continue to announce their newest works, tentatively titled The Assassination of Julius Caesar, with texts and themes in development.[73]

ATGCLVLSSCAP, Riverhead and The Assassination of Julius Caesar (2015–2019) edit

On 15 October 2015, in an interview with website Steel for Brains, Ulver announced ATGCLVLSSCAP, a double album with over 80 minutes worth of material, consisting of multitracked and studio-enhanced live, mostly improvisational, rock and electronic soundscapes, 2/3 of which had never been heard before.[74] Announcing further details on 28 October, the album was released on 22 January 2016 on Vinyl and CD formats via newly formed, London-based label House of Mythology. The basis for the album – which the band worked on under the moniker 12 – arrives from recordings made at twelve different live shows that Ulver performed in February 2014, in which the band played a set improvisatory "free rock" performances. Band member Daniel O'Sullivan took the multitrack recordings, sculpting and editing hours of material in his North London home, before Anders Møller, Kristoffer Rygg and Tore Ylwizaker got involved, completing the recordings at Subsonic Society and Oak Hill Studios, Oslo.[75]

In 2016, the band composed the score for the Canadian drama film Riverhead.[76] In October, a new studio album, The Assassination of Julius Caesar was announced to be released on 7 April as well as a performance at the 2017 edition of Roadburn Festival. A string of festival dates were subsequently added.[77] The album showed the band switching directions in terms of musical stylisms once again, focusing on a sound that was described by AllMusic critic Thom Jurek as "drenched in moody '80s synth pop."[78] On 11 November 2017, Ulver released Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, a 3-track EP with two songs taken from The Assassination of Julius Caesar recording sessions, and a Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover, "The Power of Love".

Drone Activity, Flowers of Evil, and Scary Muzak (2019–present) edit

On 1 March, Ulver shared a short excerpt of music, titled "Blood, Fire, Woods, Diamonds", on their Facebook page. Two days later, they announced a new live album, titled Drone Activity, consisting of four new pieces of live music edited in studio following a process reminiscent of the one used of ATGCLVLSSCAP. On 4 April, the band shared a second excerpt from the album, titled "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". The album was released on 11 May 2019.[79]

Ulver announced their plans for 2020 through Norwegian publication Ballade on 17 October 2019:[80] "Ulver is working on a new album, planned to be released in 2020. (...) The Norwegian cult band is also preparing a retrospective book about the band's history through the 1990s and up until today." A European tour was scheduled for May 2020, however, it was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, Flowers of Evil was announced and was released on 28 August through House of Mythology. The singles "Russian Doll", "Little Boy" and "Nostalgia" were released in advance. On the same day, Wolves Evolve: The Ulver Story, a limited edition book written by Tore Engelsen Espedal, Phil Alexander, Nile Bowie and Torolf Kroglund and detailing the band's history was released as well.[81]

Ulver released their thirteenth album Scary Muzak on October 31, 2021. Five of the twelve total out of the twelve songs on Scary Muzak are covers from the soundtrack to John Carpenter's 1978 Halloween.[82]

Accolades edit

Year Award Category Result
2002 Spellemannprisen Best Open Class Album for Lyckantropen Themes Nominated
2003 Spellemannprisen Best Electronic Album for Teachings in Silence Nominated
2007 Oslo Awards Album of the Year for Shadows of the Sun Won
2011 NATT&DAG Best Live Act Won
2022 Spellemannprisen Best Open Class Album for Scary Muzak Nominated

Live appearances edit

At the Norwegian Festival of Literature edit

On 30 May 2009 Ulver performed live for the first time in 15 years, at Maihaugsalen (part of Maihaugen) in Lillehammer, Norway. The concert was a part of the Norwegian Festival of Literature. The three band members were accompanied by guest musicians: Lars Pedersen (aka When) on drums, Daniel O'Sullivan (also in Æthenor, Guapo, Mothlite) on guitar and bass, Pamelia Kurstin playing Theremin and Ole Aleksander Halstensgård (from Paperboys).

Subsequently, the only live appearances outside Norway were held at the Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic on 7 August and at the Gagarin205 club in Athens, Greece (16 November). More festival appearances in Norway were announced: Øyafestivalen at Middelalderparken, Oslo (11 August), Møllafestivalen in Gjerstad (14 August), Pstereo '09 at Marinen, Trondheim (21 August) and London's Queen Elizabeth Hall (9 October).

Ulver at the Opera edit

On 31 July 2010 Ulver performed live at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet with Christian Fennesz and the performance artist Ian Johnstone.[83]

Wars of the Roses Tour edit

From 22 March 2011 to 21 April, Ulver played in several European countries to support their 2011 album Wars of the Roses. On this tour they performed said album in its entirety, and also added some abstract/improvised passages. Zweizz supported these shows.

Messe I.X–VI.X performances edit

Following its original performance at Tromsø Kulturhus in Tromsø, Norway, with Tromsø Chamber Orchestra, on 21 September 2012, Ulver have performed Messe I.X–VI.X in its entirety a further three times: On 20 May 2013 at Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Leipzig, Germany with the Stüba Philharmonie, Volkspalast and on 16 November 2013 at Teatro Regio, Parma, Italy with the MG_INC Orchestra and at the Dark MOFO festival, 17 June 2017, in Hobart, Australia, the orchestras being conducted by composer Martin Romberg.

The Assassination of Julius Caesar performances edit

In the wake of the release of The Assassination of Julius Caesar, Ulver played a few concerts in Europe, and gave their first two shows in Australia. In November, they toured Europe, playing their last album in its entirety, only adding a few songs from their Sic Transit Gloria Mundi EP released shortly before the beginning of the tour. Stian Westerhus was their opening act, promoting its solo album Amputation, and supporting Ulver on stage as a guitarist during some songs he played on the last Ulver's release.

First North American performances edit

On 21 and 22 March 2019, Ulver played at Irving Plaza in New York City, their first North American shows ever. It was described by Kerrang! as "New York's ultimate goth night". A return to the United States was cancelled when Ulver announced that pre-sale tickets were "too modest" up against the "big risk" of touring with their production in the US.[84]

Members edit

Timeline edit

Supporting members timeline edit

Discography edit

References edit

  1. ^ All Music. "Ulver Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Jester Records". Discogs. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  3. ^ "ULVER at Labirinto della Masone". Franco Maria Ricci. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Ulver Live at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter 15.04.2018. Clip 1". YouTube. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b "ULVER BLOOD INSIDE". Jester Records. June 2005. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  6. ^ a b Frode Halvorsen. . pstereo.net. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Natt & Dag". Popsenteret. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  8. ^ All Music. "Ulver Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  9. ^ Hughes, Rob (July 2012). "Children of Nuggets". Prog. p. 83.
  10. ^ "Ulver - Vargnatt". SputnikMusic. 28 December 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  11. ^ Pfeufer, H.-Peter (18 March 2009). "ULVER – Vargnatt". Metal Soundscapes. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  12. ^ SØDERLIND, DIDRIK. . Modern Invasion Music. Archived from the original on May 27, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  13. ^ "Essential Black Metal Listening: ULVER Nattens Madrigal". Metal Injection. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  14. ^ York, William. "Bergtatt - Ulver - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  15. ^ . MetalKult.com. 12 November 2007. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  16. ^ York, William (16 March 2006). "Kveldssanger - Ulver - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  17. ^ H., Andrew (2 September 2005). "Ulver - Nattens Madrigal". SputnikMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  18. ^ a b Huey, Steve (2 September 2005). "Ulver - Nattens Madrigal". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  19. ^ Kristoffer Rygg, Jørn H. Sværen (2003). Lyckantropen / Shape Shifting - The 1st Decade of Ulver (DVD). Vendlus.
  20. ^ Vuoti, Sauli (7 December 2005). . Kogaionon. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  21. ^ "Essential Black Metal Listening: ULVER Nattens Madrigal". Metal Injection. 24 February 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  22. ^ York, William. "Ulver Metamorphosis". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  23. ^ [1][dead link]
  24. ^ York, William. "Ulver Perdition City". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  25. ^ "Ulver Perdition City". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  26. ^ York, William. "Ulver Perdition City Review". Johnathan Hill. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  27. ^ York, William. "Ulver Silence Teaches You How To Sing". All Music. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  28. ^ Chedsey, John (November 2001). . Satan Stole My Teddybear. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  29. ^ "New releases scheduled for 2003 to mark ULVER's ten years in metabusiness". Jester Records. 15 March 2002. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  30. ^ Chedsey, John (December 2002). . Satan Stole My Teddybear. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  31. ^ York, William (2002). "Ulver Lyckantropen Themes". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  32. ^ Wee, Alan (6 September 2003). "Ulver - _Lyckantropen Themes_". Chronicles Of Chaos. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  33. ^ [2] 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ "Ulver - A Quick Fix of Melancholy". SputnikMusic. 2003. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  35. ^ Taylor, Laura (October 2003). "Ulver - A Quick Fix of Melancholy". Exclaim. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  36. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Ulver - Blood Inside". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  37. ^ "Ulver - Blood Inside". Scene Point Blank. 15 November 2005. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  38. ^ "Ulver - Blood Inside". SputnikMusic. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  39. ^ . Avantegarde Metal. November 24, 2012. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  40. ^ "SUNN O))) & ULVER "Terrestrials" press release". Southern Lord. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  41. ^ a b Ulver. "ULVER - HISTORY". jester-records.com. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  42. ^ a b The End Records. . theendrecords.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 4 August 2007.
  43. ^ "ULVER official site". 13 July 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
  44. ^ Jester Records. "ULVER Shadows of the Sun Reviews". jester-records.com. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  45. ^ "Ulver - Shadows of the Sun - Anmeldelser (Reviews)". Diskusjon.no. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  46. ^ . SonicFrontiers.net. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  47. ^ "ULVER official site". 26 November 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2009.
  48. ^ "Ulver's 'The Norwegian National Opera' Blu-ray and DVD". Kscope. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  49. ^ "Ulver". Facebook. 12 February 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  50. ^ "Ulver - Wars of the Roses (album review)". Sputnikmusic.com. 24 April 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  51. ^ Batmaz, Murat (2 May 2011). "Ulver: Wars of the Roses". Seaoftranquility.org. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  52. ^ "Ulver: 'The Norwegian National Opera' Dvd, Blu Ray Detailed - Blabbermouth.net". Blabbermouth. 23 October 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  53. ^ Palmerston, Sean (4 February 2012). "Ulver: The Norwegian National Opera DVD". Hellbound.ca. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  54. ^ Berk, Michael (November 2012). "Ulver – Childhood's End" (PDF). Sound and Vision. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  55. ^ Hughes, Rob. "Children of Nuggets" (PDF). Prog Rock Mag. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  56. ^ Ratliffe, Ben (4 June 2012). "NEW MUSIC: Another Solstice in an Endless Summer, ULVER "Childhood's End" (Kscope)". NY Times. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  57. ^ "Magic Hollow". Vimeo.com. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  58. ^ "Roadburn Records To Release ULVER 'Live At Roadburn' Vinyl In 2013". The Sleeping Shaman. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  59. ^ "The Art Of Dying". Jester Records. 5 December 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  60. ^ Neilstein, Vince (10 December 2012). "Ulver are Raging Against the Record Label Machine". Metal Sucks. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  61. ^ . KulturHuset. August 2012. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  62. ^ Franquelli, Alex (13 December 2013). "Ulver Messe I.X–VI.X". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  63. ^ Kennelty, Greg (20 January 2014). "ULVER Working On Soundtrack To A Play". Metal Injection. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  64. ^ "Ulver - Magic Hollow (from Childhood's End) on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  65. ^ "Sunn O))), Ulver Ready 'Terrestrials' Album For February Release". Self-titledmag.com. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  66. ^ "Sunn O))) and Ulver announce joint LP, Terrestrials". Fact. 19 November 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  67. ^ Nelson, Michael (10 December 2013). "Sunn O))) & Ulver – "Eternal Return" (Excerpt)". Stereogum. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  68. ^ a b Tuffrey, Laurie (12 December 2013). "Listen: Sunn O))) / Ulver Collab Excerpt". The Quietus. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  69. ^ Moore, Doug (10 December 2013). "Sunn O))) & Ulver release clip from upcoming collaborative LP". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  70. ^ "Sunn O))) & Ulver - Terrestrials". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  71. ^ "ULVER - "Trolsk Sortmetall 1993 - 1997" box set announced". Century Media. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  72. ^ Burning Bridges & Fifth Column Films (22 June 2014). "The Ballad of Shirley Collins". Kickstarter. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  73. ^ Ulver (3 June 2015). "Only Theatre of Pain". Ulver. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  74. ^ Dick, Jonathan K. (15 October 2015). . Steel for Brains. Archived from the original on 5 November 2015. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  75. ^ "Ulver to release new album". Louder Than War. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  76. ^ "Ulver to release Riverhead movie soundtrack". Team Rock, 30 November 2016.
  77. ^ "ULVER Confirm April 7 Release for 'The Assassination of Julius Caesar'". The Obelisk. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  78. ^ The Assassination of Julius Caesar - Ulver | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 12 October 2020
  79. ^ ULVER. "Ulver facebook page". facebook.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  80. ^ Moen, Siri Narverud (17 October 2019). "Ulver lager ny plate og bok". ballade.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  81. ^ "Ulver announce new album". Distorted Sound Magazine. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  82. ^ . 29 October 2021. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021.
  83. ^ ULVER (31 August 1997). "Ulver Official Homepage". Jester-records.com. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  84. ^ Hatfield, Amanda. "Ulver cancel West Coast tour, say "pre-sales are too modest"". brooklynvegan.com. Retrieved 9 May 2019.

External links edit

  • Official website

ulver, this, article, about, norwegian, band, castle, cornatel, priaranza, bierzo, norwegian, wolves, norwegian, experimental, electronica, band, founded, 1993, vocalist, kristoffer, rygg, their, early, works, such, debut, album, bergtatt, were, categorised, f. This article is about a Norwegian band For the castle of Cornatel see Priaranza del Bierzo Ulver Norwegian for wolves is a Norwegian experimental electronica band founded in 1993 by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg Their early works such as debut album Bergtatt were categorised as folklore influenced black metal but the band has since evolved a fluid and increasingly eclectic musical style blending genres such as experimental rock electronica ambient trip hop symphonic and chamber traditions noise progressive and experimental music into their oeuvre 1 1997 marked their international debut with the release of their third album Nattens madrigal through German label Century Media However following discord with the label Rygg formed his own imprint Jester Records in 1998 2 UlverUlver 22 February 2010 KrakowBackground informationOriginNorwayGenresElectronic experimental ambient synth pop black metal early folk metal early Years active1993 presentLabelsKscope Jester The End Century Media Head Not Found House of MythologyMembersKristoffer RyggTore YlwizakerJorn H SvaerenPast membersSigmund Andreas Lokken deceased 1996 Robin MalmbergCarl Michael EideStian ThoresenHavard JorgensenErik Olivier LancelotTorbjorn Heimen PedersenHugh Steven James MingayDaniel O SullivanWebsitejester records com ulverIn 1997 Rygg invited composer and multi instrumentalist Tore Ylwizaker into the band and together they changed Ulver s musical direction Their first musical endeavour together Themes from William Blake s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell drew from a variety of non metal sources including classical and avant garde and the works of William Blake Metamorphosis 1999 and Perdition City 2000 followed showcasing further experimentation and explorations into electronic music In 2000 author Jorn H Svaeren joined the band and since then the core of Ulver has been Rygg Ylwizaker and Svaeren In 2009 Ulver expanded their line up British multi instrumentalist Daniel O Sullivan became the fourth core member and several other musicians were enlisted as supporting and live members of the latter Norwegian musician and producer Ole Alexander Halstensgard has since established himself as another prominent member of the band Ulver has performed at several prestigious venues including Queen Elizabeth Hall 2009 the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet 2010 Teatro Regio di Parma 2013 Labirinto della Masone di Franco Maria Ricci 2017 3 and held artist residency at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter 2018 4 The band have sold in excess of half a million records been three nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Awards Spellemannsprisen in different categories 5 won Album of the Year at the Oslo Awards for Shadows of the Sun in 2008 6 won the NATT amp DAG award for Best Live Act in 2011 7 and earned a global reputation for stylistic unpredictability 8 Author and musician Julian Cope has said Ulver are cataloguing the death of our culture two decades before anyone else has noticed its inevitable demise 9 Contents 1 History 1 1 The Black Metal Trilogie 1993 1997 1 2 Beyond black metal 1998 2002 1 3 Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun 2003 2008 1 4 Changes in personnel 2009 2012 1 5 Messe I X VI X 2012 2015 1 6 ATGCLVLSSCAP Riverhead and The Assassination of Julius Caesar 2015 2019 1 7 Drone Activity Flowers of Evil and Scary Muzak 2019 present 2 Accolades 3 Live appearances 3 1 At the Norwegian Festival of Literature 3 2 Ulver at the Opera 3 3 Wars of the Roses Tour 3 4 Messe I X VI X performances 3 5 The Assassination of Julius Caesar performances 3 6 First North American performances 4 Members 4 1 Current members 4 2 Supporting members 4 3 Former members 4 4 Timeline 4 5 Supporting members timeline 5 Discography 6 References 7 External linksHistory editThe Black Metal Trilogie 1993 1997 edit The band was founded in 1993 in Oslo by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg together with Grellmund Robin Malmberg Carl Michael Eide Havard Jorgensen and A Reza Ulver issued their first demo cassette Vargnatt in November 1993 Their music and style was consistent with the Norwegian black metal subculture of the early 1990s 10 However some have noted the avant garde jazz rock and gothic influences that would later shape the band s sound 11 The archaic Dano Norwegian lyrics were greatly influenced by Scandinavian folktales and inspired by Baroque poets such as Ludvig Holberg and the hymn writer Thomas Kingo 12 Their debut album Bergtatt the first part of what has become known as Ulver s Black Metal Trilogie 13 was issued in February 1995 through Norwegian label Head Not Found The album was met with critical acclaim and was notable for blending black metal harsh vocals and blurred buzzing guitars with quiet folk like acoustic passages It was praised for its unique atmosphere and was described as mysterious melancholic eerie and oddly tranquil 14 Prior to their second album founding member Grellmund committed suicide on New Year s Day 1996 at the age of 19 Kveldssanger issued March 1996 by Head Not Found Ulver eschewed a typical black metal sound by incorporating classical guitars cello and choral chamber chants overlaid with subtle orchestral landscapes The album was a drastic contrast to Bergtatt whilst still retaining the atmospheric and folk themes Rygg has since remarked that Kveldssanger despite strong content was an immature attempt at making a classical album 15 The album was praised for its atmosphere evoking a feeling of quiet eerie solitude 16 Following the success of their first two albums Ulver signed with German label Century Media for their third album Nattens madrigal issued in March 1997 marking the band s international debut The album showcases a black metal style similar to Bergtatt abandoning the acoustic and atmospheric elements of Kveldssanger with an intentionally underproduced sound The album has been described as raw and grim black metal at its blackest 17 A common myth about the album is that the band spent the recording budget on Armani suits cocaine and a Corvette and recorded the album outdoors in a Norwegian forest on an 8 track recorder 18 Rygg however has stated that this is not true and possibly a rumour started by Century Media 19 20 The album has been described as so fast and ferocious and the vocals so garbled that it s best just to take the sheer sonic force as reflecting the band s concept rather than trying to piece it all together 18 Metal Injection concluded Kveldssanger had no electric instruments Nattens madrigal had no acoustic instruments but Bergtatt has both acoustic and electric instruments it s like they spliced the elements from Bergtatt into two separate albums If that s the case then Nattens madrigal really showcases the black metal prowess of the band The album answers exactly why people were so angered by Ulver s transition away from black metal and why people are still bitter at their direction today 21 In 1997 Century Media issued The Trilogie Three Journeyes Through the Norwegian Netherworlde a limited edition collection containing Bergtatt Kveldssanger and Nattens madrigal in LP Picture Disc format housed in a cardboard box with a booklet and bonus posters Beyond black metal 1998 2002 edit In 1997 Rygg invited composer and sound architect Tore Ylwizaker into the collective in order to expand their artistic and musical visions and together they stepped over the boundaries of black metal aesthetics creating a genre defying work in Themes from William Blake s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell released in December 1998 The album was issued through Rygg s own imprint Jester Records a label born out of discord between Ulver and Century Media 2 Musically the album blended electronics industrial music elements progressive metal and experimental rock adding ambient passages Lyrically the album incorporates the entire text of William Blake s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell utilising guest vocalists on several songs The album received widespread acclaim from critics within both the rock metal and alternative music press being awarded album of the month in several high profile magazines such as Terrorizer Metal Hammer and Rock Hard and ranked highly in their end of year s best polls However the album s transitional nature perhaps alienated many fans of the band s first three albums causing a backlash from the black metal scene citation needed Ulver now only consisting of Rygg and Ylwizaker issued an EP Metamorphosis in September 1999 The music moving to the more heavily electronic approach bridging the gap to the film noir ambiance of 2000 s full length album Perdition City 22 In the sleeve notes to Metamorphosis the group declared Ulver is obviously not a black metal band and does not wish to be stigmatized as such We acknowledge the relation of part I amp III of the Trilogie Bergtatt amp Nattens Madrigal to this culture but stress that these endeavours were written as stepping stones rather than conclusions We are proud of our former instincts but wish to liken our association with said genre to that of the snake with Eve An incentive to further frolic only If this discourages you in any way please have the courtesy to refrain from voicing superficial remarks regarding our music and or personae We are as unknown to you as we always were 23 Perdition City issued in March 2000 was described as moody atmospheric electronica 24 cinematic in scope 25 evoking a soundtrack for an imaginary film Kerrang praised the album ranking it top ten that year noting This ain t rock n roll This is evolution on such a grand scale that most bands wouldn t even be able to wrap their tiny little minds around it 5 Musically Ulver not only explores new genres but also shift from extrovert into more introverted moods or interior music 26 Later that year Jorn H Svaeren joined the band The band followed up Perdition City with two improv minimalist ambient glitch companion EPs called Silence Teaches You How to Sing and Silencing the Singing in September and December 2001 respectively The material featured here was loosely recorded during the sessions for the Perdition City album 27 The style is more experimental atmospheric and less beat oriented rather mood pieces that revolve around the Perdition City theme 28 Due to the experimental nature of the music both Silence EPs were limited to two thousand and three thousand copies However both EPs were re released as one disc under the title Teachings in Silence in November 2002 29 Ulver now with more confidence in their ambient sensibilities 30 descent into the world of film soundtracks producing scores for Lyckantropen issued as Lyckantropen Themes in November 2002 Svidd neger issued as Svidd neger in September 2003 and a joint soundtrack with singer songwriter Tom McRae for the multiple award winning Uno Ulver were praised for their soundtrack work and their ability to adapt 31 and providing a sense of continuity to each film 32 The song Silence Teaches You How to Sing was later used in the 2012 supernatural horror film Sinister Ulver celebrated their ten year anniversary with a remix album 1993 2003 1st Decade in the Machines issued in April 2003 featuring contributions from Third Eye Foundation Bogdan Raczynski Fennesz V Vm and Merzbow In 2002 the trio announced that they were working on a string remake of Nattens madrigal but Rygg later stated that the project is in a state of total dormancy 33 Blood Inside and Shadows of the Sun 2003 2008 edit nbsp Ulver live in London 2011In August 2003 Ulver issued an EP A Quick Fix of Melancholy essentially a teaser for the forthcoming album Blood Inside 34 A delicate marriage of orchestration and electronica 35 the EP features text by Christian Bok and a remix of a song from Kveldssanger In 2004 the group collaborated with Sami vocalist Mari Boine and percussionist Marilyn Mazur to score Mona J Hoel s film Salto salmiakk og kaffe The film premiered in August 2004 however the soundtrack remains unreleased Ulver issued Blood Inside in June 2005 produced together with King Crimson collaborator Ronan Chris Murphy The album returns to more classical arrangements and instrumentation 36 described as a beautifully crafted album of both substance and style Certainly Blood Inside is still not for everyone but those who choose to indulge in this will find themselves rewarded on every level 37 Blood Inside is ambiguous and full of intricate layers and influences working to tell a story that is both haunting and mesmerising Garm s beautiful distorted vocals act as outcries of a desperate man hidden pushed in the background of the story that the instrumentation tells 38 Webzine Avantgarde metal com concludes the sound of the album is maybe their most extravagant extrovert dynamic and wild ranging from swing band to danceable hard electronic pop with a lot of peaceful moments in between so much energy 39 Ulver and drone metal band Sunn O collaborated on the fifteen minute track CUT WOODeD a tribute to the deceased film director Ed Wood 40 which later appeared on Sunn O s WHITEbox box set issued in July 2006 Shadows of the Sun was issued in October 2007 in Europe 41 and the United States 42 and would include collaborations with artists Pamelia Kurstin contributing theremin Mathias Eick on trumpet and Christian Fennesz adding supplemental shimmer 42 Rygg described it as our most personal record to date 43 Described as low key dark and tragic 41 the album received critical acclaim 44 45 and in February 2008 the album won the Oslo Awards for Album of the Year in 2008 6 The album was also voted best album of 2007 at the website Sonic Frontiers 46 Changes in personnel 2009 2012 edit In 2009 Ulver announced it would become a quartet Its three extant members Kristoffer Rygg Tore Ylwizaker and Jorn H Svaeren enlisted British composer and multi instrumentalist Daniel O Sullivan AEthenor Guapo Mothlite into the collective 47 Ole Alexander Halstensgard was another prominent musician to be included in the live act The band accepted an invitation to appear at the Norwegian Festival of Literature at Maihaugsalen part of Maihaugen in Lillehammer Norway on 30 May 2009 The collective were accompanied by guest musicians Lars Pedersen aka When on drums Pamelia Kurstin playing Theremin and Halstensgard a founding member of Norwegian group Paperboys The success of this performance lead to them embarking on a string of other live performances in 2009 and 2010 selling out prestigious venues such as the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London Volksbuhne in Berlin and La Cigale in Paris before they returned to their homeland for their performance at The Norwegian Opera House 48 Ulver were the first band outside the established Norwegian music scene to be invited to play at the Opera House The first album to feature the quartet is Wars of the Roses 49 issued in April 2011 via Kscope preceded by a single February MMX in February The album entered the Norwegian National Album Charts at Number 17 SputnikMusic noted Wars of the Roses thoughtful conception and execution serves only for a thoughtful listen After all this time it still remains a privilege to bear witness to these wolves evolve once again 50 Murat Batmaz commenting for Sea of Tranquility webzine noted it amalgamates musical traits from its predecessors while re shaping them with a more direct approach 51 In November 2011 Kscope released The Norwegian National Opera 52 a film documenting Ulver s performance at The Norwegian National Opera on 31 July 2010 Described as mesmerizing and stunningly beautiful 53 and a unique and at times hypnotic live experience far from a conventional one more akin to a piece of performance art than a standard concert Ulver s next project Childhood s End came in the form of a collection of covers of 60s psychedelic chestnuts 54 issued on Jester Records under license to Kscope in May 2012 The album a reinterpretation of 60s psychedelia was intended by Ulver as a reflection on lost innocence 55 The album received favourable reviews Ben Ratliffe writing for The New York Times praised Childhood s End for its treatment of the original music commenting that these cover versions reward the ambition of the original songs draping them with stateliness Placing the album in the context of Ulver s discography Ratliffe noted that Childhood s End is the most straight ahead Ulver record ever but still strange 56 A music video for Magic Hollow directed by Justin Oakey was released in April 2012 57 In 2012 Roadburn Records issued an installment in their Roadburn EP series on 7 vinyl featuring the songs I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night b w Reverberation Doubt Limited to 500 copies of which 100 copies is gold vinyl the release commemorated Ulver s performance at the Roadburn Festival 013 Tilburg in the Netherlands on 12 April 2012 58 The full performance at the festival was issued as Live at Roadburn in June 2013 via Roadburn Records It was the first and only time tracks from Childhood s End were performed live Announcing a new DIY approach Ulver released a press statement The Art of Dying 59 an articulated rant about the changes in the record industry 60 The band collected some covers and curiosities and made them available to download as Oddities amp Rarities 1 including material from tribute albums and the Uno soundtrack Messe I X VI X 2012 2015 edit Ulver were commissioned in 2012 by the Tromso Kulturhus House of Culture in Norway 61 in a cooperation with the Arctic Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra cultural institution to compose and perform a Mass With additional aid and advice from composer Martin Romberg and contemporary composers musicians Ole Henrik Moe and Kari Ronnekleiv Messe I X VI X was composed and first performed live by Ulver alongside the Tromso Chamber Orchestra on 21 September 2012 The band then took the recordings back to Crystal Canyon Oslo and spent winter and spring in post production honing the material for its studio equivalent Issued in August 2013 Ulver s tenth studio album received universal critical acclaim described as a challenging work and an album of rare beauty 62 In January 2014 Ulver collaborated with Norway s National Theatre providing the soundtrack to Demoner 2014 translated Demons 2014 based on a text by Geir Gulliksen in turn freely based on the Dostoyevsky novel Demons also known as The Possessed 63 the play premiered on 8 February 2014 On 2 January 2014 Ulver announced an 11 date European tour the February dates will consist of partly new and improv based material likely to revolve around motifs already familiar to our familiars We are looking forward to get out there and hope for some interesting music to be born those evenings and nights We also aim to document some of it for those of you who cannot come 64 Ulver released a collaboration album with Sunn O entitled Terrestrials issued in February 2014 via Southern Lord 65 66 67 Produced by Rygg and Stephen O Malley it has been described as three live improvisation pieces 68 On 10 December 2013 a sample from the closing track Eternal Return was released for streaming 68 69 It was also streamed on Pitchfork Advance on the day it was released until 10 February 2014 70 In April 2014 Century Media announced Trolsk Sortmetall 1993 1997 collecting together the albums Bergtatt Kveldssanger and Nattens madrigal as well as the band s original demo cassette Vargnatt and other rarities 71 In July 2014 Ulver contributed a cover of Shirley Collins Poor Murdered Woman in support of Burning Bridges amp Fifth Column Film s project The Ballad of Shirley Collins A film book and tribute album honouring the life and work of this musical pioneer and folk legend 72 On 3 June 2015 on the band s official website in a statement titled Only Theatre of Pain Ulver announce a number of forthcoming projects including Messe in Concert at the distinguished Teatro Regio Parma Italy 16 November 2013 with the Mg Inc Orchestra A live document of their concert featuring Pamelia Kurstin including 15 minutes of new music written and performed specifically for the scene and topped up with full orchestra versions of Little Blue Bird and Eos They continue to announce their newest works tentatively titled The Assassination of Julius Caesar with texts and themes in development 73 ATGCLVLSSCAP Riverhead and The Assassination of Julius Caesar 2015 2019 edit On 15 October 2015 in an interview with website Steel for Brains Ulver announced ATGCLVLSSCAP a double album with over 80 minutes worth of material consisting of multitracked and studio enhanced live mostly improvisational rock and electronic soundscapes 2 3 of which had never been heard before 74 Announcing further details on 28 October the album was released on 22 January 2016 on Vinyl and CD formats via newly formed London based label House of Mythology The basis for the album which the band worked on under the moniker 12 arrives from recordings made at twelve different live shows that Ulver performed in February 2014 in which the band played a set improvisatory free rock performances Band member Daniel O Sullivan took the multitrack recordings sculpting and editing hours of material in his North London home before Anders Moller Kristoffer Rygg and Tore Ylwizaker got involved completing the recordings at Subsonic Society and Oak Hill Studios Oslo 75 In 2016 the band composed the score for the Canadian drama film Riverhead 76 In October a new studio album The Assassination of Julius Caesar was announced to be released on 7 April as well as a performance at the 2017 edition of Roadburn Festival A string of festival dates were subsequently added 77 The album showed the band switching directions in terms of musical stylisms once again focusing on a sound that was described by AllMusic critic Thom Jurek as drenched in moody 80s synth pop 78 On 11 November 2017 Ulver released Sic Transit Gloria Mundi a 3 track EP with two songs taken from The Assassination of Julius Caesar recording sessions and a Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover The Power of Love Drone Activity Flowers of Evil and Scary Muzak 2019 present edit On 1 March Ulver shared a short excerpt of music titled Blood Fire Woods Diamonds on their Facebook page Two days later they announced a new live album titled Drone Activity consisting of four new pieces of live music edited in studio following a process reminiscent of the one used of ATGCLVLSSCAP On 4 April the band shared a second excerpt from the album titled Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea The album was released on 11 May 2019 79 Ulver announced their plans for 2020 through Norwegian publication Ballade on 17 October 2019 80 Ulver is working on a new album planned to be released in 2020 The Norwegian cult band is also preparing a retrospective book about the band s history through the 1990s and up until today A European tour was scheduled for May 2020 however it was postponed due to COVID 19 pandemic In June 2020 Flowers of Evil was announced and was released on 28 August through House of Mythology The singles Russian Doll Little Boy and Nostalgia were released in advance On the same day Wolves Evolve The Ulver Story a limited edition book written by Tore Engelsen Espedal Phil Alexander Nile Bowie and Torolf Kroglund and detailing the band s history was released as well 81 Ulver released their thirteenth album Scary Muzak on October 31 2021 Five of the twelve total out of the twelve songs on Scary Muzak are covers from the soundtrack to John Carpenter s 1978 Halloween 82 Accolades editYear Award Category Result2002 Spellemannprisen Best Open Class Album for Lyckantropen Themes Nominated2003 Spellemannprisen Best Electronic Album for Teachings in Silence Nominated2007 Oslo Awards Album of the Year for Shadows of the Sun Won2011 NATT amp DAG Best Live Act Won2022 Spellemannprisen Best Open Class Album for Scary Muzak NominatedLive appearances editAt the Norwegian Festival of Literature edit On 30 May 2009 Ulver performed live for the first time in 15 years at Maihaugsalen part of Maihaugen in Lillehammer Norway The concert was a part of the Norwegian Festival of Literature The three band members were accompanied by guest musicians Lars Pedersen aka When on drums Daniel O Sullivan also in AEthenor Guapo Mothlite on guitar and bass Pamelia Kurstin playing Theremin and Ole Aleksander Halstensgard from Paperboys Subsequently the only live appearances outside Norway were held at the Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic on 7 August and at the Gagarin205 club in Athens Greece 16 November More festival appearances in Norway were announced Oyafestivalen at Middelalderparken Oslo 11 August Mollafestivalen in Gjerstad 14 August Pstereo 09 at Marinen Trondheim 21 August and London s Queen Elizabeth Hall 9 October Ulver at the Opera edit On 31 July 2010 Ulver performed live at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet with Christian Fennesz and the performance artist Ian Johnstone 83 Wars of the Roses Tour edit From 22 March 2011 to 21 April Ulver played in several European countries to support their 2011 album Wars of the Roses On this tour they performed said album in its entirety and also added some abstract improvised passages Zweizz supported these shows Messe I X VI X performances edit Following its original performance at Tromso Kulturhus in Tromso Norway with Tromso Chamber Orchestra on 21 September 2012 Ulver have performed Messe I X VI X in its entirety a further three times On 20 May 2013 at Wave Gotik Treffen Leipzig Germany with the Stuba Philharmonie Volkspalast and on 16 November 2013 at Teatro Regio Parma Italy with the MG INC Orchestra and at the Dark MOFO festival 17 June 2017 in Hobart Australia the orchestras being conducted by composer Martin Romberg The Assassination of Julius Caesar performances edit In the wake of the release of The Assassination of Julius Caesar Ulver played a few concerts in Europe and gave their first two shows in Australia In November they toured Europe playing their last album in its entirety only adding a few songs from their Sic Transit Gloria Mundi EP released shortly before the beginning of the tour Stian Westerhus was their opening act promoting its solo album Amputation and supporting Ulver on stage as a guitarist during some songs he played on the last Ulver s release First North American performances edit On 21 and 22 March 2019 Ulver played at Irving Plaza in New York City their first North American shows ever It was described by Kerrang as New York s ultimate goth night A return to the United States was cancelled when Ulver announced that pre sale tickets were too modest up against the big risk of touring with their production in the US 84 Members editCurrent members edit Kristoffer Rygg vocals additional programming e percussion 1993 present Tore Ylwizaker programming keyboards 1998 present Jorn H Svaeren miscellaneous 2000 present Ole Aleksander Halstensgard electronics e percussion 2017 present live musician 2009 2017 Supporting members edit Lars Pedersen drums percussion 2009 present Pamelia Kurstin theremin 2009 present Ivar Thormodsaeter drums 2015 present Anders Moller percussion 2016 present Stian Westerhus guitar 2017 present Former members edit Guitars Sigmund Andreas Grellmund Lokken deceased 1993 Havard Lemarchand Jorgensen 1993 1999 Stian Shagrath Thoresen 1994 Torbjorn Heimen Pedersen Aismal 1994 1997 Knut Magne Valle 1998 Daniel O Sullivan guitar bass keyboards core member 2009 2016 supporting member 2016 2017 Bass guitar Robin Mean Malmberg 1993 Hugh Steven James Mingay 1994 1998 Drums Carl Michael Czral Eide 1993 Erik Olivier AiwarikiaR Lancelot 1994 1998 Keyboards Havard Lemarchand Jorgensen 1993 1999 Torbjorn Aismal Pedersen 1994 1997 Flute Erik Olivier AiwarikiaR Lancelot 1994 1998 Timeline edit Supporting members timeline editDiscography editMain article Ulver discography Bergtatt Et eeventyr i 5 capitler 1995 Kveldssanger 1996 Nattens madrigal 1997 Themes from William Blake s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell 1998 Perdition City 2000 Blood Inside 2005 Shadows of the Sun 2007 Wars of the Roses 2011 Messe I X VI X 2013 ATGCLVLSSCAP 2016 The Assassination of Julius Caesar 2017 Flowers of Evil 2020 Scary Muzak 2021 References edit All Music Ulver Biography AllMusic Retrieved 10 May 2014 a b Jester Records Discogs Retrieved 27 May 2014 ULVER at Labirinto della Masone Franco Maria Ricci Retrieved 24 January 2020 Ulver Live at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter 15 04 2018 Clip 1 YouTube Retrieved 24 January 2020 a b ULVER BLOOD INSIDE Jester Records June 2005 Retrieved 28 May 2014 a b Frode Halvorsen Ulver PSTEREO pstereo net Archived from the original on 24 July 2011 Retrieved 5 August 2010 Natt amp Dag Popsenteret Retrieved 5 June 2014 All Music Ulver Biography AllMusic Retrieved 10 May 2014 Hughes Rob July 2012 Children of Nuggets Prog p 83 Ulver Vargnatt SputnikMusic 28 December 2008 Retrieved 26 May 2014 Pfeufer H Peter 18 March 2009 ULVER Vargnatt Metal Soundscapes Retrieved 26 May 2014 SODERLIND DIDRIK Ulver Norway Modern Invasion Music Archived from the original on May 27 2014 Retrieved May 26 2014 Essential Black Metal Listening ULVER Nattens Madrigal Metal Injection 24 February 2014 Retrieved 26 May 2014 York William Bergtatt Ulver Songs Reviews Credits Awards AllMusic AllMusic Retrieved 26 May 2014 ULVER The MetalKult Interview MetalKult com 12 November 2007 Archived from the original on 13 September 2009 York William 16 March 2006 Kveldssanger Ulver Songs Reviews Credits Awards AllMusic AllMusic Retrieved 26 May 2014 H Andrew 2 September 2005 Ulver Nattens Madrigal SputnikMusic Retrieved 26 May 2014 a b Huey Steve 2 September 2005 Ulver Nattens Madrigal AllMusic Retrieved 26 May 2014 Kristoffer Rygg Jorn H Svaeren 2003 Lyckantropen Shape Shifting The 1st Decade of Ulver DVD Vendlus Vuoti Sauli 7 December 2005 Ulver Interview Kogaionon Underground Music Magazine Kogaionon Archived from the original on 28 May 2014 Retrieved 26 May 2014 Essential Black Metal Listening ULVER Nattens Madrigal Metal Injection 24 February 2014 Retrieved 26 May 2014 York William Ulver Metamorphosis AllMusic Retrieved 28 May 2014 1 dead link York William Ulver Perdition City AllMusic Retrieved 28 May 2014 Ulver Perdition City AllMusic Retrieved 28 May 2014 York William Ulver Perdition City Review Johnathan Hill Retrieved 29 May 2014 York William Ulver Silence Teaches You How To Sing All Music Retrieved 29 May 2014 Chedsey John November 2001 Ulver Satan Stole My Teddybear Archived from the original on 29 May 2014 Retrieved 29 May 2014 New releases scheduled for 2003 to mark ULVER s ten years in metabusiness Jester Records 15 March 2002 Retrieved 29 May 2014 Chedsey John December 2002 Ulver Satan Stole My Teddybear Archived from the original on 29 May 2014 Retrieved 29 May 2014 York William 2002 Ulver Lyckantropen Themes AllMusic Retrieved 29 May 2014 Wee Alan 6 September 2003 Ulver Lyckantropen Themes Chronicles Of Chaos Retrieved 29 May 2014 2 Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine Ulver A Quick Fix of Melancholy SputnikMusic 2003 Retrieved 29 May 2014 Taylor Laura October 2003 Ulver A Quick Fix of Melancholy Exclaim Retrieved 29 May 2014 Rivadavia Eduardo Ulver Blood Inside AllMusic Retrieved 29 May 2014 Ulver Blood Inside Scene Point Blank 15 November 2005 Retrieved 29 May 2014 Ulver Blood Inside SputnikMusic 6 February 2012 Retrieved 29 May 2014 Ulver Blood Inside Avantegarde Metal November 24 2012 Archived from the original on May 29 2014 Retrieved May 29 2014 SUNN O amp ULVER Terrestrials press release Southern Lord 18 November 2013 Retrieved 29 May 2014 a b Ulver ULVER HISTORY jester records com Retrieved 28 September 2008 a b The End Records THE END RECORDS sets October release date for ULVER s Shadows of the Sun theendrecords com Archived from the original on 26 September 2007 Retrieved 4 August 2007 ULVER official site 13 July 2007 Retrieved 13 July 2007 Jester Records ULVER Shadows of the Sun Reviews jester records com Retrieved 18 October 2007 Ulver Shadows of the Sun Anmeldelser Reviews Diskusjon no Retrieved 18 October 2007 Contest Best Underground Albums of 2007 SonicFrontiers net Archived from the original on 24 July 2011 Retrieved 27 May 2017 ULVER official site 26 November 2009 Retrieved 26 November 2009 Ulver s The Norwegian National Opera Blu ray and DVD Kscope Retrieved 18 May 2014 Ulver Facebook 12 February 2011 Retrieved 14 February 2011 Ulver Wars of the Roses album review Sputnikmusic com 24 April 2011 Retrieved 27 November 2012 Batmaz Murat 2 May 2011 Ulver Wars of the Roses Seaoftranquility org Retrieved 1 January 2012 Ulver The Norwegian National Opera Dvd Blu Ray Detailed Blabbermouth net Blabbermouth 23 October 2011 Retrieved 18 May 2014 Palmerston Sean 4 February 2012 Ulver The Norwegian National Opera DVD Hellbound ca Retrieved 6 February 2016 Berk Michael November 2012 Ulver Childhood s End PDF Sound and Vision Retrieved 19 October 2013 Hughes Rob Children of Nuggets PDF Prog Rock Mag Retrieved 19 October 2013 Ratliffe Ben 4 June 2012 NEW MUSIC Another Solstice in an Endless Summer ULVER Childhood s End Kscope NY Times Retrieved 19 October 2013 Magic Hollow Vimeo com 9 May 2012 Retrieved 6 February 2016 Roadburn Records To Release ULVER Live At Roadburn Vinyl In 2013 The Sleeping Shaman 10 December 2012 Retrieved 29 May 2014 The Art Of Dying Jester Records 5 December 2012 Retrieved 29 May 2014 Neilstein Vince 10 December 2012 Ulver are Raging Against the Record Label Machine Metal Sucks Retrieved 29 May 2014 ULVER KulturHuset i Tromso KulturHuset August 2012 Archived from the original on 17 May 2014 Retrieved 25 May 2014 Franquelli Alex 13 December 2013 Ulver Messe I X VI X The Quietus Retrieved 25 May 2014 Kennelty Greg 20 January 2014 ULVER Working On Soundtrack To A Play Metal Injection Retrieved 30 May 2014 Ulver Magic Hollow from Childhood s End on Vimeo Vimeo com 9 May 2012 Retrieved 6 February 2016 Sunn O Ulver Ready Terrestrials Album For February Release Self titledmag com 18 November 2013 Retrieved 6 February 2016 Sunn O and Ulver announce joint LP Terrestrials Fact 19 November 2013 Retrieved 4 February 2014 Nelson Michael 10 December 2013 Sunn O amp Ulver Eternal Return Excerpt Stereogum Retrieved 4 February 2014 a b Tuffrey Laurie 12 December 2013 Listen Sunn O Ulver Collab Excerpt The Quietus Retrieved 7 March 2013 Moore Doug 10 December 2013 Sunn O amp Ulver release clip from upcoming collaborative LP BrooklynVegan Retrieved 4 February 2014 Sunn O amp Ulver Terrestrials Pitchfork Retrieved 4 February 2014 ULVER Trolsk Sortmetall 1993 1997 box set announced Century Media 11 April 2014 Retrieved 30 May 2014 Burning Bridges amp Fifth Column Films 22 June 2014 The Ballad of Shirley Collins Kickstarter Retrieved 23 February 2015 Ulver 3 June 2015 Only Theatre of Pain Ulver Retrieved 29 October 2015 Dick Jonathan K 15 October 2015 Wolf At The Door A Conversation With Kristoffer Rygg Steel for Brains Archived from the original on 5 November 2015 Retrieved 29 May 2015 Ulver to release new album Louder Than War 28 October 2015 Retrieved 28 October 2015 Ulver to release Riverhead movie soundtrack Team Rock 30 November 2016 ULVER Confirm April 7 Release for The Assassination of Julius Caesar The Obelisk 27 February 2017 Retrieved 27 May 2017 The Assassination of Julius Caesar Ulver Songs Reviews Credits AllMusic retrieved 12 October 2020 ULVER Ulver facebook page facebook com Retrieved 15 April 2019 Moen Siri Narverud 17 October 2019 Ulver lager ny plate og bok ballade no in Norwegian Bokmal Retrieved 24 January 2020 Ulver announce new album Distorted Sound Magazine 12 June 2020 Retrieved 30 August 2020 Ulver announce Scary Muzak The bone chilling 70s and 80s fuelled soundtrack to your All Hallow s Eve 29 October 2021 Archived from the original on 29 October 2021 ULVER 31 August 1997 Ulver Official Homepage Jester records com Retrieved 27 May 2017 Hatfield Amanda Ulver cancel West Coast tour say pre sales are too modest brooklynvegan com Retrieved 9 May 2019 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ulver Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ulver amp oldid 1189417937, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.