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Ulver (Norwegian for "wolves") is a Norwegian
experimental electronica An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
band founded in 1993, by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg. Their early works, such as debut album '' Bergtatt'', were categorised as folklore-influenced
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
, but the band has since evolved a fluid and increasingly eclectic musical style, blending genres such as
experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...
,
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
, ambient,
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
, symphonic and chamber traditions,
noise Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...
, progressive and
experimental music Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...
into their oeuvre. 1997 marked their international debut with the release of their third album '' Nattens madrigal'' through German label
Century Media A century is a period of 100 years or 10 decades. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A ...
. However, following discord with the label, Rygg formed his own imprint, Jester Records, in 1998. 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 In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
, and the works of
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...
. ''
Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and different ...
'' (1999) and '' Perdition City'' (2000) followed, showcasing further experimentation and explorations into
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both 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 The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...
(2009), the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet (2010), Teatro Regio di Parma (2013), Labirinto della Masone di Franco Maria Ricci (2017) and held artist residency at
Henie Onstad Kunstsenter The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter is an art museum located at Høvikodden in Bærum municipality in Akershus, Akershus county, Norway. It is situated on a headland jutting into the Oslofjord, approximately southwest of Oslo. History The artcentre ...
(2018). The band have sold in excess of half a million records, been three nominated for the Norwegian Grammy Awards,
Spellemannsprisen The Spellemannprisen (also referred to as the Norwegian Grammy Awards) is a Norwegian music award ceremony presented by IFPI Norge and FONO. It was first awarded in 1973 for the recording year 1972, and has been awarded every year since. It is ...
, in different categories, won ''Album of the Year'' at the Oslo Awards for '' Shadows of the Sun'' in 2008, won the NATT&DAG award for ''Best Live Act'' in 2011, and earned a global reputation for stylistic unpredictability. Author and musician
Julian Cope Julian David Cope (born 21 October 1957) is an English musician and author. He was the singer and songwriter in Liverpool post-punk band the Teardrop Explodes and has followed a solo career since 1983 in addition to working on musical side proj ...
has said, "Ulver are cataloguing the death of our culture two decades before anyone else has noticed its inevitable demise."


History


The Black Metal Trilogie (1993–1997)

The band was founded in 1993 in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
by vocalist Kristoffer Rygg together with Grellmund, Robin Malmberg,
Carl-Michael Eide Carl-Michael Eide (born 24 July 1974), also known under the stage names Aggressor, Czral and Exhurtum, is a Norwegian black metal multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter best known for his work with metal bands Ved Buens Ende, Aura Noir ...
, 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. However some have noted the
avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
and gothic influences that would later shape the band's sound. The archaic
Dano-Norwegian Dano-Norwegian (Danish language, Danish and ) was a Koine language, koiné/mixed language that evolved among the urban elite in Norwegian cities during the later years of the union between the Denmark–Norway, Kingdoms of Denmark and Norway (1 ...
lyrics were greatly influenced by Scandinavian folktales and inspired by Baroque poets such as
Ludvig Holberg Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg (3 December 1684 â€“ 28 January 1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Denmark–Norway, Dano–Norwegian dual monarchy. He was infl ...
and the hymn-writer
Thomas Kingo Thomas Hansen Kingo (15 December 1634 – 14 October 1703) was a Danish bishop, poet and hymnwriter born in Slangerup, near Copenhagen. His work marked the high point of Danish baroque poetry. Early life and education His parents were Hans ...
. Their debut album, '' Bergtatt'', the first part of what has become known as Ulver's "Black Metal Trilogie", 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 Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
, 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." Prior to their second album, founding member Grellmund committed suicide on New Year’s Day 1996 at the age of 19. ''
Kveldssanger ''Kveldssanger'' (translated as ''"Twilight Songs"'') is the second studio album by Norwegian band Ulver, issued in March 1996 via Head Not Found. The album was recorded at Endless Lydstudio, Oslo, Norway in the summer and autumn of 1995, with Kr ...
'', issued March 1996 by Head Not Found, Ulver eschewed a typical black metal sound by incorporating
classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...
s,
cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
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". The album was praised for its atmosphere, evoking a feeling of quiet, eerie solitude. Following the success of their first two albums, Ulver signed with German label
Century Media A century is a period of 100 years or 10 decades. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A ...
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." A common myth about the album is that the band spent the recording budget on
Armani Giorgio Armani S.p.A. (), commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and ...
suits, cocaine and a Corvette; and recorded the album outdoors in a Norwegian forest on an 8-track recorder. Rygg, however, has stated that this is not true, and possibly a rumour started by Century Media. 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." ''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." 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)

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. Musically, the album blended
electronics Electronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other Electric charge, electrically charged particles. It is a subfield ...
, industrial music elements,
progressive metal Progressive metal (often shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven sound of the former with t ...
and
experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...
, adding ambient passages. Lyrically, the album incorporates the entire text of
William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...
'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 ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions published by different companies available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' featu ...
'', 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. Ulver, now only consisting of Rygg and Ylwizaker, issued an EP, ''
Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth transformation or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and different ...
'', 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''. In the sleeve notes to ''Metamorphosis'', the group declared: '' Perdition City'', issued in March 2000, was described as moody, atmospheric electronica, cinematic in scope, evoking a soundtrack for an imaginary film. ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' 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." Musically, Ulver not only explores new genres, but also shift from extrovert, into more introverted moods, or interior music. Later that year, Jørn H. Sværen joined the band. The band followed up ''Perdition City'' with two
improv Improv may refer to: *Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention **Improvisational theatre (includes improvisational comedy) **Musical improvisation Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of im ...
/ minimalist/ ambient/
glitch A glitch is a short-lived technical fault, such as a transient one that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among pl ...
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. The style is more
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
/atmospheric and less beat-oriented; rather mood pieces that revolve around the ''Perdition City'' theme. 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. Ulver, now with more confidence in their ambient sensibilities descent into the world of film
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
s, 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 and providing a sense of continuity to each film. 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 Christian Fennesz (born 25 December 1962) is an Austrian producer and guitarist active in electronic music since the 1990s, often credited mononymously as Fennesz. His work utilizes guitar and laptop computers to blend melody with treated samp ...
, V/Vm and Merzbow among others. 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."


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

In August 2003, Ulver issued an EP, '' A Quick Fix of Melancholy'', essentially a teaser for the forthcoming album, '' Blood Inside''. A delicate marriage of orchestration and electronica 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 King Crimson were an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by Robert Fripp, Michael Giles, Greg Lake, Ian McDonald (musician), Ian McDonald and Peter Sinfield. Guitarist Fripp remained the only constant member throughout the ...
collaborator Ronan Chris Murphy. The album returns to more classical arrangements and instrumentation, 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." " '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." 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." Ulver and drone metal band
Sunn O))) Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") is an American drone metal band formed in 1998 in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. The band is known for its distinctive visual style and slow, heavy sound, which blends diverse genres including doom metal, ...
collaborated on the fifteen-minute track "CUT WOODeD" - a tribute to the deceased film director
Ed Wood Edward Davis Wood Jr. (October 10, 1924 â€“ December 10, 1978) was an American filmmaker, actor, and pulp novelist. In the 1950s, Wood directed several B movie, low-budget science fiction, crime and horror films that later became cult c ...
, 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 and the United States and would include collaborations with artists Pamelia Kurstin contributing
theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...
, Mathias Eick on
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...
and Christian Fennesz, adding supplemental shimmer. Rygg described it as "our most personal record to date." Described as "low-key, dark and tragic," the album received critical acclaim, and in February 2008 the album won the Oslo Awards for ''Album of the Year'', in 2008. The album was also voted best album of 2007 at the website Sonic Frontiers.


Changes in personnel (2009–2012)

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. 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 Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the munici ...
, Norway on 30 May 2009. The collective were accompanied by guest musicians Lars Pedersen (aka When) on drums, Pamelia Kurstin playing
Theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...
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 The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts European classical music, classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by ...
in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Volksbühne The Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") is a theater in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Rosa Luxemburg Square) in what was the GDR's capital. It has been called Berlin's most iconic theatre. About The V ...
in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
and La Cigale in
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before they returned to their homeland for their performance at The Norwegian Opera House. 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 The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...
'', 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." 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." In November 2011, Kscope released '' The Norwegian National Opera,'' a film documenting Ulver's performance at The Norwegian National Opera on 31 July 2010. Described as "mesmerizing and stunningly beautiful" 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", 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. The album received favourable reviews; Ben Ratliffe, writing for ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', 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". A music video for "Magic Hollow", directed by Justin Oakey, was released in April 2012. 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 The Roadburn Festival is an annual music festival held each April in Tilburg, Netherlands. It was founded by Walter Hoeijmakers and Jurgen van den Brand in 1999, who ran a stoner rock blog of the same name. The festival has been held at Tilburg ...
, 013, Tilburg, in the Netherlands, on 12 April 2012. 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'', an articulated rant about the changes in the record industry. 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)

Ulver were commissioned in 2012 by the Tromsø Kulturhus (House of Culture) in Norway, in a cooperation with the Arctic Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra cultural institution to compose and perform a
Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
. 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". 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 A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including fiction, comics, film, t ...
'' (also known as ''The Possessed''), 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." Ulver released a collaboration album with Sunn O))), entitled '' Terrestrials'', issued in February 2014 via
Southern Lord Southern Lord is an American heavy metal record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson. It initially specialized in experimental metal: particularly doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal. The label later expanded its line-up to i ...
. Produced by Rygg and Stephen O'Malley, it has been described as "three live improvisation pieces".Tuffrey, Laurie (12 December 2013)
"Listen: Sunn O))) / Ulver Collab Excerpt"
The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...
. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
On 10 December 2013, a sample from the closing track, "Eternal Return," was released for streaming. It was also streamed on Pitchfork Advance on the day it was released, until 10 February 2014. 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. In July 2014, Ulver contributed a cover of
Shirley Collins Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE (born 5 July 1935) is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the British Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on ...
' " 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. 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.


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

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. 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. In 2016, the band composed
the score The Score may refer to: Films and television * The Score (1978 film), ''The Score'' (1978 film), a 1978 Swedish film, released in Sweden as ''Lyftet'' * The Score (2001 film), ''The Score'' (2001 film), a 2001 crime drama film starring Robert De Ni ...
for the Canadian drama film '' Riverhead''. 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. The album showed the band switching directions in terms of musical stylisms once again, focusing on a sound that was described by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
critic Thom Jurek as "drenched in moody '80s synth pop." 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 Frankie Goes to Hollywood were an English pop band that formed in Liverpool in 1980. They comprised Holly Johnson (vocals), Paul Rutherford (backing vocals), Mark O'Toole (bass), Brian Nash (guitar) and Peter Gill (drums). Johnson and Ruther ...
cover, "The Power of Love".


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

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. Ulver announced their plans for 2020 through Norwegian publication ''Ballade'' on 17 October 2019: "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 The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. 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. Ulver released their thirteenth album '' Scary Muzak'' on 31 October 2021. Five of the twelve songs on ''Scary Muzak'' are covers from the soundtrack to
John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, composer, and actor. Most commonly associated with horror film, horror, action film, action, and science fiction film, science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s, he is ...
's 1978 ''
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
''. On 19 August 2024, Ulver announced through their social media that long-time member Tore Ylwizaker had died three days earlier, on 16 August, his 54th birthday.


Accolades


Live appearances


At the Norwegian Festival of Literature

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 The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...
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 Øyafestivalen is an annual Norwegian music festival held in the Tøyen Park, Oslo. It has grown quickly since its modest start in 1999 and has become one of Norway's biggest and most important music festivals. The festival has previously fe ...
'' 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

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


''Wars of the Roses'' Tour

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

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 The (WGT; German for "Wave Gothic Meeting") is an annual world festival for "dark" music and "dark culture" in Leipzig, Germany. 150+ bands and artists from various backgrounds (gothic rock, Electronic body music, EBM, Industrial music, indust ...
, 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

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

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.


Members


Current members

* Kristoffer Rygg – vocals, additional programming, e-percussion * Jørn H. Sværen – miscellaneous * Ole Aleksander Halstensgård – electronics, e-percussion


Supporting members

* Lars Pedersen – drums, percussion * Pamelia Kurstin – theremin * Ivar Thormodsæter – drums * Anders Møller – percussion * Stian Westerhus – guitar


Former members

Guitars * Sigmund Andreas "Grellmund" Løkken * Håvard "Lemarchand" Jørgensen * Stian "Shagrath" Thoresen * Torbjørn Heimen Pedersen (Aismal) * Knut Magne Valle * Daniel O'Sullivan – guitar, bass, keyboards Bass guitar * Robin "Mean" Malmberg * Hugh Steven James Mingay Drums * Carl-Michael "Czral" Eide * Erik Olivier "AiwarikiaR" Lancelot Keyboards * Håvard "Lemarchand" Jørgensen * Torbjørn "Aismal" Pedersen * Tore Ylwizaker – keyboards, programming Flute * Erik Olivier "AiwarikiaR" Lancelot


Timeline


Supporting members timeline


Discography

* '' Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler'' (1995) * ''
Kveldssanger ''Kveldssanger'' (translated as ''"Twilight Songs"'') is the second studio album by Norwegian band Ulver, issued in March 1996 via Head Not Found. The album was recorded at Endless Lydstudio, Oslo, Norway in the summer and autumn of 1995, with Kr ...
'' (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 The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was fo ...
'' (2011) * '' Messe I.X–VI.X'' (2013) * '' ATGCLVLSSCAP'' (2016) * '' The Assassination of Julius Caesar'' (2017) * '' Flowers of Evil'' (2020) * '' Scary Muzak'' (2021) * ''Liminal Animals'' (2024)


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control Norwegian folk metal musical groups Norwegian black metal musical groups Norwegian avant-garde metal musical groups Norwegian experimental musical groups Norwegian ambient music groups Musical groups established in 1993 1993 establishments in Norway Musical groups from Norway with local place of origin missing