MetalKult has posted a video interview with Ulver frontman Kristoffer "Garm" Rygg: Ulver-the-metalkult-interview/" target="_blank">https://blogs.guitarworld.com/metalkult/videos/Ulver-the-metalkult-interview/

MP3: Ulver - Solitude

Black Sabbath is my #1 all-time favorite band, so I always approach covers of their songs with serious trepidation. You know I don't expect much when 98% of the bands that plagiarize their style totally miss the mark. On hearing that Ulver had a Sabbath cover on their new album "Shadows of the sun", I was skeptical. What song would they do? How would they perform it? Ulver is constantly surprising and reinventing themselves, so I didn't even have a clue as to what new Ulver songs would sound like. When I found out the song they selected was "Solitude" from "Master of reality", my fears were somewhat abated. It's a great piece of music and often overlooked, thus a perfect candidate. Perhaps not as surprising as Pantera doing "Planet caravan" (which is excellent btw), but along the same lines. Anyhow, Ulver's cover is surprisingly faithful to the original - the arrangement, the instrumentation, everything. Really, the only liberty that they take is with the vocals which have been brought up to the front and double-tracked with harmonies. Garm has grown into a tremendous singer as proven with recent Ulver albums, but it's really here, on "Shadows of the sun", where all the accolades come to fruition. Now, not only can he hit all the requisite notes, but he is now capable of showing much more restraint and emotion. Now, as for comparing it to the original, well... it falls short, but I give them credit where credit is due. It's an inspired song choice, but they didn't make it their own. Sorry. On the other hand, the rest of the album is excellent and definitely their best post-black metal work yet. Well worth checking out.

Ulver - Solitude

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Boys of Scandinavia - Beautiful as a person
02. TALK 1
03. Don't Be A Stranger - Perfect problem
04. Timo Räisänen - Sixteen
05. Promise and the Monster - Sheets
06. TALK 2
07. Deathbed - When hope leaves a body
08. Closer - Sensing the wake
09. TALK 3
10. The Tarantula Waltz - Two arrows
11. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
12. Anna Järvinen - Götgatan
13. TALK 4
14. Eric Malmberg - Slutet på en epok
15. Mustasch - Bring me everyone
16. September - Until I die
17. TALK 5
18. Leütenhaven - Still life (trompe l'oeil)
19. Frode Haltli - The latter
20. Lykke Li - Little bit
21. TALK 6
22. Downstairs - Peephole city
23. The Cardigans - Don't blame your daughter (Diamonds)
24. Paris - When I laid my eyes on you
25. TST - We are the kids
26. TALK 7
27. Ghost Brigade - Based on you
28. Mikko Singh - Palmun juurella
29. Audionom - Dc2
30. TALK 8
31. Ulver - Solitude
32. The Psyke Project - I get paralyzed
33. Silverbullit - Winter coat
34. TALK 9
35. Bodies Without Organs (BWO) - Let it rain
36. Icos - On my own
37. Torpedo - Hang me high
38. TALK 10
39. Graveyard - Satan's finest

FYI, in case you missed my announcement: next week will be a spooky Halloween-themed program.

PopMatters talks to Krystoffer "Garm" Rygg of Ulver (as well as Anneke van Giersbergen, ex-vocalist for the fine Dutch band The Gathering): https://www.popmatters.com/pm/columns/article/49495/sun-and-air-an-interview-with-anneke-van-giersbergen-and-krystoffer-garm-ry/

MIC Norway profiles Ulver and their new album "Shadows of the sun": https://www.mic.no/mic.nsf/doc/art2007101014044114328679
I still need to spend a lot more time with it, but cursory listens have me thinking it's probably Ulver's best post-black-metal work yet.

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Mattias Bärjed - 99 pounds
02. TALK 1
03. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
04. Hyacinth House - Swedish signs on Monkey Island
05. Aerial - Secret goddess
06. Icos - Fly away
07. TALK 2
08. Robyn - Konichiwa bitches (Trentemøller remix)
09. Folke Rabe - Argh!
10. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
11. TALK 3
12. Audionom - In the streets
13. The Alpine - Trigger
14. Immanu El - Astral days
15. TALK 4
16. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jag har en vän
17. Logh - Thieves in the palace
18. Galento - Gunnar Hardings paraply
19. TALK 5
20. Promise and the Monster - Antarkis
21. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Heroica
22. Anchor - In the throes of passion
23. TALK 6
24. Repoman - Valley of snakes
25. Ulver - Shadows of the sun
26. Bobby Baby - Do not twist
27. TALK 7
28. Superfamily - Warszawa
29. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
30. Sinikka Langeland - Sus i myrull
31. TALK 8
32. Graveyard - Thin line
33. Mai - Snowing downtown
34. KVLR - Abomination
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan

This month's "Show no mercy" column at Pitchfork talks to Ulver (as well as local [to me] act Wolves in the Throne Room): https://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/45864-column-show-no-mercy

Ulver added another new track to their myspace page: Ulver1" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/Ulver1

The playlist for this week's radio show:

01. Timo Räisänen - My valentine
02. TALK 1
03. Torpedo - From Russia with love
04. Desert Planet - Breakout button
05. Ebba Grön - Mamma pappa barn
06. TALK 2
07. The End Will Be Kicks - Don Johnson
08. Skywriter - Where both worlds never meet
09. Skull Defekts - The secret
10. TALK 3
11. Tsukimono - Tokyo OEast
12. Kristin Asbjørnsen - Trying to get home
13. Enemy Alliance - Government subsidized ghetto
14. TALK 4
15. The Indecision Alarm - Where every fucking dream is killed
16. Dismember - Soon to be dead
17. Mixtapes & Cellmates - Moments
18. TALK 5
19. Kristofer Åström - All in
20. Pan Sonic - Virta 1
21. Ulver - Of wolf and fear
22. TALK 6
23. Mainliners - Olivia
24. 120 Days - Let me come down
25. Universal Poplab - 60 is the new 40
26. TALK 7
27. Dag Vag - Popitop
28. The Bombettes - Lust is the new black
29. Breach - Big strong boss
30. TALK 8
31. CS Nielsen - Black spots
32. Tape - Sand dunes
33. The Psyke Project - For us to see for us to help
34. TALK 9
35. Cortex - Shark boys die hard
36. Viola - I don't know how to party
37. Don't Be A Stranger - Lonely together
38. TALK 10
39. Broder Daniel - What clowns are we

There's a new Ulver track posted on myspace: Ulver1" target="_blank">https://www.myspace.com/Ulver1
The band's new album "Shadow of the sun" will be out October 2 via The End Records. In other news, Ulver frontman Kristoffer Rygg (aka Garm, Trickster G, etc.) and programmer/keyboardist Tore Ylwizaker will be DJing at the album's record release part on September 20 at Europa in Brooklyn, New York.

Ulver has updated their bio in anticipation of the new record "Shadows of the sun", due out October 1 in Norway via Jester, elsewhere on the 2nd via The End Records: Ulver/Ulver.html" target="_blank">https://www.jester-records.com/Ulver/Ulver.html

Ulver will release their new album "Shadows of the sun" on October 1.

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Pistol Disco - Walking with Jesus
02. TALK 1
03. Heroes & Zeros - Into the light
04. Vijaya - Your gun will never set you free
05. Convoj - My timekeeping heart
06. TALK 2
07. Darkthrone - Too old, too cold
08. A Perfect Friend - Rush hour
09. Death By Kite - Hiroshima
10. TALK 3
11. Fun - I've got a truck
12. Moonbabies - Walking on my feet
13. The Perishers - When I fall
14. TALK 4
15. Regulations - Police siren
16. Viola - Ordinary teenage sensation
17. Björn Kleinhenz - Starlit queen
18. TALK 5
19. Gravy - Glory to our brilliant name
20. Hero Dishonest - Stalin vs Hank Hardy
21. Sophie Zelmani - To know you
22. Ulver - Capitel III: Graablick blev hun vaer
23. TALK 6
24. Håkan Hellström - Ramlar
25. Abhinanda - Highway tonight
26. Single Unit - Passion, pirates & parasites
27. TALK 7
28. Kompjotr Eplektrika - Skulldrummantra
29. The Tiny - Just like you
30. Death Breath - Death breath
31. TALK 8
32. Entombed - Serpent speech
33. The Cardigans - Marvel hill
34. Soviac - I got the ribbah
35. TALK 9
36. The Bear Quartet - Put me back together
37. You Is Stupid - I am history
38. Paris - 60 minutes
39. The Process - Mot Sverige i tiden
40. TALK 10
41. Weeping Willows - I give you the morning

MP3: Espen Jørgensen - Move ahead - quickly

The variety of sounds that can be coaxed from a solo acoustic guitar are astounding. The polyphony of the strings and the rhythm of the player's picking and strumming are the most basic elements and most easy to recognize, but there's so much more potential. Norwegian artist Espen Jørgensen explores the vast realm of possibilities on his album "On the great Alkali Plains", preferring to remain solo and unaccompanied except on a few tracks which feature minimalist percussion and one with a subtle echo effect. Unlike many other releases on Jester Records, the label founded by Garm of Ulver, this music isn't particularly challenging, though it does inspire careful thought and consideration. The solo guitar, played masterfully and left unadorned, can say so much with so little. Without raising his voice, Jørgensen speaks volumes.

Espen Jørgensen - Move ahead - quickly

Via Northern Vantage comes word that Ulver's rerecording of their classic album "Nattens madrigal" with full strings is back on track: Ulver-nattens-madrigal-to-be-rerecorde" target=_blank>https://my.opera.com/NorthernVantage/blog/2006/12/14/Ulver-nattens-madrigal-to-be-rerecorde