ULVER A QUICK FIX OF MELANCHOLY EP
The End Records - 2003
By Rodrigo Escandon
Yet another Ulver EP comes our way before their next full length album but like all their EPs post-Perdition City, A Quick Fix of Melancholy is just another fascinating and captivating journey that sees the band take their music to another direction.
With the first song Little Blue Bird, we finally hear Garm singing in Ulver again and he does not disappoint with a somewhat operatic approach with a healthy dose of mournful almost spoken like verses. The pace of the music is slow and it could be described as minimized symphonic piece, should we expect anything else than the minimal from Ulver? The string instruments play just enough to wet the appetite and some electronic sounds are thrown around to create a somber feel.
Doom Sticks is an instrumental that has a vibraphone-like sound (it almost sounds like a softer version of those little keyboards that I would hit with a mallet when I was in grammar school), coupled with waltz-inspired string instruments and more twisted electronic sounds to make this piece have a winter holiday theme to it, something that Danny Elfman may compose.
Vowels is the second song with Garm singing and using more of his operatic approach. This time the strings are featured just a bit more prominently (especially during the last 2 minutes) while at other times they are just there playing a few notes. The electronics are more varied from quirky electronic sounds to a more elaborate melody line that all comes together and really captivated me from about 4:25 to about 5:20 and then immediately the strings take dominance for the rest of the song. This song is truly the shining aspect of the EP.
The fourth track Eittlane is the rearrangement of Natleitte that was originally found in the Kveldssanger and that was intended to be in the 1st Decade In The Machines album. This is not a remix like some of the other songs found in that album. It almost sounds exactly like the original version with the differences being that this version is longer, there is less vocal chanting (but that may be my impression only because the song is longer and there is more time for just the instruments), the guitars sound more industrial and there is some drumming added during the last minute. Basically it sounds like a louder and bigger version than the original but the same mood and feel is kept.
Ulver have given us just another small and (as usual) excellent addition to their catalogue and I would rather have these EPs and soundtracks in between albums than a long wait from Perdition City to their next studio album, which should be released early next year.
The End Records Website
Ulver Official Website
The End Records - 2003
By Rodrigo Escandon
Yet another Ulver EP comes our way before their next full length album but like all their EPs post-Perdition City, A Quick Fix of Melancholy is just another fascinating and captivating journey that sees the band take their music to another direction.
With the first song Little Blue Bird, we finally hear Garm singing in Ulver again and he does not disappoint with a somewhat operatic approach with a healthy dose of mournful almost spoken like verses. The pace of the music is slow and it could be described as minimized symphonic piece, should we expect anything else than the minimal from Ulver? The string instruments play just enough to wet the appetite and some electronic sounds are thrown around to create a somber feel.
Doom Sticks is an instrumental that has a vibraphone-like sound (it almost sounds like a softer version of those little keyboards that I would hit with a mallet when I was in grammar school), coupled with waltz-inspired string instruments and more twisted electronic sounds to make this piece have a winter holiday theme to it, something that Danny Elfman may compose.
Vowels is the second song with Garm singing and using more of his operatic approach. This time the strings are featured just a bit more prominently (especially during the last 2 minutes) while at other times they are just there playing a few notes. The electronics are more varied from quirky electronic sounds to a more elaborate melody line that all comes together and really captivated me from about 4:25 to about 5:20 and then immediately the strings take dominance for the rest of the song. This song is truly the shining aspect of the EP.
The fourth track Eittlane is the rearrangement of Natleitte that was originally found in the Kveldssanger and that was intended to be in the 1st Decade In The Machines album. This is not a remix like some of the other songs found in that album. It almost sounds exactly like the original version with the differences being that this version is longer, there is less vocal chanting (but that may be my impression only because the song is longer and there is more time for just the instruments), the guitars sound more industrial and there is some drumming added during the last minute. Basically it sounds like a louder and bigger version than the original but the same mood and feel is kept.
Ulver have given us just another small and (as usual) excellent addition to their catalogue and I would rather have these EPs and soundtracks in between albums than a long wait from Perdition City to their next studio album, which should be released early next year.
The End Records Website
Ulver Official Website
