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 Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes [Jester Records - 2002]The cinematic approach of Ulver's last CD Perdition City and subsequent 2 EP’s hasn't gone unnoticed and an actual soundtrack composed by them seemed to be a matter of time. Besides the just released soundtrack to the Swedish movie Lyckantropen, Kris Rygg and his collegues have been commisioned for the upcoming ‘Norwegian anti-Dogma outburst’ Svidd Neger as well.Lyckantropen is a short movie by Swedish director Steve Ericsson and although his choice for Ulver seems be a musical one, the fact that Ulver (Norwegian for ‘wolves’) worked with the theme of lycanthropy regularly seems to be more than a coincidence (lycanthropy: the magical ability to assume to the form of a wolf or the delusion of being one). I haven’t seen the movie, and the chance that I will is slim, so I have to do with just the soundtrack.Like famous Italian filmcomposer Ennio Morricone said: one theme for a whole movie should suffice. Ulver adheres to this credo for the most part of this soundtrack. Although not literally the same all the time, the chords remain pretty much in the same vein the first 25 minutes. Processed piano chords create a dark atmosphere that also works without the visuals (depending on the listeners’ fantasy of course). Despite the unmistakably spooky chords the music has a soothing quality although there sure is an omnipresent impending doom during the full 36 minutes. The last 2 tracks the atmosphere changes when more rhythm is added. Track 9 (there are no titles, just PQ entries) has a 303 loop and track 10 has some disturbed drumcomputer thing going on remeniscent of Aphex Twin a bit. Personally the last 2 tracks don’t please me too much, although this might be different if I heard it in the right context (with the visuals that is). I’m not sure if the soundtrack can stand on its own for people not familiar with Ulver’s most recent offerings. Fans of the band, like me, will probably like it because it has some of the typical ingredients. I hope to see the movie some time, for now I will enjoy the soundtrack, preferably in the dark.  
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|  | | Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes | The cinematic approach of Ulver's last CD Perdition City and subsequent 2 EP’s hasn't gone unnoticed and an actual soundtrack composed by them seemed to be...
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| | | Dead, Dead Swans interview - Midw... | Dead, Dead Swans (aka Milwaukee, Wisconsin's John E Swan) play a blend of raw and world-weary American folk music, with some real tuneful edges. I first beca...
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