Ulver - Perdition City (The Music To An Interior Film) Jester TRICK007 2001 By Russell Garwood Perdition City (The Music To An Interior Film), Ulvers 5th full length release, is 53 minutes of flowing and cohesive music quite an achievement considering the diversity of the material. Ulver now comprises Christophus G Rygg (Trickster G) and Tore Ylwizaker, the rest of the band being listed as personnel. Perdition City opens with an alto sax and some trip hoppy drums creating images of seedy, dark urban life in Lost In Moments, demonstrating Ulver's new slightly jazzier direction. Garm (Trickster G's) vocals are still present (but to a far lesser extent), ending track one and moving beautifully into the minimalistic piano intro of Porn Piece Or The Scars Of Cold Kisses. This consists of two sections which soon develop into a bleak soundscape that can, at times, feel more like a wall of sound. The stripped-down electronica of Hallways Of Always with its sparse piano and scratching is followed by the sinister but appealing Tomorrow Never Knows. Next comes one of my favourites, The Future Sound Of Music, with its electronic beeping over melancholy piano developing into a great crescendo. When this fades into noise I am left feeling I would be happy if this was the future sound of music. Track 6 We Are Dead consists primarily of atmospheric noise with spoken vocals, and leads on to the intriguing Dead City Centres, the most jazzy song on the album, reminiscent of a smoky 30's nightclub. Catalept could easily function as the score to a horror film, and the album ends with the more conventional but excellent Nowhere/Catastrophe. The vocals are extremely impressive, closing the album perfectly. A far cry from much of Ulvers earlier work, Perdition City shows yet another development in their long and varied career. This dark, eclectic album will keep you hooked for weeks
i took this over to Amsterdam with me and got my mates loving it and also had my brother hooked on it too.
Definitely an awesome album. What I appreciate most is how they use simple and minimalistic ideas and slowly build upon these ideas throughout each song until they reach their full complexity, intensity, and depth. Ulver's new music really shows how to use space and restraint to create a dramatic atmosphere. The music on Perdition City is so well crafted and brilliant. It's been 3 years since its release and every time I put it on I still get the same feeling as when I first heard it.
Catalept could easily function as the score to a horror film" well genius...thats because it IS the score to a horror film. Its an excerpt of the original score of Alfred Hitchcock's Pscyho composed by Bernard Herrmann in 1960. A fine choice indeed.
i like this album, but think my fav is still Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven & Hell...
Years, not weeks. # "Lost In Moments", "Porn Piece Or The Scar of Cold Kisses" & especially "The Future Sound of Music" are some of the best songs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. I've got it on me today for listening to at college. I doubt I'll ever find an album with the shelf life as long as "Perdition City", well maybe until Ulver's next full-length.
