ARTIST:
> Ulv
ALBUM:
> Snieg
GENRE:
> Drone
PUBLISHER:
> Witte Dood Records
YEAR:
> 2009
FORMAT:
> 3" CDR
TOTAL PLAYTIME:
> 5:33
[01]Snieg
AUTHOR:
> M
The first release by Witte Dood records is the second release from Ulv, the continuation of Norss.
The music could be described as wavy, very minimal and bassy headphone-drone. The spine of the soundscape consists of wavy, low, overwhelming drone. On top of it there's a more ethereal and distand, less low-pitch and drony (while still low) sound, which forms a whole with the lower bass drone. There are just a handful of damp metallic beats to serve as a "wake-up" of sort, and they fit in really well with the drone. Quite back in the mix one can hear an occasional thin, even mystical whirring sound.
The record sounds really bare in the beginning, but it really opens up after many listens, revealing it's true nature. The soundscape is multi-layered, and even though the lowest tunes remain dominant for most of the time, the other sounds are layered on top of it in a way that makes the song progress calmly and naturally, while still remaining overwhelming, and makes it more and more interesting the more you listen to it. The other sounds occasionally get more breathing room among the bassy drone, which makes the record even more interesting and provide the change that makes it easier to concentrate on the song.
Even though the release presents a very minimal and slowly opening soundscape, it's still a very pleasant listen; the artist's talent in building such minimal soundscapes shows. Still, such an approach would need a longer play time to really unleash it's true potential. The short lenght - along with the fact that the track ends in the most dull way - also makes me have to give this record a lower grade than it would deserve otherwise. Truly worth checking out, even though I think Ulv has the skill to create even greater soundscapes.