[05.02] Well, I typically only review CDs that 1) I really love, and that 2) elicit a blank look from people when I rave about it (you wouldn't be reading this if it was another Radiohead review, would you now?). Silencing the Signing doesn't fully satisfy criteria #1 (though it is quite good, if not stunning), but I bet it satisfies #2, especially as this was pressed in a limited edition of only 3,000 and was given virtually no PR from the band or label. This is a curious CD. Norwegian black metallers aren't knows for quietly beautiful, minimalist electronic music.

Ulver made their name as one of the leading bands in the bizarre music-to-accompany-church-burning niche that Norway carved out in the '80s and '90s. The lead singer, Garm, who doesn't sing a word on this CD, was originally with supergroup Borknagar before starting Ulver. Garm and Ulver, like many of their contemporaries, have since evolved and now eschews their black metal roots. And you probably can't go much further away from that sound than this EP. Silencing the Signing builds a highly atmospheric soundscape of loops of sorrowful bleeps over crackling vinyl. A clanky, old drum machine fades in and out. Yes, there are church bells in here, but they fit in rather beautifully and by no means inspires you to arson.

On the opener, "Darling Didn't We Kill You?", static noise crackles to give way to an atonal string-like instrument giving way to a piano playing a gentle theme as a synth drones in the background. shards of distorted conversations appear, before finally the song breaks into another hypnotic loop that continues on for several minutes. The other two tracks are much in the same vein, building on rather beautiful, moody loops. A soundtrack to languish in dark, rain-soaked alleyways with. Gothic ambient anyone?

Funny enough, Ulver's double CD Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven & Hell was included as a wedding gift to the Norwegian crown prince, as he's purportedly quite a rock fan. This caused a minor scandal, as the idea of some satanist rocker music being snuck into the palace was preposterous to many (uhm, didn't Bush recently host Ozzy?). Well, Ulver seems to have left that old act behind for good. In fact, some old Ulver material is currently being reworked by cut-up electronica acts like Kid 606, Merzbow, Kevin Drumm, Jazzkammer, Martin Horntveth and Kim Hiorth�y for an upcoming CD. Should be interesting. —Nils