Norwegian experimental act Ulver are set to release a new studio album later this year. In the meantime, the band just shared the music video for the one-off single “Russian Doll” — a synth-driven song in the vein of their recent material.
Far from the harsh black metal of their early days, “Russian Doll” sees Ulver diving headfirst into dark synthpop. Humorously and ironically, the video’s “metalhead” protagonist (Annija Raibekaze) can be seen dancing to the song while wearing a shirt for Ulver’s perennial 1995 black metal LP, Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler.
“Although this is pop music in our heads, the images and connotations in the lyrics are probably far away from what one usually associates with this genre,” singer Kristoffer Rygg said in a press release. “It actually began with some images and memories from the movie Lilja 4ever by Lukas Moodysson; a dark and disillusioning film about human trafficking in the Baltic.
“‘Russian Doll’ refers to the babushka, we began to think about this figure in the extension of Lilja 4ever and Eastern Europe,” Rygg continued. “The doll became an object, an object of desire, which we mixed with mise-en-abyme — a composition technique that places pictures, or stories for that matter, inside each other. In this context we see it as a kind of vicious circle, unfolding inwards.”
Those with a studious eye will notice the video’s setting of Thamesmead, London, where A Clockwork Orange and Aphex Twin’s legendary “Come to Daddy” video were both filmed. The track was mixed by Michael Rendall and Martin “Youth” Glover.
Watch the video and check out Ulver’s upcoming live dates below. Get tickets here.
Ulver 2020 Tour Dates:
04/28 – Paris, FR @ Alhambra
04/30 – Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
05/01 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli
05/02 – Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz
05/03 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
05/04 – Wroclaw, PL @ A2
05/05 – Warsaw, PL @ Progresja
05/06 – Poznan, PL @ U Bazyla
05/07 – Prague, CZ @ Akropolis
05/08 – Budapest, HU @ Dürer Kert
05/09 – Vienna, AT @ Szene Wien
05/11 – Antwerp, BE @ Kavka
05/12 – Bristol, UK @ SWX
05/13 – London, UK @ Fabric
05/14 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
08/14-16 – Las Vegas, NV @ Psycho Las Vegas
