quête:utp

Norwegian act Ulver rose to prominence from a blacker metal-rooted background in their early years, to becoming widely known for high- calibre soundscapes & exquisite experimental & electronic art as part of their continual & ever- shifting evolution.

With a penchant for folklore- laced black metal in their formative years & with what could be considered even then to be eclectic & unconventional compositions compared to the more raw & primitive offerings from other arising acts in the scene at the time, Ulver made a big mark on the genre since their formation in the early 90's, spawning a unique & celebrated trilogy of early works which arrived in quick succession, starting with their monumental 1995 debut, 'Bergtatt', before the more serene acoustic- driven experience of 'Kveldssanger'
the following year & completed by the more feral & ferocious
utpouring of #Nattens Madrigal' in 1997.


Before this much revered trilogy, though, came 1993's 'Vargnatt'. This was Ulver's
first foray into the wilds & an exceptional debut demo, utilising what was to
become a staple acoustic guitar implementation amid melodic & often complex &
obtuse arrangements, conjured & delivered with an already advanced degree of
musicianship, with vocals appearing courtesy of longstanding frontman Kristoffer
"Garm" Rygg. This early incarnation of Ulver also notably featured Carl- Michael
Eide of Aura Noir/Ved Buens Ende fame on drums, plus this recording featured
Robin "Mean" Malmberg on bass guitar, from fellow Norwegian pioneers
Mysticum.
This edition of 'Vargnatt' marks 30 years since its original release. The audio itself
is sourced from the original DAT, plus this release contains the bonus track
'Vargnatt', captured live at Bootleg TV in Oslo, 1993 & sourced from the original UMatic, courtesy of the National Library of Norway.

2022 Repress

Pioneers in their own musical approaches, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, began their exploration of sound in the evocatively titled V.I.R.U.S series in 2002. After more than a decade from the release of the collection's final installment with "Summvs" in 2011, NOTON reissues all the five albums between June and October 2022.

With its impressionistic atmosphere, in this collaborative project two generations met and shared the idea of electronic music as an inspiration source for new musical structures. Over a series of five albums, Vrioon (2002),Insen (2005), Revep (2006), utp_ (2008), and summvs (2011), the duo have explored blending electronic and acoustic sounds into a meditative whole that is at once expressive, breathing and precision-engineered.

Remastered in collaboration with Calyx Mastering, the recordings of Vrioon, Insen, Revep, Utp_, and Summvs are made available on vinyl and CD under the title 'reMASTER, accompanied by exclusive, unreleased compositions and housed in a beautifully designed sleeve with original cover art by Carsten Nicolai.