Ulf Ivarsson - Lower Zone

Ulf Ivarsson. One of Sweden’s most acclaimed bassists and Grammys winners (producer ‘Thåström – “kärlek är för dom”, “beväpna dig med vingar” and “Den morronen”) and collaborations with, among others, Bill Laswell (Material, Herbie Hancock, PIL, Mick Jagger), Youth (Killing Joke, The Orb, The Verve) and Mick Harris (Napalm Death, Scorn, Lull) release his solo debut with the album ‘Lower Zone’.

With electric bass and various electronics, Ulf creates magical sound worlds somewhere between dark ambient and industrial.
The idea for this solo project came up in 2015 when Ulf decided to challenge himself in a way he had never done before: to go up on stage, alone with electric bass, effects, loop pedals and a wall of amplifiers without knowing what to do.
A blank paper, what happens can happen based on what instinct and impulse decide together with the technology and the instrument. Improvisation with elements of ambient, dub and free form.

Buy vinyl via Bengans
Buy vinyl via Lamour Record Store

Mastered by Mike Fossenkemper at The Turtle Tone studios NYC
Design by Sten Backman
Photo by av Elisabeth Ohlsson
Cat. nr: lamour086vin

_____________________________________________________________
REVIEWS and ARTICLES

Dereck Higgins

Lira
“Ivarsson spelar mot sig själv, ensam, på sitt patenterade vis. Det låter Ivarsson oavsett om influensen råkar heta jazz, blues, industri, ambient, world music eller vad. Lite elektroniska effekter och loop-pedaler smygs också med i ljudbilden. Intressant att även själva beatsen är skapade på basen.”
Read full post at: https://www.lira.se/skivrecension/lower-zone/

Groove.de (Motherborard February 2020)
“Am E-Bass ist der Schwede Ulf Ivarsson ein renommierter und vielbeschäftigter Sessionmusiker. Wie AKB stammt er aus Gävle, ist aber circa anderthalb Generationen älter und hat in der lokalen Rockszene von Blues, Ska und Reggae über Prog, Metal und Industrial schon so ziemlich alles gemacht, was man im Rahmen von Rockmusik machen kann und international mit Leuten wie Bill Laswell oder Mick Harris kollaboriert.”
Read full post at: https://groove.de/2020/02/11/motherboard-februar-2020/4/

Art noir
“Zwischen stringenter Wirkung und abenteuerlichen Zufälle wechselt die Wahrnehmung, “Lower Zone” streift ganz leicht den Jazz. Niemals aber sind die Tracks von Ulf Ivarsson verkopft und zum langen Studieren gedacht, sondern treffen mit den Tonfolgen und Akkorden das Herz. “Invisible Road” zeigt dies mit seinen leicht dissonanten Saitenanschlägen und leisem Nachhall sehr gut, aufwühlend und entspannend zugleich.”
Read full post at: https://artnoir.ch/ulf-ivarsson-lower-zone/

GAFFA
“Framtiden ser ljus ut och Ulf Ivarsson har mycket på gång, vi skiljs åt i regnet vid Gullmarsplan och jag sätter på mig lurarna igen för att låta Lower Zone föra mig hem med tvärbanan.”
Read full post: https://gaffa.se/artikel/141593/thastroem-medlemmen-ulf-ivarsson-slaepper-soloskiva-spaennande-med-begraensningar/

482mhz
“Den är helt baserad på bas, och med all önskvärd tydlighet slår den fast det vi andra redan visste: att han spelar i basisternas högstadivision.”
Read full post at: https://482mhz.com/2020/02/07/intervju-med-ulf-rockis-ivarsson/

Stuation Stockholm
“– Skivan är elektronisk i sounden, så det var skönt att få in en akustisk värld för att skeva till den andra världen, bara för att det var fint. Det finns en folkton i dem.”
Read full post at: https://www.situationsthlm.se/artikel/bejakar-sitt-instrument/

A closer listen
A closer listen We’ll list it again in spring, but wanted to tell you about it now! Meanwhile, Ulf Ivarsson (who has collaborated with TheOrb) resurfaces with the dub-inflected Lower zone, which sees the bassist continue to expand his sonic horizons (Lamour, February 7). In such a friendly competition, everybody wins.
Read full post at: https://acloserlisten.com/2020/01/03/2020-winter-music-preview-ambient/

Radio Nacional de España – RNE 3 Atmosfera – 07.03.2021
www.rtve.es/radio/radio3

Alternative Alpaca – Best of completely new artists
Listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3T2ZrHUguDbnkgJv7pJ8HQ?si=xtxs6rt8SQijF0lEkHvebA

ERR Klassikaraadio – Fantaasia – 07.04.2020
Played: Red Midnight
Listen: https://klassikaraadio.err.ee/1068344/fantaasia-aivar-tonso

RTRFM 92.1 – Drivetime
Played: Red Midnight & Night In Essaouria (Dub)
Listen: https://rtrfm.com.au/

BBC Radio Merseyside
Played: Blues for JG
Listen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radiomerseyside

Source 96.1 FM – This is not a disco…
Played: Red midnight
Listen: https://www.thesourcefm.co.uk/

Radio Città Del Capo, Bologna
Played: Red Midnight & Lower Zone
Listen: http://www.mixcloud.com/alarico-mantovani/pangea-rcdc-166/

Eldoradio Dortmund 93.00 – Klangwelten #360
Played: Invisible road
Listen: http://kuhzunft.com/radioshow.html

Loud! Radio – Onde Furlane
Played the song Sanity (prelude)
Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/user/ondefurlane/loud-06-febbraio-2020

The Parish News
Played the song ‘Lower Zone’
Listen: https://www.mixcloud.com/TheParishNews/the-parish-news-176/

Toneshift
Played ‘Flood’
Listen: https://toneshift.net/2020/01/15/toneshift-19-listen-closely/

RCV Lille 99.0
Played ‘Night in Essaouira (Dub’
Listen: http://rcv-lille.radio-website.com/

Radio Regent – The Moderns
Played: Night in Essaouira (Dub)
Listen: http://www.mixcloud.com/kevin-press/the-moderns-ep-92/