Norwegian Experimental Outfit Ulver Announced For Dark Mofo 2017

Tasmania's annual winter celebration Dark Mofo has started to peel back the veil on its plans for this year's event, announcing lauded Norwegian experimental collective Ulver as its first artist for 2017 — their first-ever performance in Australia.

Established in 1993, Ulver have outgrown their black-metal roots to become a wide-ranging, ever-changing musical beast. Vocalist Kristoffer Rygg is the sole remaining founding member, though fellow members Tore Ylwizaker and Jørn H. Sværen have both been a part of the group for more than 15 years.

The trio is joined on-stage by a five-strong roster of live musicians, including drummers Lars Pedersen and Anders Møller, theremin wielder Pamelia Kurstin, multi-instrumentalist Daniel O'Sullivan, and electronics whiz Ole Aleksander Halstensgård.

Ulver are just about to release their 13th studio full-length, The Assassination Of Julius Caesar — it's out in early April — which comes slightly over a year after their previous effort, the well-received ATGCLVLSSCAP (which took its name from the initials of the zodiac). As you might have gathered, this is pretty much a match made in Valhalla.

"Dark Mofo is one strange beast of a festival, and they have really pulled out all the big guns to make it possible to drag a pack of Vikings quite literally to the other side of the world in June," Rygg enthused in a statement.

"We have heard exceptional tales about this midwinter celebration. Considering the overall aesthetic of the festival and the type of art and acts it has featured before, this will be a trip extraordinaire and no doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Ulver."

For us too, no doubt.

Dark Mofo 2017 runs from Thusday 8 to Wednesday 21 June. The remainder of the event's line-up will be announced on Friday 7 April.

Ulver will play the Odeon Theatre on Thursday 15 June. Pre-sale registration is open now; on sale from Monday 10 April.

Tickets for the wider festival will go on sale from Tuesday 11 April. See the event's website for more information.