#OUTNOW: “Thor” by Ullrson (incl. Q&A)

“Thor” by Ullrson

Ullrson returns, and with him “Thor,” his fifth release from his already legendary saga. Musically, this means dark Viking techno, and fittingly, this track is released on Thor’s day, which is today, Thursday. 

The song is another spectacular trip where Ullrson knocks heavily on the door to gain entry. The insistent war horn sounds and the pounding kick drum make us feel Thor’s racing pulse and his imminent arrival. The soundscape that Nick Bowman, aka Ullrson, has created here depicts a wild battle at the end of the world. Ragnarök is the setting, with Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent, and Thor as the two adversaries, and Ullrson tells the story. 

This fantastic new release features crashing waves, thunder, tagelharpas, jaw harps, anvils, and a distinctive dark and insistent war horn that praises the name of Thor! So, all that’s left for me to say is, close your eyes, journey to Ragnarök, enjoy Ullrson’s new song & the video, and read the intriguing Q&A where Nick chats a bit about the track.

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Q&A

Congratulations on 'Thor', the track is fantastic again, how do you manage to keep the sounds so alive throughout the series or what effects do you like to use and experiment with the most?

Thanks very much for the kind words. In techno, subtle effects and changes can be very effective in keeping sounds alive and having an ever-evolving track. I use sends and returns a lot in Ableton. I create chains using multiple effects such as delays, pans, overdrive, reverbs, saturation, compressors and more. I’m also a massive fan of Soundtoys plug-ins. I use Soundtoys in most of my tracks. They are great for delays, distortion, vocal manipulation, reverbs, widening elements, panning and warmth.

Which frequency range do you choose for the kick and which for the bass to avoid overlapping, and what should you avoid in the mix in relation to techno?

My kicks tend to peak at around 45 to 50Hz. I often use Kick 2, which is amazing for creating kicks. I sometimes layer kicks as well, often a kick for the low, middle and a click in the higher frequencies to help the kick cut through the mix. For my track "Thor," I wanted the kick to sound really aggressive and to invoke the idea of a thunderous kick in the name of Thor the thunder God. I used Kick 2, Soundtoys Decapitator and Ableton’s Drum Buss to achieve that sound. The bass in Thor has notes playing on F#2, B2 and F#3. 

It shares some frequencies with the kick and also covers some of the midrange up to around 1k. The kick and bass are playing at different times to avoid clashing and a muddy mix. I also use sidechain a lot to balance the kick and bass. 

If the kick and bass are playing at the same time, you can use sidechaining to duck the bass when the kick slams to avoid them clashing. If they occupy the same frequencies in the very low end, it’s important to have them playing at different times or use sidechaining to avoid a muddy mix and to ensure the kick cuts through. I sometimes use Ableton’s compressor for this, but for the last few years I have mostly been using LFO Tool because it’s very quick and very effective. 

There are so many great ways to create your bass in techno: synths, toms, reverb, rumble delays, etc. Ableton is also great for using chains to create reverb and rumble types of basslines. The length of the kick can also be very important. The faster the track, the shorter the kick generally needs to be so that it doesn’t clash with the bass.

If I remember correctly, you use Ableton, would you recommend it to beginners?

I would definitely recommend Ableton for beginners. It’s great fun, and you can get going pretty quickly. I love jamming in session view to work on ideas and then move over to arrangement when I’m ready to start constructing a track. However, in music production, there is always something new to learn. Ableton has so much to offer, and the learning process is continuous. I’m sure even Ableton tutors don’t know all the ins and outs of Ableton and are also constantly learning and adapting. I’ve also heard people talk highly of FruityLoops (FL Studio), but I don’t have experience with that DAW to comment.

I recently heard the phrase "Golden Era of Techno", what year or even decade would you associate with it?

It’s very subjective. In the 90s, I remember amazing nights at The Academy in Bournemouth and saw Carl Cox there. They were amazing parties. As a DJ, I was resident for Tilanbiik in London, and we put on events with Gary Beck, Nihad Tule, Sleaze Records and resident nights. Those were great parties at amazing venues such as Crucifix Lane and Basing House, and we often used to go to after parties at Cable. 

This was before the days Instagram really took hold. Back then there was still Facebook and “Smart” phones, but people were still living in the moment and not constantly taking selfies and recording absolutely everything. I would say we are not in the golden age of techno right now. I don’t like the obsession with selfies, social media and "influencers." 

You see parties these days, and almost everyone has their phone out. I saw a video from New Year’s Eve in Paris, and I didn’t see one person who wasn’t filming. People are losing their ability to live in the moment. I pine for the techno days when everybody was lost in the music and getting sweaty on the dance floor without having to constantly update the world with their selfies.

How would you describe the evolution of techno, where will the genre go?

At the moment, I don’t think things are in a great way. “Influencer” DJs, pretty faces and waving hands around in the air seem to have taken precedence over quality music and quality events. I recently heard the term “TikTok Techno,” which from what I can gather is super fast and “cheesy” techno. I guess it’s designed for shorter attention spans. 

I think “Hypertechno” is the same or similar. I found playlists on Spotify and many tracks these days are around 2 minutes long or even shorter. I think many people are making tracks specifically for streaming and the shorter they are, the more streams. We all have different tastes, but this type of techno is not my cup of tea. I hope techno finds its essence again; the underground makes a great comeback, and quality is appreciated more than social media "influencers".

What festival would you like to perform at or what would be your dream location for a gig?

I generally prefer quality club nights over festivals. However, playing at Awakenings would be amazing. I visited Tresor in Berlin as a raver many years ago and I would love to play there as well as Berghain.

And finally, what's next?

After Thor, I will release one more track this year. I then plan to get really busy in the studio making more Viking Techno. There is a lot of work and things to learn when starting a record label, and I have sometimes found it difficult to find a decent amount of time to dedicate to the most important thing, which is making music itself! So, over the Yule period and January, I intend to immerse myself in my studio.

NenesButler - Indie Music Blog