UltraNoir is a Finnish
synthpop /
gothic rock /
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
trio founded in 2004.
Starting as a pop group, UltraNoir is influenced by
shoegaze and
post-rock as well as early eighties
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
acts such as
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
,
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith has remained the only constant member. The band's ...
along with the
Sisters Of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...
and
Bauhaus
The Staatliches Bauhaus (), commonly known as the Bauhaus (), was a German art school operational from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts.Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 4th edn., 20 ...
. These elements blended with political (anarchist) lyrics. UltraNoir's themes considered bleak visions of fascism, globalisation, social classes, sexism and existential complications of western moral codes over dreamy melody streams and laconic vocals.
Their first single "Reach Me, Helen Keller" (2006) reached chart position No. 4 in Finland.
After former guitarist Jan left the group to form
Heroin and Your Veins, the remaining members Anton, Utu and Jesi continued to tour without a guitarist. Eventually Jesi too parted ways with the band leaving Anton and Utu to perform as a duo and reducing the sounds to a bleak wall of nihilism. In 2009 Niki Vaan from Cherry Stained and Nokia Missio joined their ranks, first as a tour guitarist and then as a recognized member of the band.
In early 2011, Janne Perttula rejoined UltraNoir, leading the group working on its second album ''UltraNoia'' that was released in September 2013.
Discography
* UltraNoir/Romantic Vision 7" split "Godspeed For Good" / "Worldwide Panic" (2004)
* Compilation ''New Dark Age vol.3'' (Strobelight, 2005)
* CDs ''Reach Me,
Helen Keller'' (Quiet Life, 2006)
* Album ''Suffer No Fiction'' (Quiet Life, 2006)
* Compilation ''Independent Rock'' (Bianca-Pop, 2007)
* Compilation '' Smoke and spotlight vol. 5 '' (Inside Agitator, 2011)
* Album ''Ultranoia'' (2013)
Members
Current
* Anton Vaan (vox, prog)
* Utu Vaan (synth)
* Jesi Vaan (bass,synth)
Previous
* Niki Vaan (guitar)
* Janne Perttula (guitar, prog.)
References
External links
UltraNoir website
{{Authority control
Dance-punk musical groups