It was the spirit of the punk movement that made Ulf Ivarsson (Born 1965 in Gävle, Sweden ) buy his first bass guitar at the age of thirteen, when he joined the local band Pink Pyjamas in early 1979. Major influences were British bands like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Ultravox (fronted by John Foxx) and Buzzcocks , plus the legendary Swedish trio Ebba Grön. After playing with different local bands Ulf Ivarsson joined local heroes the Quiet in January 1981. At the age of fifthteen he was already playing with musicians ten years his age.
Quiet called their style ”rasta-fusk-rock” (i.e. ”rasta-fake-rock”) and made a name for themselves with their combination of commercial pop and reggae/ska/dub. In the rhythm section Ulf Ivarsson joined forces with drummer Christer Björklund, whom he since has been playing together with, in different constellations, for more than twenty years.
In 1982 Ouiet recorded with singer/producer Dotun Adebayo, who also worked with British reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson (LKJ) and Dennis Bovell. ”This was a very important period for me, not just musically” Ulf remembers. ” We did quite a lot of touring, sometimes travelling 1000 kilometers just to play in front of ten people! But we enjoyed it. And many of the things we did definitely shaped my future.”
In 1983 Ulf Ivarsson left Quiet to join the local new waveband Grenzfall but after recording and releasing their critically acclaimed debut mini-album ”Svarta Rosor” (i.e. ”Black Roses”) the band split up. Ulf went on to form Vem von Helst, one of the most high energy-driven rock bands of their time.
”At the time I was listening a lot to bands like the Gun Club, the Cramps and the Nomads,” Ulf says. ”I guess that I must have felt that I wasn´t finished with the punk”.
Vem von Helst started out as a power trio, but after ”playing Gloria” and the New York Dolls´”Personality Crisis” for a month” guitarist Zeke (from Quiet) joined and the band took off, on a road all their own.
After a year of busy touring (a.o. playing support act to the Nomads) Vem von helst recorded their debut album Vem von helst (Mamma, 1984). The album was released in spring 1984. A year later the band broke up. ”Around the same time I discovered the blues, ” Ulf says. ” I started to listen to Albert King, Albert Collins, Elmore James, Freddie King and Jimi Hendrix for inspiration.”
Soon Ulf Ivarsson joined the Eivon Boogie Band, a busy touring band whose steamy mixture of blues, boogie rock an R&B can be heard on their live album ”Beer Bottle Boogie” (Startlklart 1986).
” I now realized how much music really meant to me, ” says Ulf. ” In ´88 I moved to Stockholm, where I studied jazz and music theory. Unfortunately, I found it much too boring and the mental enviroment at the music school much too sterile....”
A much needed release came when Ulf Ivarsson in 1989 was asked by Thomas Di Leva - Swedish music wizard numero uno - to join his band. Their outstanding musical relationship has continued ever since. ”We have actually known each other since the late 70´s, when my first band, the Pink Pyjamas, opened for Di Levas´ the Pillisnorks, ” Ulf remembers.
Thomas Di Leva ranks among the most charismatic swedish artists ever, and his spectacular stage shows (Di Leva is both a singer and an actor) never fails to draw huge audiences. Ulf Ivarsson has played with Di Leva on all major tours and all albums (including the chart topping and double platinum-selling ”För Sverige i Rymden” ,Warner) since 1989.
In 1991Ulf Ivarsson got an invitation from the legendary Swedish guitar hero Clas Yngström to join his band, the Sky High. During his long career Clas Yngström has played with respected musicians such as Prarie Prince ( The Tubes), Ross Valory, Tim Gorman (The Who). Kenny Aronsson (Bob Dylan, Brian Setzer, Billy Idol, Robert Gordon), and Jonas Hellborg. Ulf Ivarsson played his first gig as a member of Sky High at the international musicfestival South By Southwest (SXSW) in Austin , Texas 1991. In the summer of 1991 the band toured Scandinavia , and in the following years Sky High also toured Germany, Holland, South America and India! ”We did a lot of improvising, and often performed without knowing what song to play next” Ulf remembers. ”Clas taught me the importance of musical spontanity and that real music is created in the very same moment it is played. He gave me the courage to stretch out and improvise totally free.”
”Clas Yngström is, without any doubt , my mentor”. The line-up featuring Ulf Ivarsson can be heard on their album ”Fuzzface”(Mega Records 1994) and is also part of the Peter Green- Tribute album Rattlesnake Guitar( Viceroy Records, 1995), where they contribute a version of the Fleetwood Mac instrumental ”Supernatural”. ( The tribute album also features Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull), Rory Gallagher and Dick Heckstall-Smith a.o.
After working with music theatre Skottes Musikteater in his hometown Gävle, Ulf Ivarsson in 1996 became part of the internationally acclaimed Swedish world music group Hedningarna (The Heathens). For this mission he learned how to play the bass mandora, a new instrument especially constructed and built to fit the groups innovative mix of traditional folk music with trance, techno and electronic sounds. Ulf Ivarsson played bass mandora on the album Hippjokk (Silence, 1996) and the groups Scandinavian tour 1996, and was featured in the music magazine Bass Player (April 1996) talking about the possibilities of the instrument. ”It was definitely a new challenge to learn how to play techno beat in 3/4 time”, Ulf says with a smile. Hedningarna toured all over Europe (Spain , Holland, France, Belgium, Denmark) and also made a memorable trip to Russia- a visit that inspired their next album Karelia Visa
( Silence, 1998), based on Karelian hymns. Besides playing bass guitar and the bass mandora, Ulf Ivarsson also programmed the synthesizers and played percussion on the last album. (Released in USA by Northside).
In the end of the 90,s Ulf"Rockis"Ivarsson was tired of just being a session and tour musician, he decided to start his own project, a heavy bass and experimental project called "Beatundercontrol"! Inspired by Dub, Noise and Experimental music, "Rockis" had a very clear idea about what his new journey should be all about:
"Music without any genres, open minded attitude whatever style and creativity with instinct rather than smartness and credibility"!! in 2003 "Rockis" released his first Beatundercontrol album called "The Introduction" on his own inprint "Vibesongs"! The album was licenced thru the Hannover based label in Germany called "Luce music"and it recieved a lot of good reviews in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and United kingdom!! His interest for Dub and Experimental music has been a huge part in his musicianship! " I think the Dub preference is one of the most experimental styles out there, whatever the purists will say! You can find it everywhere from German electronica to Death metal remixes, because of it´s impulsive working process, there is some kind of journey between the mixing desk and the finished record that i like and instead of writing some poor 3 minute songs with mindless expressions and meaning, i rather try to challenge myself thru textures, noises and basslines" says "Rockis!
"Rockis" got a call from the swedish number one punk/ rock legend Joakim Thåström In 2005 who asked him to join the recording sessions for his grammy award winning album "Skebokvarnsvägen 209"! That call resulted in a succesful tour in 2006!! Thåström and "Rockis" also worked together with actress and singer Regina Lund on her spoken word album "Förlåt, nej, jag menar , aj"!
During the last years Ulf Ivarsson has recorded and performed with a list of different artists: Enter the hunt, ,Conny Bloom (Swedish guitar hero, ex-Electric Boys), Ossler,Olle Ljungström ( excentric Swedish rock singer, a childhood hero of Ulf in the late 70´s), Daniella Gordon ( a Swedish performance artist), Frida Snell (grammy-nominated Swedish female artist), Ricard Nettermalm (drum´n´bass Project), Lizzie Zachrisson, the Finnish punkduo Superia,Ulf Stureson, Little Chris, Caroline Taucher,Mora Träsk, Mark Owen (ex-Take That), the American girlband Pierces, French artist Maryam Matisse and Merlin from Canada. The Swedish reggaemaster Papa Dee, english piano legend Geraint Watkins ( ex-Rockpile, Paul McCartney, Mark Knopfler) Marion Raven, Christian Waltz, Beverly Knight, The Beep Kid ,Covenant,Caroline af Ugglas, Dave Edmunds, Nicolai Dunger, Sahlene, Montys Loco, Steven B Andersson, Desmond Foster, Ainbusk Singers and Steve Gibbons.
Ulf Ivarsson has also worked on other projects in collaboration with internationally acclaimed swedish producers Jacob Hellner ( Rammstein, Flesh Quartet, Clawfinger,Superia),Adam Kviman (Eagle Eye Cherry,Maryam matisse) Max Martin (Britney Spears,Bon jovi, Backstreet boys,Marion raven) Sank ( Prime Sthlm, Garmarna, User, Thåström) and Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Skin, Caroline Taucher)