Snasen is Robin Snasen Rengård. An Oslo based audio and visual designer, who started his musical career as a member of Amulet, one of Norway’s most acclaimed noise/punk bands. Even though the hard-core riffage has been replaced by electronic beats in his newest offering ‘Failing Upwards’, the punkish energy can still to be heard in his current audio explorations. It’s just buried and contained within a experimental hip hop realm that recalls the musical counterparts of the Brainerfeeder stable.
This year will be a good year for Snasen and the fans he has won with his Snasen EP, remixes and live shows during the last couple of years. Live shows where he has shared stages with acts like Gold Panda, Yoin, Actress, Niki & The Dove and Torkelsen.
This month sees the release of his ‘Failing Upwards’ EP. A 5-track EP that demonstrates that Snasen’s production skills have evolved parallel with his highly energetic live shows.
The first track, ‘Failing Upwards’ is a jellified affair. Slightly disconcerting cracks and rattling bells jingle around, while an eery, energetic wind runs a shiver through the very heart of the piece. The momentum builds gradually, as electronic eels slither and slide through the holes and cracks many that crowd the landscape. Not for the squeamish, this. However, it is quite a pleasant experience. Sit in the bath, in the dark, to get the most out of it.
‘Tilløp til dramatikk‘ grunts, like a turnip-headed frost giant with a retro itch. Glittering icicles add lightness, but this is a groaning beast long before the fanciful female voice imaginatively floats in, to curl around.
‘Playing the Piano Drunk…’ is what it says on the lid, but then we have ‘You Have My Soul and I Have your Money’ which has a tongue-in-cheek attitude and a faltering rhythm style that factors in almost everything that can be found in a fishing hut on a long weekend.
‘Red Herb Blue Herb Yellow Herb’ blooms in a clear and pleasant way. Clucking keys and lumpy bass-lines all add to the charm – and give this piece a sense of happy isolation.
-© Neil_Mach February 2013 –
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