Of Norway - Eyes EP (Beatservice Records)

Oslo’s Vegard Wolf Dyvik and Christian Steenstrup make up Of Norway, an eclectic electronic duo consistently releasing stellar music for over a decade. Through cuts on the likes of Connaisseur Recordings, Rockets & Ponies, and Darkroom Dubs and explosive DJ and live gigs, the two are a well-known commodity in underground dance music. This latest single, the Eyes EP, continues a string of top notch releases from Of Norway on the Beatservice imprint.

The duo recently contributed to Beatservice’s Prima Norsk 5 compilation, delivering two tracks instead of the requested single cut. “Normal Eyes” appeared on the collection to much acclaim, but the other track — the also brilliant “Dim Your Eyes” – demanded to be heard. The Eyes EP exposes both tunes and includes remixes from Syntax Erik, Terje Saether, Karl Fraunhofer, and Prins Oblonsky.

“Dim Your Eyes” is a moody breakbeat number, featuring transported-from-another-world vocals, bouncing sub-bass, and deliciously tweaky synth sounds. Its distinctive vibe will stand out in any DJ’s set. “Normal Eyes” is also from a similar vein, but works in house music rhythms and spacey pad hits. A warehouse bass-line – reminiscent of early Warp tracks — takes the lead, accompanied by fluttering arpeggios that chase up and down the scales. The remixes take the tracks in various dance floor directions, from deep house, to peak time rumblers, to mysterious minimal techno ambiance. These ‘Eyes’ are a sublime treat for the ears.

Three (Hallucienda) – “Both originals and the Prins Oblonsky remix for me. I’m a big fan of Of Norway.”
Bruce Tantum (XLR8R) – “Gorgeous music all around. Loving pretty much all of these.”
Meri (Rulers of the Deep) – “Very very cool release.”
Arne Goettsch (Electronic Earthquake) – “Dim Your Eyes is a bomb! Full support.”
Lönya (Asymmetric Recordings) – “Great EP! Full support.”
DJ Firefly (Couch Dancing) – “These are fantastic. Catchy and hypnotic.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle Radio Show) – “Amazing EP. The Terje Saether Remix stands out amongst a very strong tracklist.”
Sharlese (KEXP) – “Very exciting & nice sounds to bring you into the morning.”
Taigo Onez (Bang Le’ Dex radio show) – “Such a beautiful body of work.”
Jon Fugler (XLNT Radio Show) – “Both lead tracks are extremely good, and the remixes turn this into an excellent release. Thoroughly enjoyable.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Bandcamp, Apple Music, And Spotify.

Terje Saether - Reasonable View (Bogota Records)

Bogota Records returns with a high quality release spotlighting Terje Saether, a producer from the dark and cold north – the land of the polar bear and aquavit – that is known as Norway. With previous releases for the likes of Hope Records, Darkroom Dubs, and Connaisseur Recordings, Terje pieces together deep and atmospheric house music with the cerebral touch of techno. Terje presents three solid cuts on his Reasonable View EP, providing an enjoyable overview of his after hours inclination.

"Nothing But The Sea" opens the release, a beefy four-on-the-floor kick and snatches of syncopated synth and vocal hits pointing the way. A filtered, wistful string loop serves to send the listener into the dream-zone as a consistent bass throbs out the track's heartbeat. "Who's Responsible For This?" adds more techno-flavor to this affair, with bouncing percussion and a hypnotic oscillating pad anchoring floating melodic lines and old school bass zaps. Terje takes the nightclub back in time with his third original, "HAN". A staccato chord pattern, vocal snippets, synth strings, and an ever-growling bass line soundtrack a turbulence-free direct flight from Oslo to Chicago.

On the remix tip, Bogota has enlisted some other worthy Norwegians to the task. Alex Jangle and MatztaM, two prestigious Oslo party-throwers, transform "Nothing But The Sea" into a classy 2-step inspired romp that should inspire a variety of groovy movements on the dance floor. Next up, Rave-enka (Paper Recordings) toughens "Who's Responsible For This?" with a meaty bass line, clanging percussive melodies, and snappy drums, building into a uplifting musical epiphany over the remix's ten minutes. Bodacious!

Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch / Mega Jawns) – “This is a stunning release … I’ll be playing a few tracks from this one.”
Vanilla Ace (OFF Recordings / Bunny Tiger) – “Nice one!”
Tyler Stadius (Deepsite / Proton Radio) – Good tracks. I’ll definitely play ‘Nothing but the Sea’.”
Chris Fortier (Fade / Mindwarp) – “Sounds good!”
Demarkus Lewis (Grin Music / Guesthouse Music) – “The ‘Rave-Enka’ remix is nice … love the change up on the breaks!”
Robert Owens (Compost) – “Cool Tracks!”
Giom (Large Music / Supremus Records) – “The ‘Rave-Enka’ mix is wicked!”
Atish (Desert Hearts / Robot Heart) – I’m loving both of the remixes on this one … quirky with a lot of personality!”
Murray Richardson (Electrica Salsa / Rebel Waltz) – “I’m loving the original mixes … nice vibes here!”
Iain Rejekt (Sankeys / Space Ibiza) – “Cool release. I particularly like ‘HAN’.”
Deepshizzol (MyHouse YourHouse Radio / Deepvibes Radio) – “Nice release! I Love ‘HAN’ and the ‘Alex Jangle & MatztaM Remix’.”
Natural Rhythm (Natural Rhythm Mix Show) – “Nice deep, techy tunes. We’re supporting on our radio show.”
Jon Manley ( hOUSEwORX / This Is Our House) – “This is a quality release from Terje Saether!”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings / Deadbeat Disco Radio Show) – “I’m loving the originals. All three are pure class.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle radio show / Proton Radio) – “This release is ace … loving the deep emotive vibe on ‘Nothing But The Sea’ and the otherworldly sonic sounds of ‘Who's Responsible For This?’ This is a pure treat.”

Available now from: Beatport, Traxsource, iTunes, and Spotify.