Electronic music maestro Mind Over MIDI makes a welcome return to Beatservice Records, presenting 11 immersive tracks on the breathtaking new album, Control.
Hailing from Kristiansund on the northwest coast of Norway, Helge Tømmervåg has been crafting scintillating electronic sounds since the early '80s. His earliest work recorded under the now-familiar Mind Over MIDI moniker arrived in the early '90s. A long-standing affiliation with Beatservice extends as far back as 1995, when — following a few compilation entries — he first signed for the imprint. Helge has released scores of highly regarded and stylistically uncompromising sounds over the years, appearing on labels including Silent Seasons, Diametric, Hibernate, Whitelabrecs, ROHS! Lontano Series and via his own Berserk Fabrik. After releasing five albums on Beatservice, he took an extended hiatus from the label back in 2005, but happily returned to the fold in 2020 with the acclaimed Gimsøy, Lofoten EP1 and EP2.
Control sees Mind Over MIDI back in long-playing action, with his sixth album for Beatservice proving every bit as mesmerizing as those which preceded it. Arriving like a crisp Arctic sunrise, the collection begins with the icy swells of "Fragile", with dramatic pads stealthily morphing over stripped machine drums and sub-rooted bass to provide the most tantalizing of openers.
"Denial" marks an incremental increase in energy levels, with captivating synth textures gorgeously blended over gently rolling rhythms and growling bass to form a powerfully cinematic soundscape. Stein Bjercke provides his distinctive vocal gravity on the track "Control", the music brooding with ominous intensity as wintry waves crash against frosty moonlit shores.
The evocative tones continue into "Regret", where intricate synth threads are precisely woven across a bed of broken drums as phasing pads arrive like a shimmering mist to envelop the delicate tapestry. Next, we effortlessly glide into the dreamlike textures and sparkling rhythms of "Absence", with its opiate harmonics and slowly evolving melodies gracefully emerging through the brisk northern haze.
Stein Bjercke once again enters the stage on the captivating swirls of "Disappear", his timeless vocal echoing into the infinite oneness as metallic drones hover over sparse drums for a profoundly atmospheric inward journey. Evoking a striking sense of mystery, the haunting synth melodies of "Forgotten" bewitch as they sail over gyrating drums for a faintly jarring moment of unflinching reflection.
Augmenting the introspection, the aerial drift of "Surrender" languidly pulses across unfamiliar landscapes, as undulating pads rise over hypnotic drums and low-pitched drones. Submerging still deeper, the dubbed-out topography of "Let It Go" sees Oddman's indelible vocal aching with sincerity as his solemn lyrics permeate the darkened horizon.
The shimmering arpeggios of "Close" steadily morph through breathy harmonics for a soul-soothing interlude, before the closing track "Vanish" caps a beguiling album in suitably esoteric style. Here, fizzing cymbals guide shadowy melodies across a pre-dawn panorama, remaining almost out of sight as secretive synth harmonies whisper into the distance.
This enthralling collection is nothing less than a tour de force from Mind Over MIDI. Ethereal yet powerfully dense, the morphing sonics are equipped with enough force to permeate the sternest of souls as they echo through and beyond the psycho-spiritual abyss.
Charles Leonard Corcho (Selekta Chang) – “Nice and ambient. I like ‘Let It Go’ with the vocal styling of Oddman.”
Eric Shans (3Bridge Records) – “Deep & hypnotic. Nice stuff. Reminiscent of some early 90s ambient which I love.”
Spaceotter (Camp Conception) – “Disappear is really something special. An actual worthy vocal, a rich elder male voice so gorgeously blended into a track. Just breathtaking...I'm smitten.”
Tim Angrave (The Chillout Lounge Mix) – “Difficult to choose a favorite track. A stunning release.”
Simon Kirk (Stag Beetle radio show) – “A deep and richly textured album. I can see some of these being used as openers. Wonderful.”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel) – “More amazing music from Beatservice. Deep in a rainy week here in Sydney and this is a perfect soundscape for that. Will support on upcoming shows here. Always a joy to hear such deep spaced out and emotive sounds.”
Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.