New album from Mental Overdrive
Per Martinsen, aka Mental Overdrive is something like the grand old man of Norwegian electronica. Almost twenty years after he first started releasing secretive vinyl singles he is now out with a new album. “You are being manipulated” will be released in the UK, Europe and in Japan on May 26th. The US release is set for October 13th.
Per Martinsen is a musician and producer who likes to keep in the shadows. He is definitely one of the most influential people of Norwegian electronica, and has well known name in international circles, yet he has always kept to a low key appearance. His different projects and releases are not broadcasted events, but instead have a tendency to come as unexpected, pleasant surprises -to his fans and lovers of electronic music.
“You are being manipulated” is his fifth full-length album under the Mental Overdrive insignia. The first was 1995’s “Plugged.” Then followed ”Ad Absurdum” in 1999 and the “electronic roots” album 083 ( a homage 1983, to that seminal year for electronic music) in 2004. The most recent was the album entitled “The Phuture that never happened,” which is a compilation of those early vinyl singles. It came out in 2005.
Already out in Norway -on Smalltown Supersound- “You are being manipulated” has received some excellent reviews.
It is a darker album than the previous one, and colder, reminiscent of cold-war Kraftwerk and chilly Detroit techno. A cover version of Iron maiden’s “Run to the hills” makes the old hit a new dance-inducer. And this is mental Overdrive’s “manipulative” strength say the critics; to force you to dance. Despite the chill and gloom you want to move.
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