steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Sofus Forsberg

"NO/1" CD

Jenka Music

Genres: electronica, electro-pop, clicks and cuts

Jenka Music
Fælledvej 3
2200 cph n
Denmark

Aug 18 - 24 2003

Electronica is a genre that's tough to do well. To keep electronic music interesting for an entire album requires a lot of talent. Even the best artists, Aphex Twin and Autechre inclusive, have seen times of drollness and boredom. With that said, Sofus Forsberg's NO/1 proves that, at least for this album, he's managed to keep things consistently entertaining.

NO/1 opens with five instrumental tracks that are really pleasant, taking clicks and cuts to a new level of accessibility. Everything is so clean and cutting-edge; the beats slide with a slight level of hidden funk, and the gliding synths and saxophone build atmosphere as well as melody. But even the juicy "Igen...", the beepy "Everything is Good" and the Boards of Canada-esque "Autotune Track" can't prepare you for the latter half of NO/1.

"So Alone" is track number six on the disc, and as soon as Henriette Sennenvaldt's vocals come in, you become instantly aware that you're in for a treat. Her Bjork-esque, breathy voice is stunningly beautiful; it is complexly strewn out over Forsberg's electronic masterwork. Mercilessly, it's cut up and weaved through beats and synths; as the track progresses, her voice becomes more and more manipulated and dissected. "Atlantisk," meanwhile, is an endearing sax and voice duet set over Forsberg's signature beats. It's very classy, like what you may hear at an electronic jazz club from another planet. "Convertible Love," meanwhile, is better than most Bjork tracks, with Forsberg's focus being directed at both melody and impeccable atmosphere; it comes off as more experimental than most of the Icelandic diva's work.

This is one of the better electronic releases of this year. Sofus Forsberg is on the way to becoming a household name. I cannot wait to discover what his next release will sound like.

90%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2003]