For twenty years Espen Reinertsen has been a constant presence on the brilliant Scandinavian scene, capable of mixing the languages of different jazz, electronic and even pop tribes. For his new album, “Venus Er I Håret”, published like the previous one on Susanna Wallumrød's label, he gets help only from the trusty Erik Nylander (drums) and the usual Eivind Lønning (trumpet).
The sound of the album is minimal and at the same time transversal: Espen sings with a faint voice consumed by who knows what icy fjord and the effect at times resembles the one that the immortal Wyatt found in the company of the Ultramarine goblins at the beginning of the 90s. The electronics manipulated by Reinertsen often uses monophonic sounds, evoking the soundtracks of the legendary Arcade video games. Simple sounds that serve to build nocturnal and enveloping atmospheres, underlined by the drums at times barely touched with the brushes. Even the trumpet limits itself to playing the themes and little more, never covering the story of the voice.
The album opens with the plus movement uptempo of the collection, “Derfor Tok Det Aldri Slutt”, the skeleton of Portishead's trip-hop illuminated by the cold arctic moon. The piece moves slowly throughout its almost seven-minute duration, leaving time and space for the trumpet to launch into a short but effective solo. “Til Noens Dype Muskelvev” continues along the lines of the previous one: a synthetic bass leads the slow groove towards a dark and at the same time heartening path, where melancholy never borders on despair.
Espen moves in balance between experimentation and pop: “Skal Jeg Iølge Deg Til Havet” and “Muskelminner Fra Arkanoidepoken” are born around melodic hooks that slowly slide onto decidedly more liquid and experimental passages. The homonymous “Venus Er I Håret” closes the album with its abundant ten minutes of duration: a sort of solemn fanfare played with irony and detachment.
“Venus Er I Håret” was recorded and mixed by Espen Reinertsen himself. The master was edited by Helge Sten, alias the legendary Deathprod.
06/29/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
