Premiere: Snasen - Tilløp til dramatikk

Snasen is the name adopted by Robin Snasen Rengård, an Oslo-based musician who, after starting out in the worlds of noise and punk, has more recently shifted his attentions towards an electronic palette. The ‘Snasen’ EP from 2011, which you can still name your price for on Bandcamp, introduced a gristly hip hop sound, but entered its beat-led terrain while keeping much of the sweat and vigor from earlier punk persuasions intact.

As first indicated by the solemn title track, the ‘Failing Upwards’ EP suggests an artist becoming fully attuned with his new sound, a fact that becomes pretty emphatic on the characterful Tilløp til dramatikk. Over clomping, glassy beatwork, a female voice introduces a swirling refrain – seeming to morph more into a world-wearied folk chant as it is repeated. The Norwegian title translates as a “hint of drama”, and it’s an apt pick: capturing all its smoky mystery, which sucks in the energy to stop it from ever falling into full-blown theatrics. Stream it below.