ESPEN REINERTSEN - Venus Er I Håret

For twenty years now, Espen Reinertsen has been a steady presence on the brilliant Scandinavian scene, adept at blending the languages of different jazz, electronic and even pop tribes. For his new album, "Venus Er I Håret", released like its predecessor on Susanna Wallumrød's label, he enlists the help of just the trusty Erik Nylander (drums) and the usual Eivind Lønning (trumpet).

The album's sound is minimal and, at the same time, wide-ranging: Espen sings with a thin, worn voice as if hailing from some icy fjord, and the effect at times recalls what the immortal Wyatt found in the company of the Ultramarine sprites in the early '90s. Reinertsen's manipulated electronics often rely on monophonic sounds, evoking the soundtracks of legendary Arcade video games. Simple sonorities that build enveloping nocturnal atmospheres, underscored by drums at times barely brushed with the brushes. The trumpet, too, limits itself to stating the themes and little more, never overshadowing the voice's narrative.
The record opens with the collection's most uptempo movement, "Derfor Tok Det Aldri Slutt", the skeleton of Portishead's trip-hop lit up by the cold Arctic moon. The track moves slowly across its nearly seven minutes, leaving time and space for the trumpet to launch into a brief but effective solo. "Til Noens Dype Muskelvev" follows in the same vein: a synthetic bass guides the slow groove down a path that is both dark and, at the same time, reassuring, where melancholy never tips over into despair.

Espen moves in balance between experimentation and pop: "Skal Jeg Følge Deg Til Havet" and "Muskelminner Fra Arkanoidepoken" are built around melodic hooks that gradually slide into far more liquid, experimental passages. The title track, "Venus Er I Håret", closes the album with a generous ten minutes: a kind of solemn fanfare played with irony and detachment.
"Venus Er I Håret" was recorded and mixed by Espen Reinertsen himself. The mastering was handled by Helge Sten, aka the legendary Deathprod.

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29/06/2026