E-Man

Anna Logue, Discogs: "E-MAN was the first project of Norwegian musician Geir Jenssen (electronics, well-known from being in Bel Canto and especially Biosphere) with guest vocalists Ragnar "Spiss" Larsen and Frank Jensen, and Per Martinsen on additional electronics. They only released one cassette on Likvider in 1984 (LIKV 4025) with tracks recorded in 1983/84. For various reasons one can say that E-MAN was the Norwegian twin-brother of Belgian project Twilight Ritual. First because of the instrumentation: Geir used a Roland TR-808 with sequencers and second, Geir did not restrict himself to (synth)pop structures but added already much soul and atmosphere into the compositions. Already the first track "The Difference" sounds perfectly like the best synthpop moments of Linear Movement. "De Du Da Da Di" has very clear Kraftwerk and Cybotron (Juan Atkins) influences, too. "The Upland" (parts I to IV) or "Hosono" are Twilight Ritual tracks par excellence. Also featured and finally available is the track "Great Nations" which was already well-known in the minimal electronics circles, a masterpiece of simple electropop, and very very similar to Oppenheimer Analysis. And so happy that also now "Jeg Er Moderne" is available on vinyl, one of the best electropop tracks ever ever ever – listen to that sequence and melodies, oh Anna is melting away every time she hears that song. Then equally great and again Linear Movement-like "Nibsy the Newsboy" … Remastered by Geir Jenssen this (re-)release was so over-due! If you like any of the aforementioned bands, then there is no way that you could pass on this. Norway, 12 points from Germany!