In true Scandinavian form, the band at times claims to be Swedish and Norwegian. Members hail from both countries, and I can't tell exactly where the band is based now. What I can say is that it makes some of the slinkiest, meanest techno prog around.

Orsak:Oslo In Irons (self-released)

These are long pieces, and I believe that the numbers are Opus notations. So while this is the band's second full album, it has a lot of EPs and other small releases. The album is small in song count; these guys play it long.

Heavy on the rock side, with just enough electronic interference to darken the mood, these kinetic pieces always go from point-to-point, weaving ideas in and out of the everflowing rhythm stream. I hear definite echoes of Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby, but without the hipster vocals. The largely instrumental tracks tell their tales without words. And they sing symphonies.

I love the build and crash, but mostly I like the way so many ideas wander in and out. The insistent rhythms propel everything forward, but the side trips within are just as intriguing. Orsak:Oslo haunts the darkness, rather than the other way around. The joyride is exceptional.

Jon Worley