Anything the Danish label Escho Records is putting out at the moment is an instant listen and an instant love for me. They simply can’t miss. Fully carrying the avant garde in Denmark, Norway, and beyond, the sound of their artists is unique, enterprising, and contains an intangible DIY energy.
This time Elias Rønnenfelt (Iceage), Jonatan (Yung Lean, Jonantan Leandoer 96), and Fousheé collaborate for a pair of singles — an original “Little Gods” and a cover of the Belgian art pop band Bernthøler’s “My Savior.”
Recorded in a bedroom studio, what’s so exciting about this new energy coming out of the Nordic countries is that everyone seems like friends, everyone seems to genuinely collaborate and genuinely support each other.
On “Little Gods,” the group takes a lyrically personal approach alongside bright electric guitars driven by a floating folky riff. Jonatan’s signature off-kilter delivery combines with Elias Rønnenfelt’s emotionally charged vocals and Fousheé’s softly sweet climbing voice. The track layers the three singers and sometimes feels like an overlapped cannon of choir-like proportions. It’s a spontaneous, relatively light sound to accompany the heavy lyrics of Jonatan’s refrain, “I used to dope myself to sleep.”
Their cover of “My Suitor” strips down the original soaring Bernthøler composition into something scratchier and specific to the group. It’s definitely an obscure track to cover, but the trio makes it their own by adding reverb and layers, again combining three voices into one instrument. This time Rønnenfelt takes the lead, his raw crooning being the perfect catalyst to the track.
Listen to the singles below.
Keep up with Elias Rønnenfelt: Spotify // Instagram
Keep up with Fousheé: Spotify // Instagram
Keep up with Jonatan: Spotify
