Norwegian instrumental rock trio Orions Belte‘s EP 600m Per Minute arrives 15 May via Jansen Records. With production work from Matias Tellez (Sondre Lerche), the EP follows the trio’s 2018 LP Mint and the 2019 EP Slim.
Guitarist Øyvind Blomstrøm explains the group‘s sonic evolution, saying, “Sometimes songs tend to match up with each other for whatever reason. These new songs have a certain vibe to them that we really liked when they were put together. Almost like a journey through different places. You pick up inspirations from words you read, cities you go to, a painting hanging in a corner at an exhibition.”
He adds, “The title, 600m per Minute, comes from the fastest large capacity elevator in Tokyo, which can take up to 40 people at a maximum speed of 600 meters per minute. We thought it be a fitting title for the first song which has a really hectic beat and a repetitive riff.”
The opening, titular travels between sunny, retro pop, and something darker but no less infectious providing listeners with a stunning introduction to this brief but impactful collection. “Orbit” might as well be the anthem for the Nigerian space program. The funky, African-influenced guitar lines and far-out production take listeners somewhere truly otherworldly. Meanwhile, the closing “Acere” envisions the arrival of post-rock elevator music, a wonderfully meditative and (perhaps) humorous slice of music. Few bands go the musical distance Orions Belte does in 10 minutes, but that’s not the most impressive thing here. What is? How engaging the compositions are and, despite the ability to summon musical memories from the cobweb corners of the mind, how fresh it all sounds.