tarjei nygård: lost in lindos

Norwegian artist Tarjei Nygård first touched upon the ESP Institute spectrum in 2016 with a limited-edition red flexidisc of 'Bleusa', which accompanied issue 21 of New York City’s acclaimed Love Injection fanzine. Since then, his poetic offerings have been a staple in our arsenal (especially during Summer), for their ability to effectively dictate mood is second to none. Across the four tracks on this debut EP, Tarjei paints quite viscerally using the fundamental tools of melodic and rhythmic hooks, and while that may sound obvious on paper, its this deliberate approach to songwriting that brings his productions to life. 'Bleusa' is literally dripping with fantasy and adventure — island pads, golden bent notes, even a cameo bird-call from the infamous Acid House loon — yet Tarjei exhibits a mature level of restraint, a highly sophisticated sleaze thats recognizable to refined pleasure-seekers. 'Forus Echo' furthers this notion but expands into full-blown rapids of ecstasy, coasting over soft-thumping percussion that mimics the human heart while smothering the listener with concentric waves of synth feedback. On Side B, Tarjei shifts to a strong rhythm dynamic — the demented 'Lost In Lindos' is an aquatic breakbeat thats both deep and buoyant, a malleable tool that works at any BPM — not specifying particular references but skirting the ballpark of early turntablism. 'Øylie' closes the EP with a familiar ESP prescription; we lie on our backs, finger-painting in the opium smoke above, feeling the warm embrace of collective consciousness while telepathically harmonizing plans for our utopian future.