When thinking of genre bending music, one may think of a pop song featuring a guest verse from a hip hop artist or a rapper including a band in their live performance adding a spice of rock and roll to their original tracks. However, on two totally different ends of the spectrum, folk and electronic music might be the last genres one could ever imagine fusing into one.
Folk music originates from the genre of world music which can be considered more traditional or cultural music. While on the other side of the coin, electronic music tends to be generated digitally layered with synthesizers and drum machines. Fusing these two completely polarizing genres might be a bit unorthodox, to say the least. With Morten Richter’s unique folktronica music reinvention, Metaspion, he makes the unimaginable combination a reality on his new album, Cryptomeduza.
Listen To Cryptomeduza On Soundcloud
Cryptomeduza is the latest release from the Norwegain musical artist Metaspion from Push Records. A majority of the production on the album is by Richter with some help from guests such as Elfi Sverdrup, Line Kaupang, Joshua Rothgeir Rood, and Sylvia Lônner.
Attempting to pin down the overall sound of this album would almost be a disservice to the project, considering its chaotic and out of the ordinary impression. Cryptomeduza is quite an experience and guaranteed to be something you have never heard before.
The album’s intro of “Kundalini” begins with these heavy dubstep synth hits, pairing with a flute melody reminiscent of a traditional hoedown but with a bit more umph. The title track of the album, “Cryptomeduza,” lets loose with an electric guitar paired with a vocal melody that sounds like it could have been sampled from a pow-wow.
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Simply from listening to the first two tracks alone, it is almost impossible to predict what other mashups and odd pairings Metaspion may have for the rest of Cryptomeduza. Another track, “Desire,” sounds as if a congregation of artificial intelligent gypsies were dancing around a mystic bonfire in the middle of the dewy woods. The vocals sound like a chant with the driving electronic drums carrying throughout the track.
“Push” is an infectiously groovy electronic club banger with a funky bassline. If a snake charmer was guest DJing at your local 18+ club, this song would definitely make it onto the playlist.
Another noteworthy track on the album is “Rotnheims-Knut” featuring Line Kaupang. The track begins like a typical dubstep song with a pounding kick drum leading up to an epic drop. There is a drop but not one a listener would be expecting. Kaupang’s vocals pop into the track after the drop, singing a very traditional sounding Norwegian tune over blaring synths and a fatty bass. It is a pairing that absolutely should not work as well as it does, but there is the saying that opposites attract — this track being a great example.
The album continues with more club bangers, such as “Bom Bom Wake Up” and “Motherfucker,” mixing traditional and contemporary sounds together. While the very last track, “Custom Gustaf,” slows down a bit to bring the album to a dark and somber ending filled with hardcore vocals from Joshua Rothgeir Rood over an instrumental that could have easily been the soundtrack to an outer body experience or The Lord of the Rings.
The aftertaste of Cryptomeduza is definitely an experimental ride full of enjoyable moments. Metaspion is truly doing something in music that no other artist dares to do, and that is to fuse two completely opposite genres of music forcing them to mate, birthing some of the most bizarre yet astonishing music one may ever hear.
Metaspoin’s album Cryptomeduza is available now to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp.
