Mental Overdrive
Encyclopedia
Mental Overdrive is Per Martinsen
(born on 31 July 1966), an electronic music
artist from Tromsø
, Norway
. He is often mentioned as one of the most influential electronic musicians in Norway. From 1989-1993 he was signed to the famous Belgian record label
R&S.
His influence upon the Nordic music scene has been summarized by one collaborator as follows:
Here was a man who could claim, pokerfaced, to be the Godfather of Norwegian
Techno
, the Grand Uncle of Twisted Disco
, the Second Cousin of Black Metal
Darkcore
, Sibling of Scandinavian
Progressive Rock
('72-'75), Nephew of Nordic
Folk
and Husband of Scando Pop
. New Wave
was his teenage Mistress and Norwegian Cosmic Disco
was his illegitimate Son. By means of various acts of wilful dissemination he donated audiosperm to the cloning
projects that produced Bjørn Torske
, Röyksopp
, Lindstrom
and Prins Thomas
. Diskjokke was the result of a quickie with the maid at the House
that he built with his bare hands. Yes. All this he could say if he so desired. And say it with a pokerface that Lady Gaga
would find completely inscrutable. And now, as he walks down the Boulevard of Broken Beats
he continues to spread his genes: Norsebeat; Snowcore; Drum&Ice; Jambient Prog; Tree-step; Fishco ... all are his Children.
Martinsen is also a member of the duos Illumination with Nicholas Sillitoe and Frost
with his own girlfriend Aggie Peterson.
Per Martinsen
Per Martinsen is an artist and electronic musician born in Tromsø, Northern Norway.His works include a vast number of recordings released under his solo moniker Mental Overdrive,...
(born on 31 July 1966), an electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist from Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He is often mentioned as one of the most influential electronic musicians in Norway. From 1989-1993 he was signed to the famous Belgian record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
R&S.
His influence upon the Nordic music scene has been summarized by one collaborator as follows:
Here was a man who could claim, pokerfaced, to be the Godfather of Norwegian
Music of Norway
Music based on traditional Norwegian form usually includes minor or modal scales , making a sober and haunting sound. Pure major key dance music forms also exist. Prior to the 18th century, there is scant written record of what kind of music was played in Norway, but there is a large aural tradition...
Techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
, the Grand Uncle of Twisted Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, the Second Cousin of Black Metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
Darkcore
Darkcore
Darkcore is a subgenre of jungle that became popular in the United Kingdom hardcore rave scene in late 1992. It is recognized as being one of the direct precursors of the genre now known as drum and bass...
, Sibling of Scandinavian
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
Progressive Rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
('72-'75), Nephew of Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
Folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and Husband of Scando Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
was his teenage Mistress and Norwegian Cosmic Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
was his illegitimate Son. By means of various acts of wilful dissemination he donated audiosperm to the cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
projects that produced Bjørn Torske
Bjørn Torske
Bjørn Torske is a house music producer. Born in 1971 in Tromsø, Norway, Torske became involved with producing music and local radio before moving to Bergen, Norway. He has collaborated on many occasions with Röyksopp.-Disco Members:...
, Röyksopp
Röyksopp
Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland....
, Lindstrom
Hans-Peter Lindstrøm
Hans-Peter Lindstrøm is a Norwegian producer who works under the name Lindstrøm. He often collaborates with fellow producer Prins Thomas . Lindstrøm won a Spellemannsprisen in 2008 for Where You Go I Go Too...
and Prins Thomas
Prins Thomas
Thomas Moen Hermansen, recording under the name Prins Thomas, is a Norwegian record producer, best known for his collaboration with Hans-Peter Lindstrøm as Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas. Their music has been described as "space disco", and influences include krautrock, psychedelia and prog...
. Diskjokke was the result of a quickie with the maid at the House
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
that he built with his bare hands. Yes. All this he could say if he so desired. And say it with a pokerface that Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
would find completely inscrutable. And now, as he walks down the Boulevard of Broken Beats
Broken beat
Broken beat is an electronic music genre that can be characterized by syncopated rhythm typically in 4/4 meter, with staggered or punctuated snare beats and/or hand claps....
he continues to spread his genes: Norsebeat; Snowcore; Drum&Ice; Jambient Prog; Tree-step; Fishco ... all are his Children.
Martinsen is also a member of the duos Illumination with Nicholas Sillitoe and Frost
Frost (Norwegian band)
Frost is a Norwegian electronic duo consisting of Aggie Peterson and Per Martinsen. The group formed in 1997 in Tromsø, Norway with original line-up composed of Aggie Peterson and DJ Rune Lindbæk. They released their debut album "Bedsit Theories" in 1998....
with his own girlfriend Aggie Peterson.
Mental Overdrive
- Plugged (Love OD Communications, 1995)
- Unplugged (Love OD Communications, 1996)
- Ad Absurdum (Virgin, 1999)
- 083 (Smalltown SupersoundSmalltown SupersoundSmalltown Supersound is an independent record label based in Oslo, Norway, and dedicated to new forms of jazz, rock and electronic music.Their catalog features albums by Annie, Jaga Jazzist, 120 Days, Mental Overdrive, Bjørn Torske, Mats Gustafsson and Sonic Youth, amongst others.In 2004, the...
, 2004) - The Phuture That Never Happened (Smalltown SupersoundSmalltown SupersoundSmalltown Supersound is an independent record label based in Oslo, Norway, and dedicated to new forms of jazz, rock and electronic music.Their catalog features albums by Annie, Jaga Jazzist, 120 Days, Mental Overdrive, Bjørn Torske, Mats Gustafsson and Sonic Youth, amongst others.In 2004, the...
, 2005) - You Are Being Manipulated (Smalltown SupersoundSmalltown SupersoundSmalltown Supersound is an independent record label based in Oslo, Norway, and dedicated to new forms of jazz, rock and electronic music.Their catalog features albums by Annie, Jaga Jazzist, 120 Days, Mental Overdrive, Bjørn Torske, Mats Gustafsson and Sonic Youth, amongst others.In 2004, the...
, 2008)