pechenga - Helt Borte
Originally issued in Norway in 2007 when it sold 57 copies, 'Helt Borte' is the icy-cool debut album from Rune Lindbaek and Cato Farstad. Billed as an ambient record, I can definitely see where they get the term from, but this is far from the floaty Eno-esque soundscapes you might expect. In fact the most appropriate comparison I can bring to mind is Jean Michelle Jarre, and this duo have a similar grasp of jubilant melody and similar passion for late 70s/early 80s synthesizer sounds that manages to make up the beating heart of their music. The pre-occupation right now with woozy 16-bit synthesizer melodies (as explored on the ever-reliable Gift Tapes label) was kind of pre-empted here. At times I feel like I could be playing an import-only Super Nintendo RPG (albeit with slightly higher res sound), and the deft transcendent atmospheres don't take long to drag you into their soft-focus parallax realms. Recommended.












































3CD // £13.99
MP3 Download // £3.50
FLAC Download // £4.50
12" // £8.99
12" // £6.49
























