You can’t help but want to learn more about a band that bills itself self-deprecatingly as ‘Plastic Noise Rock from Oslo’.
There’s a lot of noise for sure, and yes, it’s rock and it would wake you up. Plastic? Hm. No.
Mokri released their debut album ’TOTAL LOVE’ three years ago and have since spent time building their audience and developing their sound through playing live and acquiring vocalist Christine Marvel Engebretsen as a permanent member. They specialise in instrumental tracks and experimental psychedelic (and sometimes drone-like) soundscapes and that really is what this particular track, the last from an album which drops in November, is all about. Together with the vocal, of course.
And it’s the vocal which first caught my attention because Ms Engebretsen made me think of Alela Diana, who is really an indie-folk artist but who – you may remember – got involved with the Headless Heroes, an eclectic collection of musicians who, about 15 years ago, rewrote and recorded psychy covers of cult classics from the likes of Nick Cave, Jesus and Mary Chain and even Manchester’s own I am Kloot.
A genuine one-off. I think they only recorded the one album but it was a delight from start to finish.
And the best compliment I can pay Mokri is to say that this track could have been on it. Well actually it couldn’t of course because it hadn’t been written but we’ll paper over that crack. It’s all there – twinkling synths, lush guitars, and gentle harmonies morphing into something that will probably blow your socks off played live.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ought to play it to his team to hypnotise them before those other headless ‘heroes’ dare step out on a pitch again.
‘Nuff said.
‘Don’t Wake Me Up’ was released on October 22nd on Sheep Chase Records.
Mokri are Andrea Barsnes Undset (drums, percussion, synth), Niklas Johan Bystrøm Larssen (guitars, synth), Eirik Ørevik Aadland (bass, trumpet, synth, effects) and Christine Marvel Enbegretsen (vocals).
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mokriband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mokri_band/
