N∆EON TE∆RDROPS is a new artist alias from Norwegian techno and electronica veteran Per Martinsen, mostly known under his guise MENTAL OVERDRIVE.
Stepping out of his familiar instrumental electronic productions and into vocal-based songwriting, N∆EON TE∆RDROPS explore influences of the synthpop and darkwave of his formative years, while aiming to put these influences into a more contemporary context.
The music of N∆EON TE∆RDROPS was born out of his writing project PYRAMIDS ON THE MOON – a fictional autobiography in three parts where he explores three alternative timelines of his own life, and where each of his three imagined personalities create music under different artist aliases.
N∆EON TE∆RDROPS released the single AMNESIACS in 2021, reaching no 8 in the Deutsche Alternative Charts, followed by SHADOWSISTER in 2022, which reached no 12 in the same chart.
The new single WATERS RISING will be out on March 17th 2023, and takes us on a deep and melancholy melodic ride atop a slow beat suitable for the more soulful and mellow dancefloors.
Pre-save here:
A 50-year old electrician has a midlife crisis and starts making ambient music. A group of people in Berlin uses sound to induce the release of DMT in the brain in order to travel between dimensions, and a character named ∆EON walks the streets of London while rebelling against the digitally connected society they live in, as part of the “DisCon” activist movement.
“Pyramids On The Moon – a multi-dimensional autobiography” is a work in progress, where the main body of work is a story about life and music in three parts, each describing an alternative timeline to the author’s own, where the three main “characters” create and release their music under the artist names WAVE∞FORM, MENTAL OVERDRIVE and N∆EON TE∆RDROPS respectively.
Although the three different versions of the author’s personalities exist in parallel universes, they are still somehow connected, and each one encounter different “portals” through which they become aware of the others, without necessarily understanding that these are other versions of themselves.
Through the process of storytelling, “Pyramids On The Moon” allows for exploring questions around identity and authenticity, both on a personal and professional level, and by shifting through the different modes of character the author can use the freedom of not having to be “oneself” to open up for new forms of musical expression.
The text has so far been posted chapter by chapter on the project website, www.pyramidsonthemoon.com, and the musical output of the three artist can be found at the project’s own page on bandcamp.com.
Some of the music has also been made available as official releases through the label Love OD Communications, and a series of NFT’s connected to the project has been dropped at objkt.com.
You can now support the further development of the story and its connected music by becoming a patron at patreon.com.
WAVE∞FORM’s debut album “Waveform01” was released through LOVE OD COMMUNICATIONS in 2020, and the follow-up album UPON THESE WAVES I SLEEP is now ready for release.
The tracks on this new album, like most of the material emerging from the project PYRAMIDS ON THE MOON, were inspired by the subject matter of Per Martinsen’s artistic research project THE SEARCH FOR RESONANCE – a three year research project at UiT – The Arctic University of Tromsø that culminated in an exhibition in November 2021.
The exhibition contained a series of installation works, including the “wavemassage” room, where members of the public could lie down on a massage bench connected to a powerful transducer, and have their entire body physically shook by parts of the WAVE∞FORM material that is to be found on this new album.
The new material also explores alternative tuning systems and sometimes leans on music theory sourced from an intense research period looking at everything from sound healing to sonic levitation and ideas of sound as the very origin of the physical universe.
UPON THESE WAVES I SLEEP will be released on all digital platforms on April 29th 2022. The album will also be available on cassette and CD-R through the LOVE OD Bandcamp store.
The album will also be previewed in a special concert at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Høvikodden on Sunday April 24th. More info and tickets here: https://www.hok.no/en/events/wave-form
Tracklist:
01: LIFE AFTER DEATH
02: TRAVELS
03: GLACIER
04: UPON THESE WAVES I SLEEP
05: B7
06: WAVEFORM02 – PART 2
07: LIVE BY THE WAVE
08: EXPANSION
09: WAVEFORM02 – PART 1
10: FREEFALL
11: TESSERACT
12: WHILE SHE DREAMS
13: THE PIER
14: HEAVEN SHALL WAIT
15: AEONS
All tracks are written, produced and performed by Per Martinsen.
Catalogue no: LoD2201
N∆EON TE∆RDROPS will release their second single “SHADOWSISTER” on April 8th. The song is a homage to the complimentary self, be it Anima, Animus or any soul-balancing entity, and is paired with a cover of “THE FIGUREHEAD” by THE CURE. Remixes of “SHADOWSISTER” courtesy of MENTAL OVERDRIVE will be released on April 22nd.
The Love OD Bandcamp store has now been updated with our latest vinyl releases plus “Pyramids On The Moon” T-shirts with a brand new design by Lasse Marhaug. Also available are two different designs for N∆EON TE∆RDROPS, and a limited edition 3-part book bundle designed by Lasse with the POTM story so far. Go have a browse for these and back catalogue items still in print.
Mental Overdrive remixes of N∆EON TE∆RDROPS’ darkwave classic “AMNESIACS” will be out next week. You can pre-order the release through our Bandcamp page and get a preview of the main track now.
The brand new video for N∆EON TE∆RDROPS’ “AMNESIACS” is premiering now over at White Light//White Heat, including a very nice review. The clip was shot and directed by Carl Critical, with costume design by Amber Maya.
The single “AMNESIACS”/”BROTHERHOOD” is out now on all streaming platforms, and you can also order the limited 7″ vinyl over at our Bandcamp store.
N∆EON TE∆RDROPS’ debut single «AMNESIACS» b/w «BROTHERHOOD» has up until this point only existed in a timeline parallel to our own. Finally available as a 7inch vinyl release with the original catalogue no DISCON001 in 250 copies, and with nu-italo remixes by MENTAL OVERDRIVE included in the digital release through LOVE OD COMMUNICATIONS, it’s time for this darkwave classic to reach a bigger audience.
The single is out September 8th, with the remixes to follow September 22nd.
Follow the story of N∆EON TE∆RDROPS’ own ∆EON and the other characters in PYRAMIDS ON THE MOON – a multidimensional autobiography at www.pyramidsonthemoon.com and listen to the «sonic novel» series at www.pyramidsonthemoon.bandcamp.com
A message from Per Martinsen/Mental Overdrive: Dear friends and followers. Firstly I would like to apologise for the recent low activity on this page. The reason is that I’ve been busy working on a new project called “Pyramids On The Moon”. The project has been dubbed “a multi-dimensional autobiography”, and consist of stories about my own life as imagined in three alternative timelines. Coincidentally, all these three versions of myself make music, and also quite coincidentally, one of them makes the music of Mental Overdrive. The output of the other two is of a slightly different form and shape, but hopefully you might still find it interesting if you’ve been following my output over the last three decades. If this sounds like it’s worth checking out, you can take a look at the new project’s Bandcamp page. In addition to the music, the story itself will also be posted in episodes of what I’ve called a “sonic novel”. The first episode is already up on the page. There’s more to come, so follow the page if you’d like to get updated. Thanks for your time! (Illustration by Lasse Marhaug)
Love OD Communications 