Frozen Pizza. Happy Metal. I’m Out Of Alcohol, You’re Out Of Your Mind. Get Away from Me with Your Filthy Covid.
Sounds like a standard Saturday night in your typical student accommodation.
But no, these are the song titles from the debut self-produced EP by Denmark artist LINN. Except the last one on the tracklist. I made that up.
Copenhagen-based Linn Holm showcases a collection of idiosyncratic songs that are unerringly minimalist, insanely repetitive, and, therefore, utterly mesmeric.
these songs represent just me and what is inside my little weird head
LINN
The new single ‘Happy Metal’ bounces along with motorik percsussion, underpinned by guitar slashes that Keith Levene would cherish. Halfway through the song, LINN suggests “It’s so very complicated”, which is the exact opposite, seemingly, of her way of working.
To prove this point, the lo-fi rhythm section was recorded on an iPhone, with added samples of her daughter’s hedgehog accordion toy.
LINN said: [‘Happy Metal’ is] a song about trying not to take things too seriously and being a little less pretentious.” She continued, “in Danish we have a saying that goes something like “it’s not a matter of what happens to you, but how you cope with it”. I wrote a verse and it seemed a little dark and depressing, so I wanted to twist it with a bit of humor. That’s also why the song and EP are called ‘Happy Metal’, I like to play around with genres, contrasts and moods.”
LINN’s previous (debut single) ‘Frozen Pizza’ is even more stark. A simple, incessant guitar riff runs through the track. Drum machine and vocoder vocals create a future RnB vibe. At the end, LINN states: “To be free”. Which is all we ever want, right?
Formerly a member of alternative rock duo The Bowdashes, LINN, about her new solo material, said: “I have played in bands and made collaborations before, but these songs represent just me and what is inside my little weird head. I have been working on the songs for a few years now, recording and producing it at home, so it is both terrifying, but also a huge relief to finally unleash the music and share it with other people.”
Happy Metal is out 20 November 2020. Pre-order HERE.
Main photo credit: Fryd Frydendahl.