Nórdika – Hipnotik (Album – ScentAir Records)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: This is album number eight for the Mexican solo-project driven by Alejandro Marin. “Hipnotik” was released by the end of 2021 and is ‘about the journey that emotional and sexual involvement generates, from its beginning, duration, until its inevitable end.’ The album features fifteen songs.
Content: This new work moves on there where the previous album (cf. “Morfina”) stopped. The sound is into Electro-Pop with a strong melancholic taste on top. But you’ll also find harder parts featuring EBM elements and other songs with a darker edge. I also noticed an instrumental song. The songs have been sung in English and Spanish. Two tracks feature guest vocals. Henrik Iversen (NamNamBulu) sings one song and Helena Wigeborn (Train To Spain) sings another.
+ + + : Nórdika has improved most aspects of the global production. Quite progressively this band is reaching a higher level; well-crafted songs with a noticeable melancholic mood, but also a more professional mix and sound production. I also like the album’s diversity, but especially the harder and darker “Morpheus” is a cool song. The instrumental “Hipnotik Part 2” is another song to watch out for. I also recommend “Rain” featuring Helena Wigeborn.
– – – : Nórdika is just missing a true hit to gain a wider recognition.
Conclusion: Nórdika is a band in constant progress, and I get the feeling that after eight albums the best is yet to come!
Best songs: “Morpheus”, “Hipnotik Part 2”, “Dulce Infierno”, “Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark”, “Hipnotik Part 1”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/nordikaoficial
Since you’re here … … we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive. If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
