Morton Richter’s new solo project, Metaspion is a combination of the Greek word meta, meaning “about itself” and the Norwegian word spion, meaning “spy.” In a nutshell, Metapion is a spin on the phrase “to spy on oneself.”
The concept behind Metaspion manifested itself after Richter began to need redirection with his musical career. After investing a half dozen years into music, he began to lose his passion.
His passions began to undergo a different course when Richter quit smoking and began to use the money into buying musical instruments. Gradually, Richter’s collection began to grow and the musician began to hone his skills on these newly acquired instruments. He grew apt in these endeavors and eventually a new solo folktronica project would evolve from it.
Folktronika Schmolkfonika is Richter’s debut album, going on to enlist traditional Scandinavian songs and mixing in folk rock with electronic elements. The result is a healthy smattering of modern EDM compositions melded in with traditional Norwegian folk songs.
The album opens up with “Heist,” as the wild music and energetic tunes create an amped and charged atmosphere. The song highlights folk music enlightened with electronica elements. The track is interwoven with some ethereal vocals with a haunting vibe. Glitchy beats and warbling technological fare makes this distinctive music with a startling and soaring electronic backbeat.
“Not Everything Is Terrible” has an ethereal sound that encompasses a haunting and dreamy feel. The soaring sounds altogether dip into a kind of dreamy other-worldly experience in this trance-like, EDM song. The atmospheric cadence has many a poignant drop and is filled with some buoyant beats and a great ambient sound as layers of vocal harmonies oscillate in and out of this track.
“Old Rules Don’t Apply” is filled with the blips and bleeps of electronic music permeated with a folk feel and instrumentation. The catchy and upbeat vibe contains an infectious tune and contagious and bright, sunny sound that is uplifting.
“Render Me Happy” contains the euphoric cadences of strings that overall creates an uplifting, buoyant, and soaring sound. The track is packed with energized keys, fast speedy electronic beats, blazing beats, and sizzling synths.
The following song, “Worry,” elicits a darker tone with industrial-like beats. The track also carries with fast synths and grinding beats with traces of folk imbued in the song. The rocking cadence is filled with metal elements altogether coalescing into an electric vibe paved with a raw sound.
“Indianger” starts off with the cadences of lush strings weaving in and out of the track. Soaring synths go on to rock out the dreamy sound, altogether going onto creating a haunting and ethereal soundscape. The intricate cadence is paved by layers of electronic beats and rocking synths. The sounds of the strings and electronic beats ties in really well together. This song is a distinctive welding of electro beats and folk.
“Zinklars Vise” starts off with the beatific strings with electronic beats underlining the track and accompanied with some elegant vocals. The haunting song will really draw you in and listeners will find this ethereal song to be soothing. Filled with airy and soaring sounds, the track contains some dramatic strings that contain a slightly operatic feel.
“Psycho Dope” is interspersed with the vocals alternating in and out of the track. The song is filled with carnival-like electronic beats, packed with a festive vibe and winding joyous folk feel.
On “Wasp,” as an ode to the title, starts off with the ingratiating buzzing of insects. The technological nodes sound busy with metal-like notes. The warped electronic beats oscillate in and out of the track with traces of the violin and dramatic cadences of the drums sounding off on this song.
On the closer, “Testamente,” the vocals sound somber with melancholic riffs. The song is filled with fast electronic beats and a whirling cadence, cascading with electric washes of EDM, trance, and folk music.
With his solo project, Metaspion, Richter makes traditional Scandinavian songs relevant again, mixing in EDM and trance into the folk-rock music.
Richter does more than syncs classical songs with electronic beats, he also celebrates the old and the new with his sound. Richter’s album is also filled with treasures. On the last track, “Testamente,” Richter’s late grandfather’s singing is incorporated into the mix. “He always started to sing when he had a beer, and I found an old recording I did in my living room when he paid a visit in 1996, that I edited,” says Richter.
Filled with modern orchestrations of classical Norwegian folk music, Richter’s carefully crafted sound brings traditional Scandinavian songs and makes them accessible to a younger crowd.
Powerful and unique, Metaspion has created a listening experience that you will religiously come back to.