Leoparden

Norwegian music has long tended towards the eccentric, though we can't think of many quirkier releases than Leoparden's recent album 'Stilen Er Stimmvel' - a decidedly off-kilter set that mixes lo-fi synth-boogie, reggae, African rhythms, P-funk, blue-eyed soul and lashings of Scandolearic vibes. This tidy 7" single offers up a taster of that set in the shape of album highlight 'Hagefest', a decidedly spaced-out afro-reggae affair rich in reverb laden vocals, clipped guitars and off-kilter drums. Leoparden brilliantly strips things back on the flipside 'Version', which layers dubbed-out snippets of vocal, guitar and synth over a beefed up version of the eccentric rhythm track.