Mental Overdrive

Mental Overdrive is Per Martinsen (born 31 July 1966), an electronic music artist from Tromsø, Norway. He is often mentioned as one of the most influential electronic musicians in Norway.^[1] From 1989-1993 he was signed to the famous Belgian record label R&S.^[2]

His influence upon the Nordic music scene has been summarized by one collaborator as follows:

Here was a man who could claim, pokerfaced, to be the Godfather of Norwegian Techno, the Grand Uncle of Twisted Disco, the Second Cousin of Black Metal Darkcore, Sibling of Scandinavian progressive rock ('72-'75), Nephew of Nordic Folk and Husband of Scando Pop. New Wave was his teenage Mistress and Norwegian Cosmic Disco was his illegitimate Son. By means of various acts of wilful dissemination he donated audiosperm to the cloning projects that produced Bjørn Torske, Röyksopp, Lindstrom and Prins Thomas. Diskjokke was the result of a quickie with the maid at the House that he built with his bare hands. Yes. All this he could say if he so desired. And say it with a pokerface that Lady Gaga would find completely inscrutable. And now, as he walks down the Boulevard of Broken Beats he continues to spread his genes: Norsebeat; Snowcore; Drum&Ice; Jambient Prog; Tree-step; Fishco ... all are his Children. ^[3]

In recent times, Martinsen has been side-stepping music in various ways, organizing unexpectedly sonic tours and concerts in the Svalbard, looping through different realities, dining on imaginary veggie burgers, and otherwise rattling around in a virtual cage under various monikers, all the while upsetting the other apes in his chosen zoo. However, the music keeps happening, regardless.

Martinsen is also a member of the duos Illumination with Nicholas Sillitoe and Frost with his own wife Aggie Peterson.

Discography

Mental Overdrive

• Plugged (Love OD Communications, 1995)
• Unplugged (Love OD Communications, 1996)
• Ad Absurdum (Virgin, 1999)
• 083 (Smalltown Supersound, 2004)
• The Phuture That Never Happened (Smalltown Supersound, 2005)
• You Are Being Manipulated (Smalltown Supersound, 2008)

References