MAXI SINGLE ANGEL PRODUCTIONS RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2000 REVIEW: OCTOBER 13, 2000

Norway is quite the electro nest nowadays. One synth related artist after another pops up to provide healthy stirring in a genre mostly associated with Germany and Sweden.
X:Machine is the first band released through new label Angel Productions and it's a nice start. "Skylines" is music in the vein of Syntec, later Apoptygma Berzerk and such, with focus on upbeat tempo and catchy choruses. Synthpop, but with rougher edges and a very dance friendly sound. The single also contains an equally good extra track, called "Visions of Love", an additional version of "Skyline" and the closing instrumental "Cyanid". The downside reveals, once again, quite unskilled vocals, partly covered by effects. There are worse ones out there, but there are also much better.
Maybe every country has a set of electronic music roots. If so, Norway has put great efforts into the watering of those, because they are growing rapidly.

NIKLAS FORSBERG