Aiming for Enrike – “Music for Working Out“ [Album Review]

I love being surprised by music. Music that takes me to places I haven’t been before. That’s what I got from Aiming for Enrike’s new album, Music for Working Out. Each new track brought me deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole, enticing me with smooth sounds and hypnotic beats that penetrated into my psyche.

Aiming for Enrike are a duo from Olso, Norway. Guitarist Simon Følstad Nilsen and drummer Tobias Ørnes combine to produce a unique and experimental instrumental experience. They formed in 2012, and have an impressive back catalogue that is worth a listen. They list Burial, Four Tet, Louis Cole, Gary Numan, Talking Heads and DFA1979 amongst their influences, and also draw inspiration from the pop culture zeitgeist – think Stranger Things and Blade Runner.

The duo is not easy to label: they are an exotic mixture of jazz, electronica, funk and pop all combining in a visceral kaleidoscope of sound. Their music is more than simply an aural experience; it engages with multiple senses. The sonics have colour and the melodies have texture. You can see it and you can feel it.

Get lost in the layers of “Hard Dance Braina.”

If I had to pick my favourite tracks, “Don’t Hassle the Hoff” (not just ‘cause I love the name, which I do) and “Infinity Rider” are standouts on an album of standouts.

By now you may have worked out I’m a little bit in love with this album. It’s a big call, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find this is one of my highlights for 2020. The band has also announced an extensive list of tour dates throughout Norway, as well as several gigs around Europe, including the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic. I imagine they would be a very interesting act to catch live, so get out there if you have the chance.

Music for Working Out Track Listing:

01. Christmas Eve
02. Don’t Hassle the Hoff
03. Infinity Rider
04. Hard Dance Brainia
05. Diving Within
06. Flat Beats
07. Undead Horse of Thunder and Metal
08. Ponzu Saiko
09. Spice Girls

Run Time: 39:15
Release Date: January 10, 2020
Record Label: Pekula Records

C’mon man, “Don’t Hassle the Hoff.” You know better than that.