Oslo-based musician / producer / visual artist Torgny returns with a brooding introspective dark-pop track ‘Grimace In The Dark’ featuring Maria Due, lifted from the forthcoming 4-track EP ‘Together’ out now.
Drawing on a myriad of influences from pop, rock, electronica and indie, ‘Grimace In The Dark’ explores the intricacies of human relationships through downtempo, minimalist production coupled with Maria Due’s husky, emotive vocal delivery.
Torgny explains: “The song addresses the peculiar feeling of being a stranger to yourself in relation to the other. The song asks the question: what is a home? In the lyrics it’s a house boat, and it’s a state of mind, but also a hospital sheet wrapped around a naked body standing in the street.”
No stranger to the scene, Torgny has been creating his own inimitable brand of alternative pop music since his debut release ‘Chameleon Days’ in 2010. The Oslo native returns in 2021 with a complex body of work in the form of his new EP ‘Together’.
About the EP: “‘Together’ is about love, loss and relationships. Every song features the voice of singer and artist Maria Due, a collaborator of mine since the beginning. The focus track ‘Together’ draws a picture of romantic love under pressure and loosely tells the story of a couple disintegrating under pregnancy. ‘Grimace In The Dark’ elaborates further on the strangeness and ambivalence of any passionate romantic entanglement. With crispier-than-crisp percussion and brooding bass we are by the end of the song left with the image of a grimace in the dark. ‘A stranger is here, playing my part’ as the lyrics go. ‘As My Mind Closed, Yours Was Opening’ is a cover song by the obscure band Jesse (1997), a side project of singer/guitarist/songwriter Frankie Stubbs from the legendary UK punk rock band Leatherface. The bittersweet sentiments are channeled through the straight forward voice of Maria, over a swaying Wurlitzer piano. ‘Remember My Name’ starts off in a calm, but nervous tone with distorted synth, fragile violin and flute, before being taken over by a one-take-spoken-word-piece. A stream of vivid imagery and statements ends defiantly: There’s nothing I would’ve changed, there’s not a goddamn thing I would’ve changed.”
After the confrontational and conceptual autobiographical release Bathroom Stall Confessional (2019), Together EP focuses more on melody, heartache and the female voice. Over poignant bass lines and evocative synthesisers, long time collaborator Maria Due covers these tracks with her haunting vocal presence.
Torgny Amdam works across various media and genres and is known for dark electronics, punk rock aggression, vibrant lyricism and stunning music videos. He has a background in hardcore bands, and occasionally does music for theatre and film.
Torgny discography:
Together EP (2021)
Bathroom Stall Confessional (2019)
Cut & Run (2017)
Oil Panic (2013)
Trilogy EP (2012)
Oslo, 31 august EP (2011)
Chameleon Days (2010)
https://www.instagram.com/torgny_