You know how it’s common knowledge that when it comes to cooking, starting from scratch is always the way to go if you can? We say the same when it comes to loops, particularly in the arena of live loop driven math rock a la Aiming for Enrike.
Aiming for Enrike, to us, are the Norwegian successors to Battles, and we don’t say that lightly. Battles, much like Don Caballero, underwent significant changes throughout their artistic lifespans, but consistently applied 110% to their craft no matter what styles they explored. Even when we didn’t get it, we were impressed.
Over the years, Aiming for Enrike has had a similar arc, but also carry these larger, cinematic tones that cleave straight through post-rock and land closer to… technical ambienent? Acoustic Jungle? It’s not always easy to pin down. But we do know that Aiming for Enrike started from scratch on this special take of “Billion Year Contract,” performed at Fever, Tokyo one year ago to the day, and it is *chef’s kiss*
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Here is more from the press release as well:
Following the success of their first-ever live record earlier this year, Aiming for Enrike return with Live 23/24 Vol. 2, available 10 October via Jansen Records.
The second instalment in the series dives even deeper into the band’s electrifying stage sound, drawn from performances in Oslo, Tokyo, and Trondheim between 2023–2024. Each recording captures the group’s signature interplay of loop-driven guitar and drums in raw, unfiltered form — mistakes, improvisations, and all.
The rollout began with “Don’t Hassle the Hoff (Live at Parkteatret, Oslo 24.03.23)”, released 22 August. Alongside the audio, the band shared an exclusive live video from their 2024 Tokyo set, giving fans a first glimpse of their trademark chaos and precision captured on film.
Now comes “Billion Year Contract (Live at Fever, Tokyo 2024)”, a standout moment from the same night. It highlights the duo’s ability to stretch riffs into hypnotic repetition before twisting them into unexpected directions. On stage, Simen Følstad Nilsen builds dense, looping guitar lines while Tobias Ørnes Andersen drives the momentum forward with frenetic percussion. The accompanying video showcases the packed Tokyo crowd and the duo’s unmatched live chemistry.
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