“Soft as Snow”—we can’t quite reconcile the name and the sound of this duo, who are Berlin-based but originally from Norway. But naturally both we and you know very well that the name can only possibly refer to the title of a 1988-released song by the ever-worshipped group My Bloody Valentine. This track includes the addendum “But Warm Inside” in brackets, and that, dear readers, brings us slightly closer to understanding. Soft as Snow’s debut album Deep Wave was released on the London label Houndstooth, an offshoot of Fabric Records known for discoveries like 18+, Aisha Devi, or Call Super, and Oda Egjar Starheim and Øystein Monsen effortlessly keep up with the label’s standard of freshness, nowness, and coolness. Under Oda’s haunting voice, Øystein delivers just-as-haunting electronic drum sequences embedded in warped, labyrinthine soundscapes and melodies from the digital synthesizer. While it inspires flashbacks of historic pop innovators like Cabaret Voltaire or Throbbing Gristle, it also displays a certain tonal proximity to fellow Scandinavians The Knife and Fever Ray. The result is a sound that’s cool through and through but doesn’t skimp on moments of warmth and comfort. And there we have it—Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside).

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