- As Varg, Jonas Rönnberg makes music shrouded in dark clouds. Even his straightforward techno has a funereal feel to it, an aesthetic he's explored on murky, experimental releases like Star Alliance and ჟინვალი. Nordic Flora Pt. 1: Heroine is Varg's first 12-inch for Northern Electronics since 2015, delivering no-holds-barred techno without a whiff of ambience or restraint.
Nordic Flora Pt. 1 barrels out of the gate with "I Think I'd Lie For You," a track that mixes Rönnberg's usual ethereality with a down-to-earth throb, similar to the mix of celestial and physical sounds that made classic Sandwell District records so intoxicating. On "Heroine II (Cry For You)" (the tracks are named after lyrics from Drake's "Controlla"), he lets the synth melodies rip and the results are almost cheery. It's one of the most distinctive tracks in Varg's deep catalogue. "I Think I'd Die For You" has a remarkable depth of field that's loaded with percussive details, making its ambient sensibilities feel active rather than passive.
"Heroine I (CK)" is among the most straightforward tracks on Northern Electronics in recent memory: six minutes of pounding kick drums and wiry synth lines that sound like they could electrocute you. Between his scrappy Instagram account and goofy sense of humour, Varg clearly has a lighter side than his music would lead you to believe. But on Nordic Flora Pt. 1: Heroine, he delivers exactly the sort of dark and stormy techno we've come to appreciate him for.
TracklistA1 I Think I'd Lie For You
A2 Heroine I (CK)
B1 I Think I'd Die For You
B2 Heroine II (Cry For You)