Boy Omega

Boy Omega’s unique brand of pop is at once fragile, vibrant and wholehearted, and has drawn comparison to the likes of Elliott Smith, Sparklehorse, The Cure, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine and Bright Eyes.

Since he began writing songs under the Boy Omega moniker in 2003, Martin Henrik Hasselgren has put out an impressive, rich body of work, including five full-length albums, two compilations, four eps, and numerous singles.

‚Night Vision‘ is Boy Omega’s sixth album. It’s the first time in his career that he’s recorded in a professional recording studio. The album was recorded and mixed by wunderkind Olis Eriksson at Studio Kepner Treg in Göteborg. It was mastered by Carl Saff (Unsane, Julian Lynch, Guided By Voices) in Chicago, IL.

‚Night Vision‘ shows a somewhat heavier side of Boy Omega’s sound, apparent in tracks like ‚Trigger‘, ‚Halos‘ and ‚New Year’s‘. There’s a softer side to the album as well, but this time around the acoustic guitars were replaced by big, effect-laden electric guitars. The strings and horns had to stand back for an array of synthesizers, mellotrons and string machines. The electronic beats are now real live drums, played by drummer extraordinaire Andreas Lassus. The vocals sound more mature and powerful, as if Martin has now truly found his own voice. It’s an ambitious and well-crafted album. At times it sounds almost like The Flaming Lips having a late night party with Radiohead and The Cocteau Twins. It’s an album that deserves to be heard and reheard over and over again to grasp all of the music’s true colors.

Here’s what Martin himself has to say about the album:
‚The songs are about the frailty of life and the strength of love, dark memories and companions, displacement, getting lost and trying to get back to where and who you want to be, quit taking those pills, getting married, becoming a father and finding a reason to live.‘