Drivan is a new band project from Norwegian electronica star and graphic designer, Kim Hiorthoy, featuring a line-up of pan-Scandinavian pals: Swedes Lisa Ostberg and Louise Peterhoff and Kristiina Viiala of Finland. The group met while working on a dance piece titled The Potato Country in 2007, and the three girls in the band all come from different corners of the performing arts spectrum, yet everyone involved in Drivan contributed lyrics and melodies for the album, working off the back of Hiorthoy's initial production work. Each track started out as a loop forged from Hiorthoy's signature, folky and rustic electronic sound, and anyone who's been fond of his work previously will be delighted to hear the old magic back in full effect. The vocals and more song-like structures shift the parameters slightly, but Hiorthoy's plaintive, childlike piano riffs and peculiar, ceramic beats remain as rundown and effective as ever. The additional players help bring the project into the domain of pop music, resulting in some wonderful moments like the ghostly boom-bap of 'Inget Mer Sen' and the melancholy Euro-beat of 'Kämpa'. The production style is lo-fi, but perhaps not in the way we've become accustomed to of late; Disko is homely and personable without ever sounding poorly recorded, and the hangdog, overcast feel of it all matches the tone of songwriting perfectly. Recommended. (Boomkat)