Smerz, are back with two new songs, which they have shared in the form of a trailer for an as-yet unannounced project known as Believer. The visual takes shape around the songs “The favourite” and “Rap interlude,” a taste of their unnamed forthcoming release, due out soon via XL Recordings.

The Norwegian duo comprised of of Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg, recently returned from Copenhagen, back to Oslo in their native Norway. Now splitting their time between the two cities, the move helped replace Copenhagen’s night crawler spirit that permeates their earlier Eps ‘Okey’ and ‘Have fun’ with something more feral and unhinged. This can be understood easily when you hear “The favourite.” Motzfeldt’s vocals reach an opera singer’s range (a testament to her years of singing in choir when she was younger) while Stoltenberg plays some grand and stately strings on the computer. Smerz’ sound looks into the future through the prism of the past, in a distinctly Norwegian version of retrofuturism.

The trailer for ‘The favourite/rap Interlude’, written, directed and produced by Benjamin Barron with costumes by Bror August, visualizes these nostalgic influences and the result is Smerz’ distinctly modern take on the traditional ideologies that make up Norwegian life. Last month the duo performed at Oslo’s Ultima festival; in late 2019 they scored a performance by Carte Blanche, the Norwegian national company of contemporary dance, as well as performing at Mira festival in collaboration with legendary visual maverick Weirdcore.

Video credits
Director: Benjamin Barron
Costume: Bror August

Starring: Henriette Motzfeldt and Catharina Stoltenberg

Editor: Julius Krebs Damsbo
Costume Assistant: Karine Næss

Thank you: Atle Aas, Bjørn Erik Berdalen, Morgan Clement, Dagslys, Gro Eriksson, Kjell Magne Grave, Grunge Kirke, Kulturrådet, Inge Motzfeldt, Kettil Myrstrand, Annette Slettene, StatensKunstfond, Knut Rune Tveiten, XL Recordings

Lyrics

THE FAVOURITE

I håp
så ble du den
En av få
så meg, å!
I-i-i-i
I håp
ble du den
og så fort det bar
Å ble jeg en annen?
å, med deg!
En evighet
Hvem vet
om du er den
En som får
frem det beste i meg
I-i-i-i
Hvem vet
er du den?
Skal jeg beundre deg?
Kan jeg
bli en annen?
Hvem viser vei?
En evighet

RAP INTERLUDE

And you told me that you loved me that you’d never let me down
And I worried bout you baby but I worry all the time

And I

Cause you told me you would help me about this babe

You used to help me
before

Now I’ve got nowhere to go, mmh

Break it down
I’m working it out
I’m trying babe
I’m tryna figure out