One of the most fascinating underground genres right now is the magical, beautiful world of electronica. The most well-known facet of electronica is that of synth-pop. As far as Christian synth-pop bands go, Joy Electric has pioneered the movement, paving the way for other, younger bands, many of whom are on Ronnie Martin's Plastiq Musiq label.

One of those bands poised for take-off is Norway. Consisting of Eric Melzer and Doug Huibregtse, and definitely the poppiest of the Plastiq bands, they blend catchy pop tunes with accessible lyrics to make what I predict as Plastiq Musiq's greatest success yet, The Essence of Norway.

To further describe their sound, Eric told me, "We are definitely poppy, but the first thing we sound like is probably dance music, like house or something…We aren't really dark at all, just a happy, electronic house-pop type style...I don't know, it's like Aqua, kind of, but the singing is more like New Order or House of Wires or...more mellow like that." He was quick to point out though, that despite the similarities to Aqua, "No Barbies in our songs. That's one of our policies."

Lyrically, though the words and thoughts in the songs definitely come from a Christian perspective, Norway does not claim to be one of the more blatantly Christian bands out there. According to Eric, their lyrics are inspired by "everyday life. Just things we see around us. We haven't really tackled any controversial topics yet, but I'm sure in the future as we mature as songwriters, things like that will develop." He also noted that "you might notice a lot of really immature sounding songs about girls and stuff. That's because some of the songs were written a long time ago when we were going through all that stuff." Other songs combine Christian ideas with life situations (hey, there's a concept), such as "Dark And Lonely," "There's Something More To Life," and a cover of Undercover's "Jesus Girl."

Even though I personally am not super-familiar with the tools of the electronic trade, I asked Eric what sort of equipment they used. Eric: "Well, my equipment is always changing. First I want to say that it really doesn't matter what you use, as long as it's equipment that inspires you and is a good tool for making the music you want to make...Currently, I am using a lot of Roland stuff. I have an xp-50, a JP-8080, a Juno 60, and I just got a boss 202 drum machine. I also have a Yamaha DX100 and a Juno 1 I like to use for bass sounds...also an old Electro Harmonix I use for some leads. Also, for the record we used a Juno 106 a lot. But if someone has something I like and they will let me borrow it, who knows? I might use that, too. Oh, I also have a sampler, but I don't use it much. I use a lot of analog sounds, but that's just because I think they sound cool."

After I expressed the fact that while I find it fascinating, I am pretty illiterate as to most of that equipment, he replied, "Doesn't matter...I just got all these metal and plastic boxes and a bunch of wires all over the place. And I push the buttons and after a while, music comes out...it's fun." A pretty obvious interview question is that of musical preferences and influences; nonetheless, I was curious, so I asked. Turns out that Eric grew up listening to quality Christian rock and didn't really get into electronic music until after high school, when he discovered groups like Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Dance House Children, and Joy Electric. He still listens to all sorts of music, but "one of the reasons I wanted to start an electronic-based band with non-traditional instruments is because I was sick of rock...it's all I heard every time I listened to the radio."

When I asked him whom his dream tour partners would be, he answered, "It would have to be Joy Electric, obviously, but that's kind of realistic. Someone I would never tour with...probably Pet Shop Boys, New Order, or Erasure."

My final question for him: "If someone is out there reading this, and thinking about buying the CD, what would you say to him to promote the album?"

Eric: "Well, if you like electronic music, or just good pop songs, you will probably enjoy this record. It's pretty much a happy pop record...BUY THE RECORD!"

Having had the album for a few months now myself (though it does not officially release until August 24), I agree: this album is a must-have for fans of either pop or electronic music. The melodies are catchy, without being predictable and annoying; the harmonies, though often reminding one more of a fugue than a pop song, are intricate yet accessible. While I haven't been enamored with everything to come out of Plastiq Musiq, The Essence of Norway is definitely an album to check out.

The photo was originaly from the Norway Website, but the distorted pictures are the product of a sleep-deprived web designer who will remain nameless.