The first time we talent-spotted Rein was about fifteen minutes after she put her first song on Soundcloud. The Swedish EBM artist has been a rocket ride since “There Is No Authority But Yourself” became our Track of the Day: nominations for Swedish awards keep flowing in; her songs are on mainstream radio and crushing the college circuit; and Dagens Nyheter’s Fredrik Strage thinks she’s the bomb.
He’s not wrong. There was a point when we were worried that there are only so many ways to make 16 beat step sequencing interesting, but Rein has put those concerns to rest. Freedoom (Playground), her new EP, takes a path that leads directly to the dancefloor. The opening track, “Missfit,” proves what we have been saying all along: the lady can sing! Yes, she can shout, scream and holler, but Rein has vocal chords as sweet as her lungs are steely. We were first given a glimpse in “Concrete Jungle,” but now the secret is out.
Don’t worry – Rein hasn’t gone all Tove Lo. Her instrumental compositions are blistering, as the industrial acid of “C.A.P.I.T.A.L.I.S.M.” and rolling bass of “Bruises” prove. Her vocals are solid, her politics are fierce, and Rein still packs a hell of a punch.