Broen are a spectacular band made up of Norwegian and Greek members who combine a plethora of sonic influences, electronics, R&B, hip-hop, jazz, psychedelia, dub and whatever else takes their fancy in the studio. The result is epic, rich in flavour and searing with intuitiveness as heard in their new release, ‘<3’. The pre-emoji era titled track also marks the Oslo-based group’s debut with record label Bella Union, who themselves describe this five-piece as “completely out of the ordinary,” especially when it comes to their live shows - a sight to behold, word has it. It’s a track that swells with intense emotion, aided by Latin-esque guitars, violent drums, synths that pulse in low bellows, enigmatic rap lines and stretched vocal harmonies. To be honest, if we went on listing all the elements we could hear within ‘<3’, we’d be here far too long. There’s no doubt, Broen is an extraordinary band. - HT