Severin is the new solo project of Danish producer and dj Jens Konrad Barrett, also active in the Opal Tapes-signed duo Lyra Valenza and co-running the Petrola 80 label. Besides his appearance on the compilation “I Could Go Anywhere But Again I Go With You” released on Posh Isolation earlier this year, “Safe Following Distance” is the first material to see the light of day under his Severin moniker.

Bearing traces from his earlier synth ambient project Sansernes Rus as well as his previous engagement in the danish noise and techno scene, this debut EP operates on the fringes of percussive techno, melodic ambient, and bass music with nods to several other styles including IDM and millenium trance. In other words “Safe Following Distance” reflects a very adventurous approach to music making, offering four individually strong tracks out of which each one draws upon inspiration from different genres while contributing to an overall aesthetic perspective.

Thematically the record is inspired by the continuously growing phenomenon of internet stalking, and the increasing access to personal information and data of other human beings as a consequence of digitalization and the rise of social media. The energetic and percussive opening track “New Partial Freedom” plays out in a semi-paranoid atmosphere, depicting a feeling of being alone in a private space while sensing that somebody else is watching or entering the room from a virtual distance.

On the other hand, the more atmospheric and melodic composition “A Distance In Between” builds its narrative around the observer, possibly a person spending countless nights in front of the computer screen gazing at pictures of strangers, and surfing around on social media platforms. In its entirety, the four tracks that make up “Safe Following Distance” mirrors an uncomfortable feeling of being under constant surveillance, but also a curiosity and longing for the new and unknown. An everlasting paradox of discomfort of being watched, and the satisfaction of watching others.