Serena-Maneesh: SM Backwards

Norway`s Serena-Maneesh to release double album of early material on Smalltown Supersound.

While working on the new album, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed self titled debut album (Playlouder/Beggars), Serena-Maneesh and Smalltown Supersound wanted to give you some glimpses of the early days. Tweaked and all beautifully pushed to the red.

Most of the material on this double album was released as two EPs prior to the self titled debut album; ¨Zuruck¨ and ¨Fixxations¨, both on Honeymilk, covering the time 1999-2003. Due to the fact that the label didn't have distribution outside of Norway the material never got released outside of Norway. This is another reason why the band and the label want to make this release spectacular and give as much as possible to the fans while waiting on the band's new studio album. But in addition to the original EP material this double album also contains new re-wrappings/mixes, videos and much more, 16 over 80 minutes of Serena-Maneesh.

SM leader, Emil Nikolaisen and Smalltown founder Joakim Haugland have known each other for years, coming from two neighbouring smalltowns in the south of Norway, Moi and Flekkefjord. They have long wanted to collaborate on something, and the release of SM Backwards was the perfect opportunity.

Serena-Maneesh "SM Backwards" will be released worldwide on double CD,  and double vinyl the 22.nd  of September 2008. The artwork for the album is made by Kim Hiorthøy.

Some words from Serena`s Emil Nikolaisen about the release:
“What started as a little collection of basement sessions from around town, previously just released as two single eps domestically or as import only, kinda really got out of control.. digging out the old reels with mixes and different versions, listening back to raw tracks is never a good idea- of course i wanted to hear it differently.. And then all these great re-mixing that was never published in any form before. Compiling it all, we really went overboard and it got ridiculous.. the liner notes coming out even more pretentious. Just like we like it. Embracing the S-M universe with pieces, fragments, failure and treasure hand in hand, all the scattered ideas from even pre- Serena moniker time, pointing to what later came to be the mad little rat scene that is today. Just as much as capturing the way up till now, it re-evokes all the crazy moments of this time. I just went back to the moorlands of "Spendless" yesterday, the "studio" we did most of the sessions. The room still got this eccentric, thought provoking, wonderful mid- range eq- triggering and equally beautiful mould stench- that I, for a longer period would inhabit. REFRESHING again! I put on a reel of demos for the full length that we did later and you know.. that feeling of being a kid again, walking in unknown, prohibited territory-- gives me glimpses of hope even for the next one!” (Emil Nikolaisen, May 2008)