Mental Overdrive
"Run To The Hills"

Having not put a record out for a while, a tough, and vaguely electronic disco inspired cover version of a heavy metal standard, produced by one of the original European techno dons of the early 90's, was always going to raise the odd eyebrow at Airtight towers. And so here it is, "Run To The Hills", by Pers Martin / aka: Mental Overdrive, a cover of the Iron Maiden, um, "classic".
Mental OD's 1991/92 releases on R + S helped lay the blueprint for the two decades of European techno and house that were to follow, so it was a pleasant surprise to find Pers reverting to this moniker for his mix of Isolee's "Beau Mot Plage" in 2003, and releases on Small Town Supersound in 2005, and the rollicking, disco charged two tracker on Prins Thomas's Full Pupp earlier this year.
Here he employs a vocodered vocal to trot out the Bruce Dickinson penned lead vocal lines as if he hadn't a care in the world, before laying it over a jacking, hypnotic groove designed to rock dancefloors and Metal pubs in Donnington alike.
For remix duties, those kind folk at Tirk hooked us up with up and coming New York duo Drrtyhaze, and they turned in a laid back, 81' No Wave - style bumper, complete with live bass and drums, and lots of NY swing. We like it a lot.
Hope you enjoy the rest of this glorious,endless summer as it unfurls before you; reactions too would be much appreciated, and fairly sharpish, as we're off to build an Ark.

Written, Produced and programmed by Per Martinsen. Remix and additional production on B. by Doug Gomez and Matthew Moffre for Drrtyhaze Productions.
(P) & (C) 2007 Airtight Recordings