Norwegian artist/producer Per Martinsen's project Mental Overdrive first released a series of vinyl 12" on now legendary Belgian techno label R&S Records in the early nineties. This early material ranged from nosebleed industrial euro-ebm-techno to romantic electro ballads, and caused a lot of praise as well as raised eyebrows from Berlin to Detroit at the time.

In 1995 the label Love OD Communications was set up in Norway to release the first Mental Overdrive album - "Plugged", followed by the seminal limited run of it's bastard brother "Unplugged" in 1996. A couple of singles then surfaced on Virgin records in the late nineties, before the album "Ad Absurdum" was released in 1999. Mental Overdrive then went kind of quiet in the early noughties, except for a string of remixes showing up between Martinsen's engagements with Frost and Illumination/Chilluminati - of which the most hard to get now is the remix of Isolée's "Beau mot plage", a 12" that was released in 90 (!) copies on Music Man Records before the license was pulled by Playhouse under mysterious circumstances.

In 2003 the "Me EP" suddenly surfaced on Love OD Communications, and a year later the "electronic roots" album "083" saw the light of night in conjunction with Norwegian noise-jazz-electro-rock label Smalltown Supersound. The compilation "The Phuture that never happened" was released in 2005, consisting of all the tracks from the R&S 12" series. A more or less complete list of Mental Overdrive's releases can be found on Discogs, and most albums are available on iTunes, Beatport and other digital outlets.

Recent love:

Mental Overdrive 'You Are Being Manipulated' (Album)
(Love OD / Smalltown Supersound)

"It's great having Norwegian techno pioneer Per Martinsen back as Mental Overdrive again."
UPDATE MAGAZINE, UK

"It’s difficult not to be receptive to You Are Being Manipulated’s light, simplistic yet energetic melodies."
BARCODE MAGAZINE, USA

"One of the most fully-realised albums to ever emanate from the Norwegian dance music scene."
YER MAM BLOG, MANCHESTER

"You can't afjord to ignore it!"
DJ MAGAZINE, UK

"This could well be a lesson in how electronic music has evolved over the past 30 years."
SWINE MAGAZINE, UK

"Love it!"
VIRGIN BITES, UK

"A series of bleep-heavy weird-outs, analogue housers and deliciously wonky disco gems."
TRICKY DISCO BLOG, UK

Mental Overdrive - The Rage (Digital / 12")
(Love OD / Full Pupp)

"Lunacy, knowledge and skill make for lethal combination."
UPDATE MAGAZINE, UK

"A taster for Per Martinsen's excellent new album...'The Rage' is something special."
DJ MAGAZINE, UK

"A side will go down a storm disco monster."
LAURENT GARNIER, FRANCE

"Cracking two-tracker of discotechdubwhatever from Per Martinsen."
IDJ MAGAZINE, UK

"And for the love of God, do not miss Mental Overdrive’s new 12” featuring “The Rage” on the top side."
XLR8R, USA

"Intense psychedelic electro with both bark and bite."
CLASH MAGAZINE, UK

"Thank goodness someone is mining Norway for its gold."
HOT PRESS, IRELAND

"Bit like Lil' Louis meets Lindstrom for a bit of bum love."
TRAFFIC, UK

"As exotic and entrancing as it is a few sarnies short of a picnic, and will be equally well received by alternative house and Balearic types."
IDJ MAGAZINE, UK

Mental Overdrive - Elephantastic (Digital)
(Love OD)

"It sounds like the elephant stomping along swinging his pendulous todger blasting melodies from that legendary hole while being serenaded by an acid big band."
UPDATE MAGAZINE, UK

"If Prins Thomas had a dream about cartoon sealions in 1974 after getting a bit too friendly with the brown acid it still wouldn’t sound as charmingly bonkers as this"
IDJ MAGAZINE, UK

Mental Overdrive - Run to the hills (Digital / 12")
(Love OD / Airtight)

"This is absolute genius!"
ROUGH TRADE, UK

"Pure class!"
PHONICA RECORDS, UK