Norwegian darkwave duo Rule of Two is set to release their sophomore EP, “Echoes,” on January 15, 2025, and today we’re stoked to give you an early stream of the full thing, with a special track by track rundown and some more details behind their work.
This marks exactly one year since the project emerged with their debut track “Bygones” in January 2024, which was later included in their first EP, “Drowning.”
This prolific project, consisting of Ronny Flissundet (vocals, guitars, synths) and Kristian Liljan (beats, loops, bass, synths), has maintained a steady stream of creativity, releasing singles and videos almost monthly throughout 2024. The “Echoes” EP compiles these tracks alongside two new songs, solidifying their reflective and melancholic soundscape.
Thematically, “Echoes” delves into retrospection and personal growth, with tracks addressing healing, insight, and comfort. While their music resonates with the nostalgic essence of the ‘80s, Rule of Two injects fresh, modern energy into every track. Produced and mixed by Kristian Liljan, the EP was recorded at MIR in Oslo and Crystal Island in Nesodden.
For Rule of Two, 2024 marked the completion of their first creative cycle. As Ronny explains, “It was a ridiculously productive year, building the Rule of Two foundation.” With their debut album set for a November 2025 release, the duo is also rehearsing for their first live performances, slated for later this year.
The “Echoes” EP not only concludes their first chapter but also sets the tone for an exciting year ahead. By February 2025, they plan to release the lead single from their forthcoming album, promising to “step everything up a few notches.”
Stay tuned for the detailed track-by-track commentary by Ronny Flissundet, offering further insights into the stories behind each song.
Track by Track commentary
By singer & lyricist Ronny Flissundet
Peeling
The perfect EP opener, upbeat 80s vibe and catchy though melancholic moods. Our second single from the ep, released in September, and the one with the most streams of all our released tracks.
I love how this one turned out to be one of the most catchy songs we have written, without having a specific chorus in it. The lyrics may be a bit cliché, using an onion as a metaphor of ones layers and feelings, but it describes the thematic well, describing me as a sensitive person, but still afraid to let others in. That’s the beauty of song- and lyrics writing. It makes me ventilate and open up in ways I struggle to do in everyday life. And I always cry when I cut onions.
Eye Fold
Sometimes negative feelings and frustration gather up inside and finally get to a boiling point, and actions are involuntary forced forth, which it did for me about a year ago, and I ended up finishing an unfulfilling relationship. “Eye Fold” sums up these emotions musically, making it a dark and melancholic epos with heavy electronic beats and layers of synth and bass.
Golden Hour
A piano driven rock ballad of sorts, hard to categorize, really, but it has something to it that tickles the exact point of some indescribable emotive state, leaving you (us, at least) with goosebumps. The song might be sad, but the lyrics are more uplifting, offering comfort and motivation to a person struggling.
It has a lot of personal stuff in it that I wont go further into. The important part is how the listener connects to the feel of the song and meaning of the lyrics.
Man Of No Use
This one started out (lyrically) as a philosophic thought experiment after a conversation me and Kristian had a couple of years back, that stuck to my mind.
On the topic of maybe quitting playing in bands and wasting valuable family time with writing and recording music, touring etc, and arguments like “I’m getting too old for this shit” etc. Kristian told me he had given this some thought and said “Who am I, if I give up this? This is my identity as a being.
Without the music I’m nobody, just a regular family father with no job or ambitions, a grey mouse, disappearing in the void”. I instantly related, and spun further on those words and thoughts, which ended up as the lyrical suit of this moody 80s synthpop track.
All Good Things (Come To An End)
Wait, what? Rule Of Two doing a cover of Nelly Furtado?! Well, why not?
We love challenging ourselves, stepping out of our comfort zone, and try something different.
Personally, I was really skeptical when Kristian made this suggestion for a cover, but we gave it a go.
The song itself may not need no further introduction, but what has been done here is trying something completely different and doing a female fronted pop hit into a male sung electronic indie anthem, and still fitting it into the 80s inspired darkwave Rule Of Two sound. Something we surprisingly managed quite well, if we would be asking ourselves ( which we are)..
Year Zer0
The first single we released from the EP.
The track is a groovy, percussive and electronic pop/rock tune with elements from both synthpop and even indie hardcore, shamelessly crossing genres and pushing boundaries further.
Lyrically, “Year Zer0” is about promises and resolutions not being kept, and giving up on both oneself and on others, having heard the same yatter again and again. So lets start from scratch, start over from year zero.
Actually, the lyrics and vocals for this were written and recorded January 2nd last year, having the concept of new year’s resolutions in mind at the time, feeling a bit frustrated about the whole concept, and made it into something more about empty promises, both the ones you tell yourself, and the ones the people in power tell the crowds.
Cybele
A very personal thing I wrote on a dark day, about heritage and the reflections around why I have become who I am with both strengths and flaws that follows with it. I won’t go further into which parent this one is referring to, but please don’t tell her I cried while recording these vocals..
Musically it is a sore crossover of an acoustic guitar ballad and a synthwave electronic thingy..
Felt like a fitting finale on the EP, as one of the two tracks ( the other being “Golden Hour”) that wasn’t released as a single.
