Biography
Serena Maneesh took shape chiefly through the efforts of Emil Nikolaisen, whose commanding musical abilities defined the project from the outset. Born in 1977, he had already accumulated wide-ranging experience by his early twenties, serving briefly as guitarist in the Christian extreme metal band Extol and as drummer in the sunny jangle pop group the Loch Ness Mouse, alongside his role as drummer and chief ideologue in the glam-punk outfit Silver. These stark contrasts surface throughout his Serena Maneesh songwriting, where abrasive dissonance and luminous harmonies remain locked in perpetual tension.
By 2000 Nikolaisen directed most of his attention toward Silver, whose European tours consumed the bulk of his schedule. The 2002 EP Fixations drew considerable notice upon release, yet Norwegian critics quickly labeled the band retro-obsessed neo-shoegazers and drew parallels to the Velvet Underground and My Bloody Valentine. Live appearances stayed infrequent while Silver continued to occupy center stage. A second EP, Zurück, assembled from earlier material and issued in 2005, passed with modest impact, but by then Nikolaisen had already stepped down as Silver’s drummer following the completion of their debut album in order to commit fully to Serena Maneesh.
The self-titled debut album arrived later that year after nearly six months of sessions conducted across Oslo, Stockholm, New York City, and Chicago. Its borderless indie appeal helped the group secure shows at prominent American venues and secured an extensive European tour alongside the Dandy Warhols. Once touring subsided, Nikolaisen returned to the studio only to abandon its overly clinical setting; he relocated the sessions to a subterranean cave outside Oslo, then continued tracking for another year at locations scattered around the globe. The finished record, No. 2: Abyss in B Minor, appeared on 4AD in March 2010.
By 2000 Nikolaisen directed most of his attention toward Silver, whose European tours consumed the bulk of his schedule. The 2002 EP Fixations drew considerable notice upon release, yet Norwegian critics quickly labeled the band retro-obsessed neo-shoegazers and drew parallels to the Velvet Underground and My Bloody Valentine. Live appearances stayed infrequent while Silver continued to occupy center stage. A second EP, Zurück, assembled from earlier material and issued in 2005, passed with modest impact, but by then Nikolaisen had already stepped down as Silver’s drummer following the completion of their debut album in order to commit fully to Serena Maneesh.
The self-titled debut album arrived later that year after nearly six months of sessions conducted across Oslo, Stockholm, New York City, and Chicago. Its borderless indie appeal helped the group secure shows at prominent American venues and secured an extensive European tour alongside the Dandy Warhols. Once touring subsided, Nikolaisen returned to the studio only to abandon its overly clinical setting; he relocated the sessions to a subterranean cave outside Oslo, then continued tracking for another year at locations scattered around the globe. The finished record, No. 2: Abyss in B Minor, appeared on 4AD in March 2010.
Albums
