Considering the manifold activities of Oslo- and Berlin-based musician, artist, photographer, graphic designer, filmmaker, writer and illustrator Kim Hiorth?y, The Wire?s reviewer seemed to be almost relieved to find ?My last Day? a pleasant, albeit ultimately too repetitive and predictable album.

It?s true, most tracks are based on a similar structure and once you?ve gotten the scheme you will realize that Hiorth?y repeats it over and over, but then again that?s not really a problem, since this is not the kind of music you would listen to with full attention to every detail, but rather provides a nice backdrop to whatever pleasant action you might be engaged with. And even beyond that functional dimension, Hiorth?y?s choice of beats and samples proves to be too refined to step into the trap of monotony. The straightforward quality of the music and the wide range of stylistic references that Hiorth?y draws evoke a slight feeling of nostalgia, however, rather than a mere retro strategy this is a matter of well-calculated eclecticism. Blending Mid-90s electronica (think of labels like Warp, Hausmusik or Morr), with old-school Hip Hop, jazzy melancholia and a healthy dose of Acid bleeps and switching between up- and down-beat tracks he creates an overall atmosphere that is both lively and relaxed.

Don?t expect any quirky experimentalism or intellectual adventures here. This is plain and highly likeable pop music ? music for iPods, or the appropriate soundtrack for an excited afternoon chat in some semi-hip metropolitan caf 6/10 -- Magnus Schaefer (22 January, 2008)