(06.01.07) Lindstrøm is once more gracing the electro world, this time saddling up
with his partner in disco crime: Prins Thomas. Lindstrøm recently put out
his first full lengther, It’s a Feedelity Affair, a compilation of vinyl
only and unreleased material. Now the Norwegian pair have a similar release
out, Reinterpretations; a gathering of b-side only tracks, remixes and
some unheard goodies. Yet there has been some talk of late against these
Scandinavians, claims that they have diluted their prestige with a
torrential output of remixes for any Tom, Dick or Harry. But, do such claims
hold any truth or has Reinterpretations the quality to quash the
disbelievers?
Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas seem to have been branded with almost every buzz
electro term going; how they have adopted Moroder’s synth stylings whilst
injecting ghetto electro jacks whilst keeping elements of Il Discotto and
Rephlex in the mix. Nevertheless, the Norwegian pair do have a sound.
Firstly, supposedly Lindstrøm did not grow up with electronic music and came
to it at quite an old age without any influences from the past masters. This
may be myth, but it does help dispel some of the hype surrounding him and
level the playing field to some extent.
The album opens with the 12″ version of “Turkish Delight.” The track does
have some of that cosmic disco sound, a little low on the bpm with some
clever synth moves; but the sound is far to fresh to sound like cosmic
disco. Some have described this as space disco, and it probably fits better
into this category. The tones are subtle, but definitively disco. Beats are
measured and kept the dancefloor centred whilst the team shot waves of sound
overhead. Melodies are tweaked and manipulated as drums rise in the backdrop
and sounds swerve; an excellent opener and quite epic in its length.
“Claudio” rolls in with guitar synthlines before beats are poured on top.
Techno chords are slide in with the pair keeping the tension in the track
high. Some imrpov is thrown in, with the track having an overall tech-funch
tone. “Mighty Girl” moves in with solid keyboard stylings. Crisp beats are
dropped in as a slow dancefloor rhythm moves in. The track has a confidence
and a sharpness as flutters of synth shift into the arrangement.
The duo take down the tempo with “Vrang Og Vanskelig.” Dreamy, slow sounds
stumble the track to life. The bpm never really rises for this one, as it
swings around at a slow pace; moving more into the realm of electronica. Not
too interesting a piece. Low guitars bring in “Feel PM.” The track is slow,
with easy beats and synth lines echoed in. The track seems to border into
new age lounge music, feeling like what might be heard in a velour decored
bar. The strings are kept for “Boney M Down (Alternative Version.)” There is
an immediate impression that this track just has a bit more substance than
its predecessors; with cascading analog chords and snares. That cosmic disco
sounds returns for this number, as Lindstrøm and Prins slowly build on the
track before brash guitars rumble in. Vintage synth melodies are floated
over to create a new age space disco piece. Wonderful track. The synthesizer
seems to be playing a more central role as bleeps ring in “Tempo Tempo.” The
beats are kept low, but the keyboard play is well thought out. Echoes of
acoustics strum the background of this piece of space station lounge.
The penultimate track is the longest of the album, reaching over 20 minutes.
“Nummer Fire En” is perhaps the climax of the album, with all the other
tracks leading up to this epic. Snares and sounds are spiralled together,
blended gently before tweaked and echoed synth orbits. The track seems to
sit on the cusp of acoustic and electronic, having an early 70’s electronic
disco feel to it. Beats and melodies are pushed and pulled, with pitches and
tempos rising and falling. Just as the track seems to be getting tiresome,
the melodies losing their edge, new elements and tones are mixed in to give
a new slant. “Nummer Fire En” is a driving track. It keeps the listener’s
attention without being intrusive and morphs before any kind of tedium sets
in. It’s a track that feels more like three than one. “Nummer Fire To” ends
Reinterpretations. At half the length of its forerunner it is still a
meaty piece. Strings and synth are blended in this gangster style set up.
The track is like a soundtrack to a gumshoe show set in the 25th century,
but made in the late 70’s. The melodies seem to suggest something while
keeping that funk element. Waves of sound are sent up into the atmosphere as
laid back beats lap the backdrop.
Reinterpretations is an album of varying sounds and styles. Press releases
promulgate that Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas are cosmic disco reincarnate, but
this is not truly the case. Yes the Norwegian pair have similar aspects to
that Italian sound, such as low bpms and hazy synths, but there’s a lot of
other influences going on in there. There are elements of electronica,
ambient and lounge in this blend. Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas do not
particularly sound like Moroder, or any other italo disco style acts, but
influences from some italo tracks can be felt in here. Lindstrøm and Prins
Thomas have a sound that is difficult to pin point, somewhere in between
cosmic disco, funk, electro and lounge, maybe space lounge or something
along those lines; who knows. There are some stumbling blocks in here, but
nothing to take away from the release. The partnership has made something
that is fresh and sharp as well as being complementary to past influences.
Reinterpretations is out now on Eskimo.
