Prins Thomas :: The Album (Full Pupp)

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(March 2010) For some reason in the past few years the term “cosmic disco” has found itself into the vocabulary of nearly any electronic zealot. Understandably some tags are used, but no-one seems to really know what “cosmic disco” is. In the late 1970s and early 80s it was a sound associated with DJ’s like Danielle Baldelli and Beppe Loda. The tracks had a space like quality, deeply analogue with some afro influences. There weren’t very many cosmic disco DJ’s during this era, and many of them hailed from Italy. In recent years the term has made a come back; but in much more of an ambiguous way. With the disco revival the prefix “cosmic” has been attached with almost no meaning. Many times “cosmic” was used to describe anything re-issued from 80s Italy, which had many the bespectacled collectors underlining the word “italo” on various forums. But, as time progressed it began to become subtly clear what the term “cosmic disco” actually meant. Firstly, the phrase appears to still refer to that analogue space heavy sound of the Italian DJ’s. Secondly, cosmic disco now appears to be used to describe the music of Scandinavian revivalists: Todd Terje, Prince Thomas, and Lindstrom. Perhaps the Norwegian triumvirate are more reformists than revivalists but cosmic disco now appears to refer to anyone who sounds remotely along the lines of this trio and by proxy “cosmic.” It is unclear when the term was first used to describe this Norwegian sound but it is clear that it has helped sell. Cosmic Disco has lined the record bags of enthusiasts from the US to Australia, but in many respects reflects little of the attributes of either disco or the original cosmic disco. Tempos are slow with looping synths that produce an almost hypnotic note. Nevertheless this is “cosmic,” perhaps until a re-marketing strategy is needed. One of the holy trinity, Prins Thomas, has just come out with his first full length: The Album.

The Album opens with rolling lines of “Ørkenvandring” before the afro hypno influences of “Uggebug” folds its way in. “Slagemusik” is an epic nine minutes of ambience. The track somewhat feels like two pieces sandwiched together, with a break and change that doesn’t slide particularly well. The organic casualness of “Saurkraut” follows, with Lindstrom and Terje offering some instrumental assistance to the compostion. “Wendy not Walter” is an homage to electronic musician and composer Wendy Carlos, famously behind the dystopian soundtrack to A Clockwork Orange. What have by now become trademark soft beats lap against warm spirals of synthsizer sound to produce a wonderfully pleasant piece of electronics. Acoustic tones and bass return for “Nattønsket” before the ultimate piece, “Attiate,” brings Prins Thomas’ synthesizers back to leave the listener with a Norwegian analogue glow.

It soon becomes clear on listening to this record where it is coming from, a laid back angle. Prins Thomas has been responsible for over fifty remixes and is dubbed a Godfather of Cosmic Disco, but on The Album there is little to no sign of any aspects of cosmic disco or even “cosmic.” In many respects Prins Thomas has been painted with the cosmic disco brush, an easy label to insert before or after his name either in brackets or hyphenated. The Album seems to shatter this pigeon holing. Prins Thomas has created something that toes the line of ambient, but is not there. It circles electronics but chooses to land elsewhere, but not in downtempo. In many respects The Album dips in an out of a variety of sounds, selecting elements and combining them. It is a record with a wholesome quality and one that can hopefully eclipse some of the media hype that has surrounded the Norwegian movement. This is not cosmic disco nor is it “cosmic,” this is easy listening electronics; whether it is termed as such is debatable. Would that tag sell records?

The Album will be released March 29th on Full Pupp.

Full Pupp

Prins Thomas