SHORTCUTS

'Shortcuts' by Mircea Cantor

A new album by the Norwegian disco producer Lindstrøm is always something to look forward to, since it usually has this edge to it that makes it stand apart from the giant pile of albums that get released every year - even good ones. 'Smalhans', released just this week, is no different. It's his fourth album so far (if you're not counting the albums with Prins Thomas or Christabelle) and his second (!) album this year, after 'Six Cups of Rebel' that was released back in February and was filled with plain experimental weirdness only Lindstrøm can get away with.
This particular album is a relatively short one to his standards (a good 30 minutes long, whereas his second album 'Where You Go I Go Too' had a track that clocked in around 30mins on its own already), features 6 higly energetic pieces with titles (named after traditional Norwegian dishes) that I'm not even going to begin to try to pronounce.
'Fårikål' for example, is a dish with Mutton and cabbage that is so beloved in Norway that it has its own national day, Fårikål Feast Day, at the end of September. Another one I'd love to try out is 'Eggedosis', which is eggs whisked together with sugar into a fluffy substance - a kids' favourite apparently.
The music? oh, right. Nerdy analogue synth madness. Storms by in a second and might leave you confused and/or craving for more. There's no use picking a favourite out of the bunch since all six of the tracks have these specific little details you get drawn to, they're all meticulously constructed in a very concise yet extravagant way.
Throwing in a Lindstrøm quote for good measure: "The process is definitely intuitive. I try all sorts of combination of chords and changes, and just know when something interesting happens. I find myself getting lost in the details. Weighing the ingredients, trying to find the right balance. A little more of this, a little less of that. Making the same dish over and over again, hoping it gets even better. Trying out new recipes and ingredients. Eating it up, and starting again the next day."
(To be honest I'm not sure if that was about the music or the food, but I guess it can apply to both)

PS 1 - If you need more convincing then there's the fact that fellow Norwegian disco viking Todd Terje mixed the album, a logical choice seen as the entire album is composed with a dancefloor in mind, and Terje happens to know a thing or two about that.

PS 2 - in case you didn't know, Lindstrøm's musical counterpart Prins Thomas has a new album out too ('Prins Thomas II'), that I've yet to pick up from the record store but should be excellent as well. Report may follow.

PS 3 - almost forgot: BUY the album here

PS 4 - on a total unrelated note: I'll be spinning some records here on Saturday, come!

Lindstrøm - Fāār-I-Kāāl


Lindstrøm - Ęg-Gęd-Ōsis