Internasjonal Norway At Juno Download

Review: Internasjonal pull a curveball with the delightful afro house stylings of "Tembezi" from the unheralded Ackin'. Featuring the poignant vocal talents of M. Akamatsu, there are multiple charms to "Tembezi" which brandishes the sort of richly textured rhythms and melancholic piano improvisations that can't help but encourage the movement of feet. This being an Internasjonal release there is an accompanying Prins Thomas remix that winds down the tempo to a more cosmic level without losing any of the original's tinkling delights, but our favourite thing about this release is the final remix from 3 Chairs originator Marcellus Pittman. Adopting a bumpier note, Pittman's talent for crafting emotive synth melodies and dubbed piano chords shines through with positively incandescent results.

Review: Bell Towers is alias of the wonderfully named Melbourne resident Roman Wafers, one half of the Bamboo Musik DJ Team, and by our counts the first Australian added to the Internasjonal network of excellence overseen by Sir Prins Thomas. Tonight I'm Flying marks him out as a fine new addition to the ambassadorial cause, presenting two cuts that draw on all manner of classic electro, freestyle, early house, italo, soaring soul strings and much more. Old hands The Idjut Boys also add some disco vintage to proceedings with no less than two superbly warped takes on the title track.

Review: Given the quality of his dreamy, stargazing synth-wave and nu-disco productions, it was probably only a matter of time before Cosmic Metal Mother ended up on Prins Thomas' Internasjonal label. It's not hard to see why the Norwegian leftfield disco don snapped up "Italian Cowboy". Slow, synth-heavy and almost dizzyingly claustrophobic, it sounds like an experimental take of nu-Balearica. If you liked the looser, distinctly sunnier Windsurf releases on Internasjonal, "Italian Cowboy" should be right up your street. Thomas himself and Stallions provide the obligatory uptempo remixes, the latter delivering a Bobby O-goes-Nu-disco version that simply bristles with masculine intent.

Review: A swift return to Internasjonal for Cocktail D'Amour's Discodromo, with their cosmically charged disco burner "Build A House" lined with the distinctive vocal talents of diva supreme Hard Ton. His soaring vocals are the perfect accompaniment to a vintage Discodromo production that updates the disco template superbly - laying down a devilish bassline groove that sucks you in before Hard Ton arrives and blows you away. Label boss Prins Thomas turns in a fine dub remix that naturally brings the bassline to the fore whilst subjecting the vocal and melodic elements to all manner of reverse trickery! And look, the flip has a remix from your man Tensnake, who rewires the track to some sort of Jellybean Benitez mid 90s pump and in the process delivers his finest work for some time.

Review: Both Tough City Kids and Prins Thomas supply two mixes each for Galarude's "Cero", released through Prins Thomas and Kai Fraeger's Internasjonal imprint, but originally on Japanese label Locarno Records almost 10 years ago. PT's trademark "Diskomiks" burrows down hard on a vamped bassline adding Balearic electronics to the fray, whereas his "Ambiens" mix, as the title suggests, is devoid of beats and the bassline from his "Diskomiks". The first mix by Tough City Kids (Gerd Jansen & Phillip Lauer) re-rubs the originals synths and simplifies the tracks busy drums, opting for a Human League kick-snare routine instead. Their second mix boils down things even further with a remix that could have easily been labelled "bonus beats".

Review: Second time round for Galarude's "Cero", which first appeared on Japan's Locarno Records way back in 2004. Produced by DJ Kent, Hiroshi Kawanabe and Noriyoshi Sassanuma (Sly Mongoose), the original version is a near perfect fusion of heavy tribal drums, beautiful tropical melodies and darting Balearic electronics. It may be nine years old, but it still sounds wonderfully fresh. That Prins Thomas has selected it for reissue is no surprise. This time round, there's also a bonus remix from hairy legend DJ Harvey. The reclusive party-starter shuffles the pack impressively, adding some snaking saxophone action on a version that delights in bringing out the original's most positive elements.

Review: Fitting neatly into the nu-Balearic canon, Burning Feeling casually flits between genres whilst retaining an air of orange-hued sunsets and barely-remembered sunrises. It touches on many of Steve Moore's recurrent themes - vintage analogue synthesizers, pompous soundtrack Italo, 1970s progressive rock, odd European synth-pop and, of course, cosmic disco - whilst throwing new elements into the melting pot, most notably the sort of poodle-perm sporting 80s power rock that melded heavy guitars with very silly synthesizer grooves (for proof, see the laughably over-the-top "Love Reaction"). It's a blend that makes for a heady, intoxicating and at times thrilling full-length. Thanks to Moore's immaculate composition and production skills, it's something of a triumph; a genuine Balearic belter. The beards will love it.

Review: Prins Thomas & co secure a double helping of Morgan Geist remixes of one of the highlights from Steve Moore's excellent Burning Feeling album. In its original, lovingly tongue-in-cheek form "Maybe Tonight" was a comfy, feel-good slice of Balearo-pop that quite naturally caught the ears of Chromeo. In the hands of Geist, the track is elevated to the upper echelons of anthemic synth heavy disco of the highest order - expertly programmed by the Metro Area main man into something that you can envision everyone from Erol Alkan to Jacques Renault getting plenty of mileage from.

Review: As Mano Le Tough's reputation continues to head skywards, the Irishman-in-Berlin makes a welcome return to Prins Thomas' Internasjonal label with another sterling three-tracker. Unlike his recent Stories EP on Buzzin Fly, In My Arms largely eschews intricately layered soundscape deep house in favour of prog disco sounds. Of course, the attention to detail and emotion-rich melodies remain, particularly on the slow building 10-minute epic "Those Lights Are Lives". "Dropping Bombs" is deliciously Norwegian in its feel (think early Magnus International), while the shuffling title track impresses with its woozy krautrock synths, scratchy vocal and mournful pianos. Great stuff... as usual.

Review: Prins Thomas adds another name to the ever-growing Internasjonal roster: Mathew Leutwyler. It's supposedly a pseudonym for Mexico-based Mathew Senick rather than something by German techno producer Mat Leutwyler - either way, the material on offer is worth checking. Flipside "Katya" is rather delightful. It features a winning combination of a long, shuffling percussion build, sparkling piano chords and some quality Balearic synth twiddles. "M55 Cluster" offers a bassier take on the Balearic nu-disco sound, while the more dancefloor centric "Ahuevo" pushes dreamy chord sequences and blissful synths to the fore to mesmerising effect. Excellent early morning material.

Review: Word on the street is Prins Thomas whispered sweet nothings into the collective ears of Compost regulars Phreek Plus One during a hot summers Ibizan night last year in order to ensure that "La Spirale", the Italian trio's rasping strut through el clasico disco, was destined for his Internasjonal label. It finally sees release in time for the summer season, chugging along in a manner a legion of Soundcloud producers can only dream of and is complemented by a belter of a remix from Justin Vandervolgen. Allegedly the inspiration for Midnight Star's "Midas Touch", Vandervolgen has been on a constant ascent through quality production for far too long now, and his Love Boat remix sits comfortably alongside a recent storming Soft Rocks revision in contemporary classics, roughing up the groove without losing the vintage feel.

Review: Prins Thomas' Internasjonal Spesjal label have been responsible for some inspirational material this year, seemingly edging further away from disco drudgery into an endless cycle of freeform musical expression that's taken in productions from Secret Circuit, Cosmic Metal Mother and Phillip Matalla. To this international band of free spirited musicians, Internasjonal adds Pici, an oft used alias for established Greek producer Christos Demertzis who drops two absolute mind benders appropriately described as "Club not Club Tracks". Both "A Mistake" and "2015" utilise the talents of celebrated jazz drummer Wolgang Haffner, Popnoname's Jens Uwe Beyer and several other musicians and sound very much like Juju and Jordash incorporating a taste for disco into their improvised set up. "A Mistake" is particularly brilliant and far too detailed a production to even attempt to describe with words.

Review: Eddie Ruscha continues to settle into the idea of releasing Secret Circuit on formats other than cassette with Jungle Dogs Jungle Bones, a quite excellent release for the Internasjonal Spesial label. Judging by the sick presentation on this EP Prins Thomas and co. were obviously inspired by the cover art that adorned Nebula Sphynx, the Secret Circuit release on Beats In Space earlier this year, and the musical contribution from Ruscha matches his earlier work. If anything "Jungle Dogs Jungle Bones" demonstrates the broadness of Ruscha's production palette, adopting a less frenetic pace than the Weapon Wielding Robotic Chimp Music of Nebula Sphynx, while retaining all the rich layers of detail that made it so compelling. The excellent Tiago adds a whole new angle to the track, reforming its parts into a cosmic rock jam thanks to an aggressively dubbed guitar riff that Chicago fans might recognise, while Prins Thomas keeps it cheeky with a infinitely kaleidoscopic edit.

Review: Here's an interesting proposition: a debut album from a hitherto unknown American producer on Prins Thomas' globally-focussed Internasjonal imprint. To say that Oregon-based musician Tridact has little previous pedigree, it's an impressive debut. Fusing fuzzy old analogue synths (think Stereolab or vintage kraut rock) with Balearic guitar flourishes, lazy disco grooves and sprightly electronic melodies, it's a jolly and at times utterly joyful set (see "J24 at Sunset", "Cold Star" and "Over The Clouds"). While comparisons can be made with, say, fellow American nu-Balearic twiddlers Windsurf or Hatchback, there's a freshness and rhythmic urgency that was lacking on those largely super laidback affairs. Well worth a listen.

Review: Hailing from Los Angeles and New York, it would be safe to assume that Addled, Slow Hands and Tom Croose can draw on a trunk full of musical influences. So far, their limited but impressive releases (see, in particular, the brilliant "Neves For None" on Future Classic) have painted an aural picture of a combo stuck somewhere between the West Coast wizardry of nu-Balearic adventurer Sorcerer, the San Francisco/New York disco dubbiness of the Rong Music label and the aural trippiness of Norway's Scandolearic masters (see early Lindstrom & Prins Thomas) - with more than a dash of Claremont 56/Mudd thrown in. Given their sound and success, its little surprise to see them popping up on Prins Thomas' Internasjonal label. They're a natural fit, especially when they indulge the Norwegian's notoriously silly sense of humour by calling their single "Billiards With A Midget". Even more thrillingly spaced-out than "Neves For None", it's a dubswise Balearic gem based around a delightfully lazy dub rhythm. For those with half an eye on the dancefloor, there are a couple of corking remixes to choose from. First, Prins Thomas himself gets out his drum kit, polishes down the synth marimbas and drops a Scandolearic disco chugger. Then, as if trying to outdo the Norwegian, Eric Duncan dons his Dr Dunks moniker, ups the tempo and lays down a seriously freaky space disco trip that should find fans within San Francisco's dub-disco community.