Review: Prins Thomas' Full Pupp label seems to excel at finding hitherto unknown Norwegian disco talent. Here, it offers up the debut full-length from Oslo native Andre Bratten, who apparently shares studio space with Lindstrom and Todd Terje. Comparisons with both producers are understandable; Be A Man You Ant's shimmering vintage synths, stargazing melodies and chugging space disco grooves (particularly those on the intoxicating "Aegis") are reminiscent of both producers' early work. It's already been pointed out that "Libra" shares an aesthetic with Terje's "Inspector Norse", while the quirky "Still Sertie" and mutant funk oddity "I Am Square" bear all the hallmarks of a Six Cups of Rebel B-side. Clearly, Bratten is a talent to watch.
Review: Two years on from his last appearance on Full Pupp, Even 'CHMMR' Brenden returns to Prins Thomas' label with three more distinctive chunks of Scandolearic disco/house fusion. The undoubted centrepiece is title track "Media Vision", a thrillingly sparse and analogue-sounding epic built around slo-mo drum machine rhythms, thick acid bass, lilting melodies, stretched-out percussion sections, and occasional ghostly synths. Those looking for more upbeat, peaktime fare are well catered for on the A-side, both by the grunting, warehouse-friendly synth-house pump of druggy opener "Understand", and the cheery, piano-sporting bounce of midtempo anthem "User".
Review: Even Brenden's CHMMR project is giving the Scandinavian scene a renewed sense of freshness and subtlety when it comes to hazy, downtempo beats. The producer is back on Norway's sublime Full Pupp imprint with a gorgeous LP that spans just about ever corner of the electronic dance framework that resides left of field. Auto is a gorgeous piece of work, from its slow, lingering sense of euphoria that spans the entirety of its ten tracks, to the elegance and precision of the melodies themselves. Balearic might be one way to describe this colourful composition of sounds, but we believe that it goes much further than that, and actually resides in the enlarged house domain. This, of course, is for your slower, and perhaps earlier sets...and by early we mean early hours.
Review: 'Try new things. You may regret it. It might backfire. Do it anyway.' Norweigian imprint Full Pupp present here a beautiful ambient album by local artist Even Brenden aka Chmmr, following his debut album 'Auto' back in 2017. Here he delivers a new collection of music to inspire half an hour of your life. The sophomore album Try New Things features (in order of appearance): the lo-slung hip-house of "One More Day 2 Play", the chilled beats of "Adult Land #6", the neon-lit '80s boogie of "Nfo Love Song" and the sublime daydream balearica of "4Cc". Absolute bliss on offer here from Prins Thomas' ever impressive Full Pupp imprint.
Review: We aptly described CHMMR's 2017 debut album, Auto, as a "gorgeous LP that spans just about every corner of the electronic dance framework that resides left of field". The set's picturesque Scandolearic eclecticism makes it ripe for remixing, so it's no surprise that Full Pupp boss Prins Thomas has decided to commission a swathe of reworks. This first volume contains two tasty new reworks of album highlight "Pretty Space" by daydreaming Norwegian house hero Telephones. The first, the "Energized Mix", wraps the Running Back regular's usual sparkling synthesizers, glassy-eyed electronics and tropical textures around stabbing bass notes and bustling house beats, while the second (the "Gren Fatarik Oo-mox Dub") delivers Bjorn Torske style drum-laden late night sweatiness by the bucketload.
Review: Intriguingly, Full Pupp boss Prins Thomas has chosen to open this second set of remixes of tracks from CHMMR's charming debut album, Auto, with two previously unheard cuts, rather than reworks. "Fast Forward", is a deliciously glassy-eyed chunk of electro/Telle style synth-pop fusion that's cheerier than a stockbroker on bonus day, while "Solo" melds jazz-funk style synthesizer solos to intergalactic ambient chords and Steve Riley style high-end arpeggios. Both are, naturally, ace. Prins Thomas's two Diskomiks versions of "0x60" are naturally both superb. The first sees him gleefully dance naked through rush-inducing Scandolearic disco territory, while the second ("Part 2") is a delay-laden drum dub rich in layered hand percussion and feverish African influences.
Review: Arguably the most notable thing about this third volume in Full Pupp's "Splits" series - aside from the fact that it's really rather good - is the appearance of Doc L Junior, one of the unsung heroes of Norwegian dance music (he first started DJing and producing music in the '90s). His contribution, the quirky dub-disco/Munich Machine/Erot fusion of "C'est Ca", feels like a long-lost gem from the "Bergen Wave" era of Norwegian dance music. It's great, and about the most Norse thing you'll hear this month. Elsewhere, Frantzvaag doffs a hat to vintage Those Norwegians releases on Paper Recordings via the low-slung, filter-heavy disco-house of "Saitama", while MI re-edits "Sampletune" into a suitably celebratory chunk of left-of-centre disco cheeriness.
Review: Four very solid deep house cuts here from Oslo's Mats Frantzvaag. Aptly-titled opener 'Beginning' is a mid-paced groover with filtered synth sweeps and a vaguely disco-ish feel, and would sound fantastic combined with big speakers and sunshine. 'Annan Dag Versjon' is a more stripped-back affair centred around an understated rumbling b-line, crisp percussion and barely-there vocal snips, while 'Going There Someday' heads even deeper, with jazzual sax flourishes, before 'Bolgehouse' plays us out on a more contemplative, post-club kinda note. No big room drama here, just finely crafted grooves built for true house music lovers.
Review: The latest Norwegian talent to join the Full Pupp family is Laars, a producer previously known for his involvement with Norse disco band Tog. The two tracks showcased here neatly fit into the Scandolearic blueprint, with Laars layering rising, blissfully Balearic synthesizer melodies over a chugging, arpeggio-style groove on brilliant opener "None". He flips the script a little on "LYSaR", clustering fizzing, intergalactic electronics, deep space riffs and jammed-out Clavinet lines around a rolling, cowbell and bongo heavy rhythm track. Willy Nickerson handles remix duties, first serving up a loose, dense, druggy and pitched-down interpretation of "None", before turning "LYSaR" into a spacey chunk of Afro-disco madness.
Review: Veteran Scandolearic sort Magnus Sheehan has never been one for putting out huge amounts of material, making this EP - a speedy follow-up to recent debut album Echo To Echo - something of a surprise bonus. While two of the four tracks - the dreamy but jaunty, loved-up goodness of "Big Red", and intensely cheery "Zap The Cat" - are taken from that set, that still leaves a pair of previously unheard cuts to savour. There's "Kambodia", a sparse but heavy combination of chugging, Italo-disco arpeggio lines, hypnotic drum machine beats and tuneful synthesizer motifs, and "Swing Your Thing", a typically positive number that fixes jammed out melody lines to analogue-sounding techno beats.
Review: This will mark the seventh release by Magnus "International" Sheehan on Full Pupp. The Oslo-based producer returns with a deep and entrancing polyrhythmic workout on "Cosmic Cow Session" which even the label itself says harks back to the sounds from the turn of the millennium - think Danny Tenaglia and Junior Vasquez at Twilo circa 2000. Daniel "Blackbelt" Andersen then provides a remix, the latin tribal aesthetic returns on the hypnotic tool "Cosmic Rhythm Session" similarly impresses and probably the most structured track on here appears last in the form of "Cosmic Jam Session" - a groovy acid nu-disco workout that works those magical rhythms from before into new forms.
Review: Norwegian nu-disco dude Magnus International is back on local institution Full Pupp. Prins Thomas' label claims that he has earned his stripes in Oslo's disco scene. After a hiatus from recording, he donned the producer's cap resolutely for his debut LP, Echo to Echo in 2016. Now, Magnus' studio is open for business once again and these four tracks roll on into the world from Oslo's shores. The galloping, neon-lit groove of the title track (remixed in this case by Chmmr) really nails the Pupp sound to a tee, as does the driving and wonky techno (yes!) of the dynamic opener "Fluted Oval". We also had a fondness for the deeply ethereal and atmospheric slow burner "Mirepoix" which really closed out this impressive EP in bold fashion.
Review: Hamar is the island town in Norway that birthed Prins Thomas, and here he teams up with two local producers with backgrounds in the skwee scene for a split EP on his own Full Pupp label. He graciously lets his guests go first, with Melkeveien bringing us blissed-out Scandolearic throbber 'Thirst Issues' and Sprutbass blending flutes and electro synths on 'Reddik'. Then it's Thomas's turn, as he serves up 'Bybass', a breakbeat-driven funker with more 80s-sounding synths, and 'Ansjless', a much housier drum cut that nods to vintage Chi-town and gets ever more frantic as it progresses.
Review: Norwegian Pandreas last appeared on local imprint Maksimal with some spacey nu-disco business. He's finally hit the big time: if an EP for local powerhouse Full Pupp qualifies? We sure think it does. The Bergen native throws down a wicked EP following up great EPs by Velfred, Chmmr and label boss Prins Thomas. High octane opener "Trommer Traumer" gets things off to a good start, title track "Back 2 School" is a bleepy jackathon using a sick 303 acid bassline. "Ohm" is cruise control that holds the suspense before you can drop a bigger tune and finally "R.G." is the deepest of the bunch: lo-slung and perfect for the early evening or sunrise set alike.
Review: Working as a companion to his recent self-titled album, these three tracks from the same sessions find a home on this sprightly release on Thomas' own Full Pupp imprint. Title tune "Morfar" fits in with the motorik grooves that dominate on the album - a rock-steady bassline (which sounds weirdly similar to The Beatles' "Ob-La-Di") and disco-rock drums make it a post-rock, post-disco odyssey."Atter En Trall" is a tasty nu-disco number while Kukkelure is just plain funky!
Review: A decade after opening its' doors, Prins Thomas' Full Pupp label - a long-running showcase for Norwegian talent - has reached 50 releases. Fittingly, the imprint's figurehead has decided to mark the occasion with a double-pack of his own material - his most expansive offering since the Prins Thomas III LP in 2014. Highlights are plentiful, from the fluid, broken rhythms, undulating electronics and bubbling acid lines of the quietly grandiose "Meiro", and trance-inducing, dark nu-disco of "Trans (12" Version)", to the Chicago acid-influenced dancefloor wonkiness of "Toransu". The package also contains a tasty "bonus beat" rub of one of the tracks, and previously unheard remixes from Chmmr and Kort.
Review: Prins Thomas's pleasingly varied production career takes another twist here. Having variously helped to define the Scandolearic disco sound, paid tribute to wonky krautrock workouts and recorded some of the best ambient music of the last few years, the Oslo producer has decided to take a different path on "Edmond". An epic split into two parts, "Edmond" combines dense, Sotofett/Bjorj Torske style hand percussion work, electrofunk influenced synths and the producer's usual picturesque melodies to predictably brilliant effect. There's more percussive fun to be had on the wonky, bass-heavy and trippy flipside "Montague Grant", which smothers layered tribal percussion in trippy acid lines, delay-laden synth doodles and deep space chord sequences.
Review: While renowned for promoting a particular kind of Scandolearic disco, Prins Thomas's Full Pupp label has never shied away from mixing things up now and then. As the title suggests, Vi Kal It Asid sees Thomas gather together a bunch of like-minded misfits for a no-holds-barred trip into acid territory. The much-loved label boss kicks things off with a particularly tough, intense and gnarly acid jam - all brain-melting 303 lines and punchy percussion - before Omar V and Mario Aparicio join forces for the deeper and more psychedelic-inclined, Orbital-ish "Acidwave". Ayvind Morken does his best Phuture impression on the straightforward, but still intoxicating "Mann Not Maskin", while Trulz & Robin combine foreboding waves of trippy electronics and off-kilter drum machine hits on the "Energy Flash" influenced "Tjelvar".
Review: Truls Kvam and Robin Crafoord have been regular contributors to Prins Thomas's Full Pupp label for some time, though their last EP for the imprint dropped back in 2014. There's much to admire about the Kua EP, which boasts a trio of breezy, sun-kissed cuts in the Norwegian Scandolearic style. They begin with the fluttering synth melodies, winding lead lines, colourful electronics and tactile groove of "Elva", before exploring dark and trippy territory on the acid-flecked "Kua". Arguably best of all, though, is "Min Kjare", where ultra-deep chords and classic ambient melodies (think Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin or Plaid) recline over a clicking, minimalist house rhythm.
Review: Full Pupp boss Prins Thomas drops the first DJ friendly release on his label for some two years and it's pure dirt! There's a guttural glee to "Lang Tung Ting" which grabs you from the off and keeps you hooked throughout. Rough, gut punching drums are the perfect match for growling acid squiggles that occupy the lower reaches of the mix, with the track steadily accruing warped jacking intent as it progresses. "Tom Peng Pung" offers a shorter, more percussively inclined version on the track which just doesn't retain the same earthy joy as it's longer counterpart. The bump of "Ny Maskin" is notable for the increasingly psychedelic surges of guitar that gradually overwhelm your senses.
Review: Prins Thomas seems to have got this album making malarkey down to a fine art. Having taken what seems like an eternity to put together his 2010 debut album, Prins Thomas, he's now up to volume three in his self-titled solo series. Whereas previous albums had a crustier krautrock feel amongst the cosmic synths, Prins Thomas III is largely downtempo, delivering a range of atmospheric Scandolearic moments that recall his two full-lengths alongside pal Hans-Peter Lindstrom. As usual, there's much to enjoy, from the drifting downtempo fluidity of "Trans" and wonky leftfield disco of "Labyrinth" to the sparse off-kilter Italo of "Apne Slusa" and intoxicating Middle Eastern chug of "Arabisk Natt (Dub)". In many ways it's a muted set - by his standards, at least - but that only adds to its' lazy, hazy charm.
Review: Since playing a starring role (often alongside old pal Hans-Peter Lindstrom) in the Norwegian space disco and Scandolearic movements of the mid 2000s, Prins Thomas has wandered off in all sorts of different directions, filling his first solo LP with Krautrock-inspired darkness. This second solo album displays some of the same influences (see the post punk bass and dark percussive builds of "Peppadans 1"), while moving back towards the sound with which he made his name. It's an interesting mix, all told, encompassing intense, paranoid moods ("Bobletekno (Permiks)"), sparse percussive workouts ("Bom Bom"), and shimmering Scandolearic builders (the how do you pronounce "Symfonisj Utviklingschemming"), all wrapped up in his trademark prog rock-influenced production.
Review: It would be fair to say that Tom Dragebo isn't one of Oslo's better-known producers. The How Long EP is his first release for six years and could well contain his strongest work to date. There's a druggy and dubbed-out feel to opener "How Long", where grizzly, rock style vocal samples and ragged acid lines ride a groove partly inspired by Prins Thomas classic "Fehrara". Fittingly, Thomas makes the track looser, warmer and more loved-up on his accompanying "Discomiks". Dragebo's love of TB-303 acid lines and LFO style bleeps comes to the fore on "Perler For Svin", which comes backed by a ridiculously wild, wayward and distorted Prins Thomas interpretation. Great stuff all told.
