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: Synthy, suitably spaced-out nu-disco is the order of the day on this three-tracker from Mexican duo Zombies In Miami, which is brought to you by Norway's Internasjonal label. 'Real De Catorce' opens proceedings, underpinned throughout by panned percussion and a pulsing two-note bassline while six-string flutterings and space-y 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'-like pads play on top. 'Space Is The Place' itself is a breakbeat-led concoction with more sci-fi synths and a rave-y buzz bassline, while completing the EP is 'Walking To Xilita', which brings yet more synth-bass and cinematic 'space' FX.
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: Given the fact that his first collaborative released dropped on 20:20 Vision way back in 2005, it's a surprise to find that Kosmiquest marks Gabriele 'Lele' Sacchi's full solo debut. Happily, the Milanese producer is in fine form, delivering an attractive blend of rubbery, synth-heavy bottom end, loose grooves, rough-cut disco touches and Kosmiche influences for Prins Thomas' long running International Feel label. The latter provides a typically epic and eccentric remix, adding a touch of acid and other psychedelic flourishes on a version that's notably Balearic in feel. The package's other rework comes from Philip Lauer, whose glassy-eyed, sunset deep house revision makes great use of bubbling acid bass, sweeping chords and tactile melodies.
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.
Weekend Lights (Axel Boman's Trans Migg Upp remix) - (13:20) 122 BPM
Review: It's been a long time between drinks for Japanese duo Traks Boys, whose last single dropped on Internasjonal way back in 2010. Happily, their return to action is something of a triumph. Turn your attention first to lead cut "Be With U", a thrillingly choppy and thrusting, off-kilter house cut where stabbing vocal samples, jumpy riffs and starry synth lines ride a bustling groove. Arguably even better, though, is "Weekend Lights", a gorgeously sunny, Balearic house excursion that sounds like the perfect accompaniment to a lingering Adriatic sunrise. Axel Boman's accompanying remix of the latter track, a meandering, loose and gently melodious affair that stretches to 13 minutes, is also superb.
Review: Long before nu disco, edits and hipster beards became trendy, there was The Emperor Machine. Andy Meecham's studio project yielded a series of albums and EPs worth of oddball electronic disco, first on J Saul Kane's DC and then Southern Fried. After a short break, Meecham is back and never sounded so relevant. "2500 Edit" is a stuttering, atonal groove, while "System 700 Jam" sees him up the ante with a bleep-heavy, jacking groove. Label owner Prins Thomas delivers a more streamlined take on "2500" with a rolling, percussive take, before Meecham descends back into weirdness with the lo-fi, discordant "System 100 Jam".
Review: The latest missive on Prins Thomas's Internasjonal label comes from previously unheralded trio Midnight Dicers, whose members include sometime Mahogani Music and Strictly Rhythm man Obas Nenor. Their original version, which boasts a pleasingly wonky vocal from Samy Morpheus, is pleasingly trippy, with psychedelic, effects-laden guitars crowding round a low-slung, pitched-down punk-funk groove. The headline remix comes from Ivan Smagghe and regular collaborator Rupert Cross, who serve up a more heavily electronic interpretation that draws influence from Italo disco and minimal wave. Arguably even more impressive is the Prins Thomas remix, which sees the Norwegian legend take the track further into intoxicating, cosmic disco territory. The trio's throbbing and intoxicating Dub completes a superb package.
Hill Street Beat (Matt Karmil remix) - (5:42) 120 BPM
Star System - (6:46) 120 BPM
Star System (Prins Thomas remix) - (6:26) 120 BPM
Review: Cooper Saver is a Los Angeles-based DJ and producer, responsible for Far Away - a roaming party, cassette mixtape series and radio show on Dublab. He's spent a handful of years developing his sound as a busy remixer, most recognized for frequent remixes for DFA Records. It's only until now that his own original work is beginning to surface, following up tracks on Permanent Vacation is his debut 12'' on Prins Thomas' esteemed Internasjonal imprint. Features the dusted down yet still dirty acid jack of "Hill Street Beat". The ever impressive Brit Mat Karmil (Endless Flight) goes deeper on his rework of the track up next, then this is followed by the tunnelling EBM/techno crossover of "Star System" - which gets reworked by label boss Thomas with more dancefloor dynamics on his respectful remix.
Review: Analogue synth fetishist Andrew Meecham is back in action, delivering another EP full of wayward electronic treats under the now familiar Emperor Machine alias. Like its predecessor, release back in December 2016, 2500 Volume 2 is full of off-kilter treats that sound like the product of late night hardware jams. Check, for example, the fizzing, intergalactic electronics, bass-heavy thrust and acid-flecked drive of intense opener "U.M.O" and the John Carpenter-goes-to-Croatia synth-scape "Back to Bali". Arguably best of all, though, is the feverish late night workout "Africa V2", in which drum machine poly-rhythms are peppered with mind-bending noises and foreboding modular motifs. Wolf Muller's remix of that track, which blends Meecham's wild electronics with the German producer's own organic drums, is arguably even better.
Review: If deep house of the variety that's best enjoyed from a sofa-based and herbally enhanced perspective is your bag, then check for this long-player by Italy's Daniele Tomassini, AKA Feel Fly, immediately! From the midtempo throb of opener 'Il Teorama Del Delirio', via the spaced-out near-ambience of the title track, the warm-up friendly pulsations of 'Dromo Celeste' and the sheer luxuriance of 'Arpini', to the more urgent, blissed-out 'Endless Truth' and 'Brzone23', it's a masterclass in mellow, late-night listening, and impeccably programmed so as to provide the perfect soundtrack to your next voyage into inner space.
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.
