Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas

by Ned RaggettAfter having remixed what seems like half the known universe, electronically speaking, Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas' debut album is on the one hand unsurprising, but on the other hand exactly what one would want from them: sleek, shimmering grooves that are never quite either '60s or '70s or '80s or beyond, just a shifting, enjoyable mélange. The way "Forelopig Bit" calls to mind everything from Hot Butter's "Popcorn" to bubbly Balearic house and back again is part of its charm -- whatever dancefloor it fills seems like one that hosts a moveable feast. The various backward glances throughout are hardly hidden (calling the third track "Boney M Down" is as dead a giveaway as any), but even something like "Don O Van Budd," which could be a Beach Boys nod, an Air one, or both, feels just right for its reflective context. Meanwhile, the addition of soft guitar parts, acoustic and electric, to many songs further expands the album's range; on songs where it's the lead instrument, such as "Feel Am," where electric guitar essentially provides the rhythm, the duo carefully turn the expectations of what the album should be on its head. By eschewing rough edges and emphasizing a more fluid sound, arguably the duo leaves itself open to charges it revives the cul-de-sac of more tasteful techno that was increasingly blown out of the water by the eruption of hardcore and jungle in the early '90s -- and it does feel a bit too long in end, a maxed-out CD where one wouldn't be needed. But there are no acid jazz 20-minute diversions that go nowhere, thankfully, and where songs like "Suppegjok" definitely are more designed for chilling than raving, when the darker bass comes in on "Turkish Delight" and the peppier beats on "Plukk Og Pire," things are far from somnolent.