Prins Thomas

III (Full Pupp)

16/20

A messenger dismounts a camel and rudely disturbs the grape feeding in our Saharan desert branch office/oasis/disco. A CD tucked into his turban reflects a sunbeam and he looks at us seriously before carefully popping it in the hi-fi.

Prins Thomas is a bit on the catch-up job following Todd Terje and Lindstrøm’s erupting contributions to the disco revival over the past few years, although they’re all still Scandinavian space disco buddies at heart. III marks a footprint away from the crisp disco of Thomas’s counterparts and another step toward the Krautrock inclinations of his previous efforts. It cycles more softly, and sounds more organic in its gradual progressions. The delay-laden flow is given a stimulating new dimension as phasing Arabian Nights-esque solos carry it along. All the while, Prins Thomas acts the hypnotist.

BPM limit is 120, and the producer has moved to now be the master of his computer, rather than working around its flaws. By avoiding a theme and succumbing to his own fancy, III is genuinely unified, maybe because each track shares a sense common how he felt at the time of writing – a diary entry never professes great insight but still might hold it. This is subtle yet engaging, utterly immersive. It’s very rare that a record manages to simultaneously lull you whilst maintaining your focus so carefully. And this is a rare album.

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Words: Henry Thomas