Thomas Jacob Jr.
Prins Thomas - Principe Del Norte + Remixed
2016
Progressive Electronic / Ambient
Small-town Supersound
Prins Thomas is a Norwegian progressive electronic musician often associated with longtime collaborator and fellow space disco cosmonaut Lindstrom. Both artists peddle in similar brands of spaced-out, long-form electronic music which incorporates elements of krautrock, house music, and minimal techno. In this respect, Principe Del Norte is a bit of an anomaly as it lunges headfirst into modern classical and spiraling ambient territory reminiscent of Philip Glass and Steve Reich. The album itself contains over an hour and a half of music, much of it devoid of drum machines. Synth lines bubble up and down, arpeggios rise and fall in the mix, and small changes to the rhythms or melodies of specific lines abound. The remix album is even longer, with cuts from experimental electronic musicians Ricardo Villalobos, Hieroglyphic Being, the Orb, and others. Many of their interpretations introduce more straight-faced house and techno elements — still a ways away from the dancefloor, but the focus on drum machine integration ensures that both the original album and the remix album feel like two completely different beasts, and two sides of the same sprawling space disco coin.


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