It’s back to the disco for Lindstrøm as he delivers his second album this year, a hugely impressive achievement. Where ‘Six Cups Of Rebel’ showed off his wild, psychedelic side, ‘Smalhans’ is a collection of six tracks set down with the electro-disco dancefloor fully in mind. That’s not to say there isn’t any experimentation here – there is – but it’s all done with a keen sense of the peaks and troughs of a DJ set. Lindstrøm rather cleverly unites the tracks by using a similar harmonic sequence in each one, and the music moves restlessly through its loops and riffs, with a lot of nervous energy to keep the listener locked on the rhythmic side of things. This does mean there isn’t as much variety as most Lindstrøm albums have, but when I tell you that his good friend Todd Terje is on mixing duties, that’s all you need to know as far as the rhythmic profile is concerned. Another strong addition to an increasingly essential discography.
4 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
