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Music

Norwegian Producer Prins Thomas Shares Stream of His Ambitious New Album

'Principe Del Norte' is over 100 minutes and touches upon everything from IDM to Brian Eno.
Album art courtesy of Smalltown Supersound

Thomas Moen Hermansen, aka Prins Thomas, is something of a legendary producer in Norway. He has worked with two of Norway's biggest producers, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm and Todd Terje, both of whom have been met with international acclaim. Now Thomas, who has a clutch of previously released solo albums, is poised to make a similar jump to the big leagues with his newest work, Principe Del Norte.

The producer forges an wholly original sound by twisting his space disco roots into something that pays homage to the inventiveness of 90s IDM, the warmth and spirit of 70s German electronic music, and the aesthetics of Brian Eno's early work. Syncopated vintage synths are the primary guide through much of Principe Del Norte; a drumbeat doesn't really drop until almost an hour into the album. By then we've been taken on a long voyage into the ambient cosmos and back, and by long we mean an album spread over 4 vinyl records. Thomas said in a press release that this ambitious project is an ode to "the brain dance [music] of the 90s" of which he shied away from his "space disco" label by all but dropping his usual front and center percussion. With abecedarian track titles derived from the record side they fall on (literally: A1, A2, B, C, D, E, F, and G — ), it's clear that Thomas just wants you to enjoy the ride and party upon the landing.

Principe Del Norte is out February 19 on Smalltown Supersound. Stream the album via NPR.