Norwegian wunderkind of nu-disco Hans-Peter Lindstrøm has kept pretty busy since his 2008 breakout LP Where You Go I Go Too. Smalhans marks the producer’s second full-length of 2012, following the surprisingly proggish and poppy Six Cups of Rebel (also on Smalltown Supersound) and a handful of rewarding collaborative efforts with singer Christabelle and fellow disco cosmonaut Prins Thomas.
The six-song suite here launches with “Rà-Àkõ-St,” an upbeat burner that channels John Carpenter at the height of his suspenseful film score canon (but more Saturday Night Fever than Assault on Precinct 13). From there, the tracks pump along at the same hurried but not urgent pace, without letting the smoke clear for even a moment.
While Where You Go‘s three songs centered around the half-hour title track and experimented with long-form payoff, Smalhans feels like a seamless mix with each part bringing its own character and mini-climax. “Vos-Sako-Rv” is a neon blur mixing Daft Punk’s anonymous flair with The Juan MacLean-inspired icy synths, perfect for the dance floor
With the album, Lindstrøm cements himself as an auteur of synths and modular disco, singlehandedly carrying on an entire genre DFA only made popular as a niche sound.
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