Todd Terje - It’s Album Time

As winter slowly gives way to spring, it becomes necessary to seek out some new vibrant sounds that suggest endless illuminated vistas, sun-kissed beach parties and all manner of decadent indulgence. Well, perhaps that’s not quite what everyone wants, but in the world of Norwegian DJ and producer Todd Terje that’s what life’s all about, at least on this long awaited and glorious debut album, the brilliantly titled ‘It’s Album Time.’

This is a record that positively revels in insouciant cool and beatific disco vibes. Terje’s sound is very much rooted in the stylish space disco sound of Giorgio Moroder and here he teases his slinky disco sounds and mesmerising arpeggiated beats in all manner of directions. Perhaps, the best thing about Terje’s sound is that he makes music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a wonderfully playful quality at play that filters down to the distinctive colour explosions of his artwork. Tracks like ‘Leisure Suit Preben’ sound like soundtracks to quirky European detective dramas. It’s slinky lounge music in the best sense.

At its heart ’It’s Album Time’ is a party album. Tracks like the Latin flavoured, sax-filled ’Svensk Saas’ or the whooshing spacey funk of ’Swing Star part 2’ are outrageously good fun and will appeal to anyone who loved ‘Random Access Memories.’ As good fun as the party jams are though, there’s one heart stopping moment of reflection that truly stands out. ’Johnny and Mary’ is a cover of an old song by Robert Palmer sung in a whispered croon by Bryan Ferry, a fittingly stylish collaborator for Terje’s exuberant sound. Here though, he sounds soft, restrained and beautiful. It’s a tender moment amidst an album of ebullient joy that shows Todd Terje has that all too rare ability to both mesmerise and confound.