Lindström, Six Cups of Rebel
Featured Album
With his debut, Where You Go I Go Too, Norwegian nu-disco producer Hans-Peter Lindström proved his skill at providing sloooow aural release. Prudent when taking his synthesized melodies to the next plateau, judicious in dropping the drums — be they syn-, lin- or steel – with each subsequent release, he’s been upping the velocity. With fellow producer Prins Thomas, they went fusion-y and with singer Christabelle (on 2010′s Real Life is No Cool) he emulated ’80s pop at its crispest.
Disregard the five-minute arpeggios of opener “No Release” (truth in advertising), and Six Cups of Rebel shows Lindström at his most hyperactive. Providing his own skewed vocals for the first time, the tracks are busybody and maximal, crowding out his voice and bursting out in every direction. Prog pomp, Deep Purple toms, Italo-disco sheen and Miami Vice speedboat chase sequences all get shoehorned together. While he may wish for a “Quiet Place to Live,” the track itself is a jumble of ’80s guitar wank and pinwheeling melodies that might irk the neighbors. The sugary gush of “De Javu” emulates Prince so expertly, one almost expects to hear a falsetto voice at one point chirp out “controversy.” It’s an exhilarating if exhausting listen, so that by the time of the epic build on “Hina,” the slightly slower speed offers an even sweeter release.
