Norwegian (Nu) Disco: Todd Terje

Leisure suits for everyone.

Today we are listening to Todd Terje, a Norwegian electronic producer who is also trained in physics (which to be honest, isn’t particularly surprising). Like physics, Terje’s music seems to intersect with all sorts of genres. And he really seems to have an ear for distilling out the best bits of each. For our money (give us money) his sensibility captures all the fun of dance music without any of the pretense (you know who you are).

He’s rather prolific, considering he has only really released one album: 2014’s “It’s Album Time.” It opens with sparse spacey chords. Then, the drums kick in, and the energy just ramps up. Cue the repetitive chant: “it’s album time!” It’s like a glorious, modern re-imagining of the soundtrack to Leisure Suit Larry.

It’s a gem of an album.

But to really appreciate Terje’s talent, we need to dive a bit into his covers and remixes. After all, he got his start remixing old disco classics. And, as much as we love the music he makes, it’s his discernment - his ability to cherry-pick and reinterpret - that we’ve really fallen for.

First case in point: this cover of Robert Palmer’s Johnny & Mary. (Side note: If you thought Robert Palmer was just Mr. Addicted to Love, do yourself a favor and dig into his early works. You won’t be disappointed.)

First of all, Bryan Ferry?? Inspired choice. Once you hear it, you wonder how there was any other choice. But the real brilliance here is how Terje honors the underlying melancholy of the original. Palmer’s peppy backbeat notwithstanding, the story of Johnny and Mary is one of existential void, of growing old, of the interplay between constantly seeking answers and the resignation that such seeking is meaningless. Terje’s sparse instrumentation zeroes in on that melancholy; the addition of Ferry’s frail vocal track simply doubles down.

Or take his remix of Gary’s Gang’s Keep On Dancing

Here you really see his ear at play. He peels back the layers to get to the essence of the track, and then amplifies - no, concentrates - it. The result is something that’s somehow at once LESS and MORE than the original; something that’s at once modern and retro. Terje’s remix keeps the playful nature and peppy elements, but gives them more substance. This substance roots you to the dance floor, and before you know it you’re swaying in its spacey breeze. And, just at the point during the original when you might have left the dance floor to refresh your G&T, Terje adds one more layer, pulling you right back in.

Right on, Todd Terje.

And with that, friends, today we’re sliding into to 2014’s “It’s Album Time,” and Terje’s 2013 BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix.

Dig it.