Eclectics for cosmonauts: a Lindstrom & Prins Thomas conversation

A couple of months ago, for our november's edition of SERIE B magazine www.serieb.es, I had the opportunity to talk separately to the norwegian artists Lindstrom & Prins Thomas, who we know for their eclectic adventures into something called cosmic disco or even balearic beat. These two long dialogues became a very short article in the magazine, so once again, I've decided to run here a bigger transcript of this interview for the enjoyment of the many fans they already have around the world.

Since the release of your album in 2004 so much has happened to you two, specially in this year 2008 with more attention and credit in the media that ever before. Why do you think is that and how do you feel about it?

PRINS THOMAS: "First of all I think it has to do with luck and being there at the right time. But also when it came out maybe it wasn't yet as groundbreaking or alternative to the rest of the dance music at the time. There wasn't so much similar music released then as there is now. Actually the best sellers now are all those difficult records with edits, it's not the minimal records (with the exception of one big records that everybody likes). It's the nu-disco or Balearic records who have become very popular with the crowds. It's likable, because it's live, there's more stuff going on at the time than just the pure electronic stuff, and in one way is happy music...(laughs) Sincerely, I couldn't guess when I started that I'd be still traveling as much as I do, and running two record labels. Even after the 1st initial hype we are still doing better than before.."

LINDSTROM: "I think one of the reasons is because we are both hard working people! (laughs) Together and alone we start very early in the morning, everyday of the week. And when we are not doing that we are traveling and playing. We are both very dedicated to what we do. In success there's always a certain element of hard work. But then with the kind of music we do I guess it has been somehow gaining popularity, maybe because people are getting into that kind of disco or house disco sound..."

There's a new album coming out by the two of you, when is that and what can you tell me about it?

LINDSTROM: "Probably the beginning of 2009, but we are still looking at the right way to do it, possibly with Eskimo. We have been working wit it since 2006, it's all new work. Some of the songs we had from a long time ago and some of the work has been re-work basically... But we wanted to have a similar feel in all the tracks, so we recorded them with instruments again. The music comes from the jams in the studio or material that we didn't use in the other album."

PRINS THOMAS: "It's difficult for us to say what's different as most listeners will appreciate. In my opinion maybe the 1st album was more an experiment, moving in a new direction within the let's say dance music, trying to be more abstract. Because very often dance music is about one simple groove and a couple of loops. But we tried to go somewhere between dubstep and kind of free jamming. In the 1st album though we spent a lot of time editing everything to make it sound a bit more ordinary than the new one. If this album had been the first album it wouldn't have been maybe so popular. With this one really went out there! For example i the first album there were more house sounds which it was something I knew well, while in the new one I played more bass and drums which is something I used to do many years ago. In one way maybe I've become a better instrumentalist, but also I feel we dared to go forward, somewhere unknown with this album. There are definitely some tracks that are much harder to place while in the first album you can hear influences from different kinds of disco or other styles. Also everything is basically live in the new album."

Do you feel that your music has experienced a particular evolution along this time between albums?

LINDSTROM: "We know each other better now than we did before, we know what we want. In the 1st album it was more like a plunge that happened but know we know more what kind of feeling we are searching."

Reinterpretations in a way was like a second album, but it was a collection of out takes and versions of other material.

PRINS THOMAS: "Well we have more or less the same problem with the new album because we had like three hours of music, and then we had to sit down and choose 80 minutes that can work in one go, and it was quite difficult because there has to be a balance and it must be solid from beginning to end. And it that respect there no use to have three good but identical tracks when you can show more variety and be more exciting..."

And what brought you together, what got you close as possible partners?

PRINS THOMAS: "In my case is easy to explain why I wanted to start this adventure because after many years of djing and playing in different bands it felt natural to go back and start creating music, to be more than just a dj. Also as a dj you move from different styles and records you have with you but I felt there was a kind of sound or record I couldn't find in a shop. And when I started working with Hans Peter (Lindstrom) it was because he asked me to do a remix of one of his tracks, and I did in a kind of amateurish way but we ended up feeling very happy with the mix, so we decided to do more steps together. Initially he would play all the instruments and I would take care of the arrangements to get something out of it. But we found out very soon that it as more fun to get together in the studio and start jamming, just being totally free and try to work in the studio. And that's what we have been together from the beginning: it's always about the freedom. Like we have these unwritten rules where, for example, we never turned down the other person's ideas: we always try out. Because when we work alone we can do whatever we want but when working together we have a more democratic approach".

LINDSTROM: "I was very aware of the musical knowledge Thomas possesses as a Dj and also he would play all kinds of music, pop, rock, all kinds. And I was very fascinated about music in general. And I was looking for somebody who would also like to work hard, and when we got together it worked!

And how did you designed the sound for the collaboration? Did you both like the same bands, did you miss a certain sound?

LINDSTROM: "In my case I wanted to learn from his knowledge, and although I started as a Dj I realized I could never be as good as I wanted."

At this point, the rest of the questions are answered by Lindstrom. So are you more the instruments guy and he's more the dance angle or how does it work?
That's how we started. He used to play in bands before, then he stopped and moved to djing. While I've always been involved in bands. So I think he wanted to be involved in bands and not just djing. We both bring ideas to the studio and we work from there, sometimes from a sound, or a rhythm jam.
How much do you work with instruments?

In the new album almost everything is based on live instruments, even synthesizers. But then everything is layered in the computer. The thing is we are not such greats instrumentalists so we sometimes have to cut and paste parts of the songs to make it work (laughs)

You seem to be a man who likes the synthesizers sounds from the 80's, from Tangerine Dream to Steps Ahead, or even bands like It's Immaterial. Are there references for you two or are they just familiarities we feel when we listen to your music?

I guess some of the sounds come from the 80's but if you think abut that time there must be 50 thousand different sounds. I listen to the music I like without the intention to follow it, and it's always about the combination and how do you process the sounds without accumulation. I like using those sounds in another context. I can understand when people identify those sounds from the 80's because there are quite a few, but I don't try to make an exact copy of those sounds. And it's more interesting to do that all those plugins and sounds from today. Recording the synthesizers and then mixing them in the computer makes a different result than just working within the computer which, at the end, dealing only with hardware.

You have a lot of support from djs and people who listen to much harder electronic music, and maybe one of the reasons of your success is because you've created the kind of soundtrack that fits to listen at home, when not partying with techno... What do you think? Are you a musician's music?

I think we are both interested in not only making music for the dancefloor, and more something that you can enjoy when you listen to it with your headphones or your stereo. We wanted to make a contrast to all that Justice kind of sounds and create something more intimate.

It's interesting that there hasn't really been a big name in let's say downtempo music ever since Kruder & Dorfmeister, and maybe you are about to become the new K & D. And maybe your new album will become the new K&D Sessions...

I don't think so...
Well, just let's say “maybe” and we talk in a year's time. What I mean is if your record becomes massive and so does your sound, the K&D effect could potentially stop your career, your plans, because even you two would get fed up with the Thomas & Lindstrom sound...

I don't think it would stop us. If that was the risk that would have happened already with the kind of success we've had. But also, the thing that we enjoy the most is getting in the studio and recording, trying combinations, experimenting...

Are you going to increase the number of live shows to fight the downloading crisis records are suffering?

I don't think so. We did a lot of touring together in 2005 but I wanted to stay at home and work with music, and Thomas wanted to travel so we stopped that.
And how do you make a living?

Well, the smartest thing I ever did was to create my own label, so even when I only sell a couple of thousand records it all comes back to me so I don't have to share it with anybody. And cutting the extras a s much as you can it's possible to carry on on your own. In my case is a combination of sales, remixing and having my own salary. Really, one of the few things I don't regret is starting my own label, even learning it the hard way.

And what do you think about the link the media give you as members or creators of the nu-disco, together with people like Metro Area, Daniel Wang or Todd Terje. Is there really a movement, connected with each other?

At the beginning it was kind of nice meeting all these people, getting to know your heroes and everything, But personally I don't listen to that kind of music for inspiration or when I make my own music. I really listen to their kinds of music like Animal Collective or all kinds of indie rock. I understand why some people see the similarities but it's not really a connection.

And what is going on with music in Oslo, Is there a crazy underground music scene that we are missing and inspire you and some of your nationals or is it very much like the rest of the world?

I think is very much like the rest of the world. Most Djs are all looking to Berlin and that kind of stuff. But Norway or at least Oslo where I come from is open minded because we don´t have a tradition in dance music or electronic music, so there aren't any rules to follow, also because there are only a few people doing electronic music.