Reverb is a weekly collaborative music review within the Arts section that explores new albums and covers new artists, whether indie or mainstream. Our goal is to explore and examine everything that modern music has to offer and to educate anyone who cares.
It’s been a solid 30 years since the '80s were cool, but thank the heavens, they are back with a vengeance. Popular culture, specifically music, has been highly saturated with references, shoutouts and allusions to the decade of Reebok Pumps, mullets and Soviet state collapse. Everything from Taylor Swift’s "1989" album to Lorde’s cover of Tears For Fears' “Everybody Wants to Rule the World ” (1985) has been coated with a thin layer of nostalgia and synth deliciousness -- never mind the fact that Lorde was born six long years after the '80s ended -- in this case she didn’t have to be there to remember. But of all these nostalgic, synth-infused throwbacks, one stands tall over the rest, and he is a Norwegian DJ with great facial hair.
Todd Terje is the mastermind behind “It’s Album Time” (2014), an album so magnificently '80s it had to be produced a total of 24 years after the decade came to a close. But it is perhaps the introspection and distance that makes the album’s sound so unique. The album’s opening track is “Intro (It’s Album Time).” The name sounds a little comedic without some background. Terje has been creating songs and mixes with an eclectic mix of European indie artists (the list includes artists from Lindstrom to Franz Ferdinand), producing a single or short EP every couple years or so. His 2012 EP, "It’s the Arps," is particularly notable. Fortunately for us, he has now decided it is time for a sit-down-and-listen-but-also-dance-your-butt-off full LP. The opening track then serves almost as a PSA: Todd Terje is here, and he’s having more fun than you. The song oozes with sounds of disco, fake synth horns and a raspy male voice that whispers, “It’s album time.” It is only fitting that the track ends with the sounds of a literal explosion.
The second and third tracks on the album serve as one long medley, supposedly documenting the evolving madness of a character named Preben. The two tracks interplay between synths, drums and a small violin section, all of which blend beautifully to make a delightfully danceable track. The next several tracks explore and borrow from a variety of genres, from the tango goofiness of “Svensk Sas” to the driving '80s soundtrack feel of “Delorean Dynamite.” The album takes a quick breather in the form of a tender cover of Robert Palmer's “Johnny and Mary” (1980). The track explores the complicated relationship between a couple who seem delightfully surprised by the weight of adulthood and the need to face failure and unmet expectations. This is also the only song on the album that includes any lyrics.
The album resumes its giddy, danceable synth feeling immediately, with the salsa tune “Alfonso Muskedunder.” The song is fast paced, quickly changing and bursting with Terje’s distinct style of decorating songs with a host of quirky synth sounds. The album goes on with equally elaborate and danceable tracks named “Swing Star” (parts 1 and 2) and “Oh Joy.” There’s something distinctly cheesy about these tracks -- from their sound and name, the tracks seem to embody the accepted silliness of Terje’s production.
The album closes with what could be called the best dance song of the decade so far, the electronic tour-de-force “Inspector Norse,” supposedly inspired by the internet alias of another Norwegian producer. The song is cheerful, albeit slightly melancholic -- playing out like a disappointing drug trip. The synthesizer sounds are clean like a strobe light, but dirty like a dancefloor after closing time -- it’s a great song.
This is perhaps the genius of Todd Terje; each song has a unique sound and is produced elegantly to sound effortless. It’s important to note, however, that Terje didn’t set out to make a well-produced album or elaborate on any interplay between light and dark. During an interview with Juno Plus, he said, “I prefer to have fun, play around and see what happy accidents occur.” Indeed, his songs do not condescend or seek a higher purpose. They are just there, as nuggets of dance sensibilities and '80s synth magic.
Artist Spotlight: Todd Terje
Electronic producer Todd Terje shines on his nostalgic 2014 album, his first full-length.
