The sixth solo album from Norwegian producer
Prins Thomas
was built from ideas captured while on tour or at home over the course of two years. It all came together in the studio under the guidance of
Smalltown Supersound
label head
Joakim Haugland
.
Ambitions
follows in the direction of 2015's ambient house opus
Principe del Norte
and much of
Thomas
' subsequent work, including collaborations with
Bjorn Torske
and
Bugge Wesseltoft
, keeping the hypnotic drive of his space disco sound but not focusing on club-friendly elements. "XSB" helps set the tone with a relaxed tempo, a shaker-heavy rhythm, and loose, spacy guitar notes which seem to gently float skyward. "Feel the Love" features creamy vocals sampled from a 1977 track by Euro-disco star
Alex
, setting a dazed sense of elation to a strong, propulsive beat. The stunning "Ambitions" weaves a complex web of tricky basslines, cowbells, and warm, blossoming keyboards, as well as some sneaky tones that nearly resemble cartoon sound effects. "Fra Miami til Chicago," perhaps the album's pinnacle, contains a steady minimal techno beat and rippling, airy guitars, gorgeously approximating a peaceful cross-country flight. The program concludes with "Sakral," a more pensive number featuring shimmering organs courtesy of
Wesseltoft
, and a hungrier bassline than anything else on the album.
is somewhat of a slow burner, but it's more cohesive and focused than meandering.
has a masterful way of following his muse, and the album maintains a sense of spontaneity, as well as a casual demeanor, without sacrificing high standards of craft. ~ Paul Simpson