- As Skatebård, Bård Aasen Lødemel has been producing carefree, Italo-inspired dance music since 2002. He sticks to the same kind of synth-fueled voyages on CDIII, making use of a trusty sound palette that remains fresh despite decade-old roots. Gooey basslines, compressed drum machines and filtered chords form the record's core, while bell and flute sounds provide much of the melodic content. With that instrumentation in tow, Lødemel criss-crosses between spacey, machine-made disco and playful house.
"Love In The Night" slinks just below 110 BPM, with sludgy low end and layers of synth strings. "Palais D'Amour" picks up the tempo as it dives into cosmic Hi-NRG. Further down the line, "Naar Det Rykker I Ringen" harkens back to classic house with its big drum samples and organ bass. Closer "Loved All Day" is a moody 4/4 jaunt that brims with percussive flair and sparse, glassy melodies.
Though tracks vary in style, they share much of the same DNA. The similarities can make CDIII a bit of a slog, especially when Lødemel lets tracks stretch on unnecessarily. Opener "The Bells Of Mist" seems to arrive at a logical conclusion after six minutes, but Lødemel inexplicably brings it back to rattle on for another three, adding nothing to the mix and taking it nowhere new. Such indulgent runtimes make the album drag.
When Lødemel diverts from his established sound CDIII flows better. Songs like "Donko Donko" and "Confirmation Bias" lean into a sinister mood, adding buzz to the synth tones and using heavier drum hits. "Sequence 2" takes a brief detour into arpeggiated kosmische, while standout "Farver / Flimrer" makes a complete left turn as it rings out delay-washed guitar over a thin drum loop. But even with these changes in pace, CDIII ultimately lacks momentum. Lødemel lands on some interesting ideas and has a good deal of fun with his dance floor cuts, but none of it warrants the amount of fat that could have been trimmed.
Tracklist01. The Bells Of Mist
02. Love In The Night
03. Palais D'Amour
04. Sequence 2
05. Naar Det Rykker I Ringen
06. Donko Donko
07. Confirmation Bias
08. Farver / Flimrer
09. Why Not?
10. Loved All Day