- James Last, the late easy-listening singer and bandleader from Germany, was renowned for making "happy music." As Full Pupp edges towards its 50th release with debutant Pelifics, I'd say Prins Thomas's label has done a lot to earn the same distinction. Every note of chrome-finished arpeggio and gentle glockenspiel chime on Todd Terje's Eurodans is as giddy as the first hour of a summer holiday; when the fat disco drums and laser melodies of fellow Norwegians Blackbelt Andersen and Øyvind Morken fall short of euphoria, they happily land on contentment.
Likewise, Capitello is a lot of fun, but it works hard to maintain its easygoing demeanour. The title track mines the generous electro-funk and R&B of West Coast boogie, as does "Voyage," a lean, punchy house track pushed along by slap bass, cowbells and synth notes that bounce off the beat like Super Mario. "Capitello" gets two remixes, both of which tease out a different mood from the source material. CHMMR reduces "Capitello" to an austere funk jam with a rubbery bassline. Credited here as DJ Fett Birger, DJ Fett Burger's drip-drop skin percussion and rearranged synth line simmers down the original, too, but only slightly. Where "Capitello" sounds as if it's reveling in a moment of joy, DJ Fett Burger's remix captures the anticipation of it.
TracklistA1 Capitello
A2 Capitello (CHMMR Remix)
B1 Capitello (DJ Fett Birgers Mosseporten Ghetto Mix)
B2 Voyage