Prins Thomas and Moscoman in Berlin

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  • Saturday night at Salon Zur Wilden Renate began with a screening of Northern Disco Lights, a 2016 documentary that charts the emergence of Norway's cosmic disco sound and its subsequent flourish onto the world stage. This was followed by a party featuring figures central to that scene, artists like Prins Thomas, DJ Fett Burger and Rune Lindbæk. Joining the long list of Norwegian acts was Renate regular Moscoman, who was down for a four-hour closing slot. After a quick scout through the club's warren of corridors, I made my way down to Schwarzer Raum, a dark rectangular space on the ground floor. The room was simmering as DJ Fett Burger sewed together timeless hits (David Bowie's "Modern Love") with soulful house (Slow Supreme's "Green Tea"). At one point, he unleashed Sparque's feel-good smash "Let's Go Dancin'" and the atmosphere in the room exploded. Prins Thomas was waiting in the wings ahead of his 4 AM start. Leading the applause for his fellow countryman, he sauntered up to the decks, lit a cigarette and shot a knowing glance at the audience. His set was space disco at its finest, all arpeggiated synths and tight percussion. I had a moment when he dropped Joakim's glorious remix of Max Berlin's "Elle Et Moi" and, judging by the sweaty crowd's reaction, I wasn't the only one. Thomas finished with an uninterrupted play of Pépé Bradock's "Deep Burnt," a neat end to a spotless performance. Upstairs, Rune Lindbæk's stint in the snug Roter Raum was coming to an end. His choice of obscure cuts paved the way nicely for Moscoman, who began at 8 AM. There weren't many punters left by this point, though it was clear that the few who remained were in it for the long haul. Øyvind Morken and Jarle Bråthen, two DJs who'd played earlier, joined Lindbæk on the dance floor as Moscoman dug deep into his collection of Middle Eastern-flavoured jams. For the final hour, he changed tack, somehow finding room for Wham!'s "Everything She Wants" and Dennis Parker's "Like An Eagle." Something about hearing these tunes at that time in the morning made perfect sense.
RA