diskJokke: Staying In
The most striking attribute of Norwegian space-disco is the brazenness with which it buzzes the tower of all that could be cheesy and overwrought in the notion of “space-disco,” whether from Norway or not. To be sure, the beats and atmospheres of diskJokke tend toward what could be called tacky extremes. But there’s also a darkness to them–a fertile sense of mood that amplifies dance-floor energy as well as the kind of pathos that adds a little something extra. The title track of “Staying In” strikes a common festive tone with horns laid over haunting synths, but brasher tracks like “I Was Go To Marrocco And I Don’t See You” better emphasize diskJokke’s exactingness as a producer. Moreso than Lindstrom or Prins Thomas (two other exemplars of the Oslo disco scene), diskJokke likes to bang substantial beats together and focus on the details of what happens as a result. It can be strictly rhythmic or more generally emotive–most often both.