Review: Lakeshouse - On Verda Mi (Paper Recordings)

We are told, "Lakeshouse are the new school Norwegian collective who distil a rich heritage of Scandinavian disco and electronica into 12 dazzling cuts" - prepare to be dazzled!  And confused?

The 'Inspector Norse' phenomenon that gave us Todd Terje, Lindrøm and all things Prins Thomas and Full Plupp et al that moved the centre of dance music quite a few degrees north towards Oslo after Bugge Wesseltoft and Jazzland did the same a decade or so before them.  And whilst all this has been going on, Paper Recordings have been keeping their eyes close to the Olso tundra and found Lakeshouse back in 2019 ffor their debut EP.

Lakehouse is a trio collective of Djs and jazz musicians who have space in their house from disco to OST beng leftfield and all they touch, which is the essence of 'On Verda Mi'. And with that knowledge, the album doesn't sound as angular as on first listen: you could say it playfulaly messes with you senses into post-Norse world starting with 'Ubergrensa Harmoni'.

I hope 'Evig Kjærleik' gets loads of radio plays for the non-nordic pronunciation of the title and the slighty warped intro of 'Tales Of The Unexpected' before it goes all vocoder space-funk house thru' "80s Nintendo" vision: see what I mean, sounds an odd combo except as underground Daft Punk rocker.

Chances are you'll be singing along to 'Eg Står opp i Dag' this party season as it's the most Daft-Punked whilst 'La Playa' is at the Lakeshouse Italo-White isle crazy folk fiddle in the jazz bop da, da, da dah. "Disco"!  I thought that would be ideal for a longer edit/remix if you want to go down that road, don't forget our Lakeshoue 'introducion' with the single, 'Renate's Dans' (with Hot Toddy & Gouldian Finch Remixes - see review HERE) where the original is that mix of Synth does Classics vs. 70s TV theme as Stars On 45: don't be scared it's fully in tune with the rest of the album.

The most immediate track is the pumpin' 'Nitti' (Ed. no gritti then?) and if you have "Weeds Up To Me Knees". you'll go for the slow samba beats of 'Secret Plants' which is even a bit leftfield for these guys with a little bit of harp-hip-hop, but who knows what they're growing in their back garden.

If you want a football analogy, this is like a mid-week European-away trip where the club has just relaid a 4G pitch without telling anyone in the middle of the night and then go on to win the game and the cup.  Not the best I've come up with but, as they say, "Watch this space because Lakeshouse are coming!"

N.B. For more Norwegian extremes, we're interviewed Third Attempt on YATM (see interview HERE) to the other extreme, for some real obscure Norwegain, keep an eye on the Norske Albumkassikere label that crowd funds re-issues, although no idea wthy there was a renewed interest last year to revive Vömmöl Spellmannslag's 'Vømmøl Kommune' apart from all them 'o's?

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER:  Om Verda Mi by Lakeshouse

Artist: Lakehouse 

Title: On Verda Mi

Release date: 29th October, 2025

Label : Paper Recordings
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:   Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Flash Atkins All Stars - Sanza Mibale Ya Bo Pemi EP1 (Paper Recordings)

It's usually a derogatory term to be labeled 'FLASH' but not in the case of Flash Atkins as he's put together a All Star team headed by Felix Ngindu with four cutting edge versions of 'Sanza Mibale Ya Bo Pemi' that are the essence of 'Afro-Disco' golden era.

If you missed the 70s New York Disco excess of Studio 54 and the influx of Afro influence, particularly Nigeria and Ghana, there is no need to worry as Felix Ngindu (who sings in his native Lingala language from DRC) with a the Osibisa/Kuti/AWB street jazz-funkin band is on fire.

There's the original version and a dub plus a Bosq remix as a 'Boogie Bounce' and a 'Boogie Bounce Dub' and all four tracks are hostage to the (Hot Damn!) Haggis Horn duo of Atholl Ransome (sax) and Malcolm Strachan (trumpet/trombone).

Love the heavy congos and bass on the Flash Dub and it's almost retro-Funkadelic (I'm told the 'Weatherall' crew are including a Funkadelic track a compilation so Brit-funk is getting trendy again?) whilst Bosq has a whole history of his own when n it comes to tropical disco funk having previously worked with The Ibibio Horns and on the remix, case in point, Borka & The Gang's 'Tem Que Sonhar' (see review HERE)

So I can see why Paper Recordings thought it was a good idea to BOSQ on board but they could have phoned Weedyman (after his “Kananga’s Revenge” EP - see review HERE) or Lakeshouse (after 'Renate's Dan' with Hot Toddy & Gouldian Finch Remixes - see review HERE); well, you never know there's time yet.

BUY LINK:  All Stars EP 1: Sanza Mibale Ya Bo Pemi | Flash Atkins

Artist: Flash Atkins All Stars 

Title: Sanza Mibale Ya Bo Pemi EP1

Release date: 29th September 2025

Label : Paper Recordings
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:  12" Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Lakeshouse - Renate's Dans (Hot Toddy & Gouldian Finch Remixes) (Paper Recordings)

For fans of the always classic synth-pop, novelty instrumental 'Popcorn', the Norwegian leftfield band Lakeshouse, have take this style one step onto nu-disco, one step Italo and one step house to leave a dancefloor as hot buttered as you'd want to see it.

It's hard to imagine that the rest of the forthcoming album by the band is as bonkers good as the title track 'Renate's Dans' is such such fun as it is, Daft Punk meets a disco Wendy Carlos anyone?  But you never know with Norwegians, from Espen Horne to Unionen, what's going to move the dancefloor - for further digging on this subject check out our interview with Third Attempt (aka Torje Fagertun Splide - see HERE).

So I can see why Paper Recordings thought it was a good idea to get some 'safe hands' on some remix action.  

Well, I say "safe" as if you're still in love with Georgio Moroder (in his Ms. Summer period). Crazy P's Hot Toddy gets this instrumental into a main room with some big synth action that'll go mental.

And with that in mind, the main songwriter in Jaga Jazzist, Martin Horntveth (aka Gouldian Finch - Ed. sounds a bit Hogwarts?) really goes leftfield and ends up well outside the tent clutching on the guide ropes for dear life in a space ship fuelled on ambient techno free jazz with Solar 360 lighting showing us the way.

It's been over ten years since Todd Terje's classic disco jazz fusion classic 'Inspector Norse' and this could be just a big!  Even a Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conception Of Jazz re-conceptualised?

BUY LINK:  Lakeshouse - Renate's Dans [Paper Recordings] | Music & Downloads on Beatport

Artist: Lakeshouse

Title: Renate's Dans 

Release date: 9th July, 2025

Label : Paper Recordings
Catalog Number : SQR014
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review Weedyman - “Kananga’s Revenge” EP (Paper Recordings)

There’s more than an even chance that you’re well aware of Weedyman‘s re-edit work and an even better one that you have a few Paper Recordings releases - but the forthcoming “Kananga’s Revenge” EP (released April 2nd) is the first time they've appeared in public together.  And it’s one hell of a way to start a relationship.

As Weedyman tells it, the impetus behind this release was a desire to create new music by working in a different way;  lead track BMBJ started as an exercise in programming bongos from scratch with a distinctly “played by humans” feel .  What hasn't been fully revealed as yet is how it then grew into the deep, gorgeous and sure to be massive chugging disco/ house monster that it now is. And it’s definitely going to be huge.

Second cut “Ondo Ondo Anda” is a prime piece of compelling, hook filled and hypnotic house with naggingly familiar elements that somehow manages to add layer on layer without ever becoming crowded or losing its melodic feel.  It’s another excellent cut that practically demands to be played out immediately.

Which could also easily be said about both versions of the final tune “Feel It”, which comes in “Original” and “Leon Sweet Double Drop Remix” flavours. Weedyman’s original version marries warm pads and a bubbling bass line with intricate percussion to create a great mid tempo stepper that ramps up a level when the vocal sample hits, followed by a subtle acid burble that gradually comes to dominate as the other elements recede. Leon Sweet’s “Double Drop Remix” (what can he mean?) strips things back a bit, adding guitar chops and a funkier but breezy feel that leads to a more insistent but still gentle acid take over - it’s going to sound equally ace in the sun or towards the end of a long night.

Incidentally,  Weedyman says the initial idea to create all this came to him on a train journey, possibly influenced by “listening to some Underworld and early 90s Dub House disco”...  Given the fantastic result, is anyone else up for chipping in to buy him a season ticket and a shed load of compilations?

Weedyman “Kananga’s Revenge” EP – Paper Recordings is released April 2nd 2015