Lindstrøm

Where You Go I Go Too

(Feedelity)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Norwegian producer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm scored big raves with his 2006 collection It’s A Feedelity Affair, which gathered his greatest “space disco” tracks on a single disc.  Where You Go I Go Too is a different sort of beast – a proper album – and therefore may not have the versatility or minute-by-minute immediacy of Feedelity.  But it’s certainly another feather in his cap, particularly the nearly half-hour title track.  Yes, nearly half-hour.  Despite a scant-seeming three tracks, Where You Go I Go Too spans over 55 minutes.  The shape-shifting title track is worth the price of admission, and serves as a reminder that musical storytellers don’t always carry guitars – or even write lyrics.

Hardly an album that can be summed up by a few 30-second clips, Where You Go I Go Too starts slow – really slow – and then patiently unfurls into the sort of politely urgent feel-good dance music that Lindstrøm crafts so well.  Then it winds itself down again, seeming sure to recede into the distance, before accelerating again for its rousing (but not excessive) climax.  When you’re making mixes for your friends, long tracks can be killers – but you can easily make a case for using up 29 minutes of your “Best Electronic Music of 2008” mix on “Where You Go I Go Too.”

Middle track “Grand Ideas” is a bit of a place holder – and, at 10 minutes, practically an interlude.  The buildup is again drawn out, but this time is more predictable – albeit a contrast in style to its surroundings.  “The Long Way Home” again stretches out, showing itself utterly unafraid of embracing some cheeseball flourishes around its midpoint.  The effect can be off-putting at first – especially as it’s not a mere fleeting moment – but, like Where You Go I Go Too, it gains power from repeated plays and from taking a step back to observe the full A-to-Z arc.

Lindstrøm knew that album wasn’t going to be for everyone or be for every circumstance.  “It’s perfect for a long walk with headphones or when travelling by train or airplane.”  He’s right, of course – although it may also be perfectly suited for a lounging session with headphones, there’s something fitting about the listener being in motion as Where You Go I Go Too twists and turns.