Todd Terje – It’s Album Time (Olsen Records)

Todd Terje – It’s Album Time (Olsen Records)

It’s Album Time, and not a moment too soon. After a decade of bubbling his way up through the ranks, Todd Terje turned his playful gurgles loose on a full-length project, and holy shit was it worth the wait. The Norwegian disco-house auteur made a dance music odyssey that felt like a cartoon, and not just because the album cover was a colorful doodle. There’s a giddiness in these songs that often gets squashed out in the pursuit of Serious Electronic Music. Yet It’s Album Time isn’t mere kids stuff. It has the air of a spectacular night out, every track fizzing and sloshing its way around the edge of a glass until it spills over into euphoria. They flow into each other expertly, too, playing out with a feel for mood and pacing so that the album never seems to get old. Even without ace 2012 single “Inspector Norse” tacked onto the end as an exclamation point, it’s a wonderful ride. –Chris [LISTEN]