- Mungolian Jetset have always seen themselves as outsiders, the weirdo cousins to Oslo's "holy trinity." And yet with all the leftfield eccentricities, their music often fell in the shadow of Prins Thomas, Lindstrøm and Todd Terje—after all, it's still space-disco no matter how far out there it goes. On A City So Convenient, Mungolian Jetset's first record since 2012, Knut Sævik and Pål Nyhus seem to embrace the sound, releasing four tame, uncluttered tracks in the Nordic disco tradition. Turns out they can play it straight quite well.
There couldn't be a better song to set the EP's tone than "Quintessential Trips To Bergen." Funky and bright dance music as true to the Norwegian school as can be, it could soundtrack an afternoon train ride through the countryside or give an easygoing house mix some extra propulsion. The title track follows suit, albeit with a restrained energy and wider instrumental palette; the strings add dramatic flair to an otherwise uncomplicated song. "San Frisco Speedhall" is more techno-centric than the rest, but the duo's buoyant rhythms and starry melodicism win out over the low-end throb. Reprising those ideas for something more slippery, "San Disco Speedhall" grooves around a meaty disco bassline with its ubiquitous accoutrements—hand claps, bells, synth arps, woodblocks, etc. It's both uninspiring and satisfying for its simplicity.
TracklistA1 Quintessential Trips To Bergen
A2 A City So Convenient
B1 San Frisco Speedhall
B2 San Disco Speedhall