The Norwegian Lord of the Disco, Prins Thomas, put on a clinic in the Spiegeltent as a part of the Fringe World Festival last Wednesday night. While widely accepted as a master of production, giving rise to stunning, Balearic influenced remixes for the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Doves, Ali Love and more recently DJ Harvey’s alter ego, Locussolus, he’s also produced a number of original tracks, including an LP, and has a plethora of collaborated releases with fellow Nord, Hans Peter Lindstrom.

On arrival at the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre, I felt nervous. The crowd seemed small and somewhat stand-off-ish, with the majority of attendees lounging outside rather than in the air-conditioned tent. I was aware the event had been advertised as a not-to-be-missed, intimate show, and that it had sold out – fittingly, the crowd quickly built and became eagerly involved. Originally scheduled for a one and a half hour set, from 10:30 until midnight, I was relieved to hear from the promoter, Craig Hollywood, that the license of the tent had been specially extended and the great Prins Thomas would be seducing our aural senses until 2am.

As openers The Monarchy wrapped up their set, Prins emerged, beginning his set on CDJs. It was clear we were observing a perfectionist – during his opening couple of tracks he produced what appeared to be some folded up shirts that he used to raise and pad the turntables in attempt to, I presume, increase shock absorption, maximizing the quality of the sound. That was lesson in itself.

For the next three and a half hours, Prins flawlessly weaved a set where the beginnings created a steady inflow of people into the tent. It was a small crowd but a good one, and everyone seemed to appreciate the man behind the music. His sets can only be described as eclectic as he bends between more obscure to nu disco, house, Balearic, and even a tad of Kraut rock.

Some less known tracks left people steadily bobbing their heads while some more recognizable numbers brought out the dance moves. Mid eighties classic, Midnight Man by Flash and The Pan, Manolo’s reinterpretation of Corona’s 90s anthem Rhythm of The Night, and a rework of John Farnham’s Age of Reason were useful tools in turning the bobbing heads into mobile bodies. So much so, in fact, that a conga line formed, circling the inner boundaries of the tent.

All in all, the Spiegeltent provided the perfect surrounds for a magical display of DJ perfection. In a recent interview with inthemix, Prins Thomas revealed he’s working on the formulation of a 9-piece live show. Currently, this hasn’t extended out of Norway but, judging by the man’s musical talents, this is something fans around the world are no doubt dying to witness. I look forward to seeing this, hopefully, in the near future.