Prins Thomas Worship Mix – Mixed by Templé
Australian producer Templé has been on our radar for a couple of years now since his brilliant Love Machine EP on Internasjonal. A talented multi-instrumentalist his aim is to blend disco’s past with the soundscapes of techno’s future and its safe to say that’s exactly what he’s managed to achieve. He’s a producer who most definitely believes in quality over quantity so when he steps up with a new release we are always keen to check it out.
His latest release is the four track Who You Are EP which features a collaboration with Quartz Pistol who sings on the title track. It also features a remix by Norwegian disco king Prins Thomas and a final mixdown by Luke Million who gently dusts the EP with his disco magic.
All in it’s another stellar outing for Templé crossing many musical boundaries from pop to acid to cosmic disco with more than a sprinkling of Techno whilst staying perfectly true to his key mission statement.
You can grab the EP HERE
Templé recorded a worship mix for us packed with tracks from Prins Thomas. He’s an artist who has been both an inspiration and also hugely influential on Templé’s career. You can check it below and grab the full tracklist at the bottom of this feature.
I also spoke to Ben the artist behind Templé about the EP, the mix and lots more
Hi Ben,
It’s been a couple of years since we last spoke when you released your Love Machine EP via Internasjonal. Where are you based right now, how have you been since then, and what have you been up to release wise since then?
It feels great to be talking with you again. Thanks for doing what you do and once again for the support, you’ve been there since day one!! I’m still based in Adelaide, no global movements just yet, my wife and I have just had a little one, so we’re pretty settled here at the minute. And this EP is my first since last we spoke. There was a pandemic, and the aforementioned child, which hindered output slightly hahaha. But don’t worry, I’ve got a few lined up already for later this year, into next.
Musically where would you say you are right now?
Where I’ve been trying to get to for about 2 decades. Really! I wouldn’t say my output is quite where I’m aiming just yet, not that I’m unhappy, I’m just chasing something bigger. However, I feel like I’ve finally, well and truly found the brushes, the canvas, and colours to paint with.
Your current release is the Who You Are EP on your own Templé Musiq, what can you tell us about that EP?
It’s actually the first release on my own imprint, ‘Templé Musiq’. I ran a label years ago that was more band focused, still electronic, WARP esque (obviously not as amazing). And I’d always wanted something to release my more dancefloor focused music on. However, being based in Australia finding international distribution had proven tricky given my global proximity. Then the stars aligned, and I found a home with Prime Direct Distribution and here we are.
The EP, like all my releases, is meant to be super versatile. The title track is very poppy, more pop than anything I’ve released anyway. Prins Thomas’ remix takes the pop chorus, masterfully flipping it on its head making the chorus the breakdown and then sprinkling the whole track with his Nordic disco dust. While the B side tracks are more for the heads, Wait For Love is an acid track with a horn solo in the middle and The Tetrah is really the antithesis of pop, being 8 minutes of techno-ish-ness featuring trippy jazz horns throughout.
You have a remix on the EP from the brilliant Norwegian producer Prins Thomas. How did that come about and what do you think he brought to the track?
My previous record, as you mentioned, was with Prins’ label Internasjonal. However, by the time I had new music ready for them, as they release many other artists too, I would’ve been waiting longer than I wanted to get new music out (given I’d already waiting for the previously mentioned pandemic/new child delays) and it made me revisit the dream of having my own label. Thomas and I spoke about it, he totally got it, and he was actually the person that first helped me look into getting my distribution issue sorted, he also very kindly offered to do a remix of my first release. I owe so much to him really, I’m not even sure he realises just how much.
You have recorded a Prins Thomas Worship mix for us, how long have you been a fan of his music and was there a first track that really spurred that passion?
I remember loving and buying many of the early 12” singles from Full Pupp around ’05 onwards. But my first watershed moment was hearing Prins Thomas’ ‘FIRST’ self-titled EP in 2010.
One track in particular blew my mind that is on the mix I’ve done for you called “Wendy not Walter”. As I previously mentioned I was into band music too and really wanted to find a way of marrying the band world and electronic world (as of 2024 heaps of people have done this, Caribou probably most poetically) and to me this track was a at the time my first window into hearing someone nail my vision and opening a door for me to try and attempt it too.
How would you say his music has influenced your own releases?
Having live musicians and real instruments in my music is super important to me. I’m pretty sure he feels the same way…
What are some of the key tracks in the mix which have really resonated with you?
Quite honestly all of them. If you look at his output, it’s huge and would have to be rivalling Larry Levan these days wouldn’t it? Only having 1 hour for the mix meant the tracks I chose we’re very considered and they all resonated with me. Although I did add some more poppy tracks to the mix for anyone that may not know much from PT, but say, knows The Chemical Brothers, I wanted the mix to be familiar, but for them to have an opportunity to discover more of his work.
Also ‘Feel The Love’ is just beautiful and I couldn’t decide which version I wanted to put on the mix, so I put them both on hahaha.
Are there any other of the Scandinavian producers whose releases or DJ mixes you find yourself coming back to time and time again and do you have a favourite that you gravitate towards?
Ohhh man there’s so many. It feels like the cold Nordic conditions just ‘produces the best producers’ haha. How’s the saying go, “pressure makes diamonds”?
I guess the one that I (and I’m sure many) wish we got to hear more from was Erot. He was on his way to becoming perhaps the biggest diamond of them all and one, sadly, humanity just wasn’t ready for.
There’s a great documentary that features a bunch of footage I’d never seen of Erot and speaks to all the amazing artists that have come out of the cold. Northern Disco Lights. Here’s a link to the trailer.
How is your collection of vintage synths and drum machines coming along? Have you added anything to the collection since we last spoke?
I love that you know/remember to ask this question, ummmm well there may have been a few additions. Nothing crazy and actually sadly no synths (I’m thinking I may need one as a treat for releasing new music though, what do you think…? Any excuse).
It’s been more FX and outboard’y stuff really. I picked up a EL Fatso which sounds incredible on anything and just sits on my master bus, a nice Fostex spring verb, a Sherman Filterbank 2 (which is wild) and a new console – it’s a Soundcraft 600 that I got fully recapped and it sounds great.
I’ve currently been lent an 808, 909 and I believe an SP1200 is on its way to me. I end up with these things at my studio only because I’ve got the insurance to cover them, I’m sure haha. But whatever, I’ll take ‘em.
Please can you give us your three favourite studio tips for up-and-coming producers?
1. DON’T BUY GEAR, until you focus on the songs and look for what’s missing. Once you’ve finished 10 (probably like 100 actually, but start with 10) songs, ask yourself “if I had one thing that would make these 10 songs better what would it be?” and only then if indeed, if it’s a bit of gear, then go get it.
2. Learn that “missing thing” inside out. *Note the missing thing might not be gear, it could be a singer, a mix engineer, a flutist, whatever TF it is… FINISH another 10 (100) songs with the addition of whatever was missing.
3. Rinse and repeat.
And finally, what else can we expect from Templé in 2024?
I’ve got another EP scheduled for release later in the year, I’m finishing a 3rd EP at the moment, I have a bunch of DJ shows lined up and a little tour in the works. Along with potentially a live performance with my 8- piece band, Templé Magic Orchestra, where we take my Templé tracks and play them live with a horn and string section, live percussion and keys and me dubbing it all out on the desk and jamming on drum machines, it’s super fun.
For more info on Templé & Prins Thomas please check:
Templé Facebook
Templé Instagram
Prins Thomas Facebook
Prins Thomas Instagram
Prins Thomas Twitter/X
Love this? Check out more from Templé HERE
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Templé – Prins Thomas Worship Mix Tracklist
1. Prins Thomas – Symfonisk utviklingshemming
2. The Phenomenal Handclap Band – Burning Bridges (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
3. Joachim Holm & Alejandro Mosso – Tre Melodi (Prins Thomas Version)
4. Prins Thomas – Wendy not Walter (Original Version)
5. Prins Thomas – Feel The Love (Diskomiks)
6. Terr – Tale of Devotion (Prins Thomas Diskomik)
7. The Chemical Brothers – Swoon (Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas Remix)
8. Todd Terje – Bodies (Prins Thomas Orgasmatron)
9. Jason Peters – Lost in Space (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
10. Prins Thomas – Fehrara
11. Surahn – Watching the World (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
12. Caribou – Sun (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
13. Prins Thomas – Træns 4
14. Midnight Magic – Beam Me Up (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
15. Gundelach feat. ARY – Games (Prins Thomas Diskomiks)
16. Prins Thomas – Apne Slusa
17. Prins Thomas – Feel The Love (Original Version)
18. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas – Feel AM
19. Prins Thomas – Bobletekno (Bugge Wesseltoft Steinway Grand Version)