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| Bel Canto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tromsø, Norway |
| Genres | Dream pop, synthpop, new-age |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Labels | Crammed Discs Nettwerk Records IRS/MCA Records Columbia/SME Records (France) Dali/Chameleon/Elektra Records Lava/Atlantic Records EMI Records |
| Members | Anneli Drecker Nils Johansen |
| Past members | Geir Jenssen |
Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo, originally a trio, fronted by vocalist Anneli Drecker, and signed originally to Crammed Discs.
Biography
Bel Canto was formed in 1985 in Tromsø by Geir Jenssen (synthesizer, programming), Nils Johansen (synthesizer, violin, bass guitar, guitar) and vocalist Anneli Drecker. Asked about early influences, Drecker mentioned Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), David Bowie, 4AD-artists, Clannad, Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson, David Sylvian, Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Depeche Mode, and the Blue Nile, among others.
Bel Canto was one of the first Norwegian bands to sign a record contract abroad. The trio moved to Brussels in 1986 and had their debut album White-Out Conditions released by Crammed Discs the following year. After a second album, Birds of Passage (1990), Jenssen left the band for a solo career as Biosphere. The group had a commercial breakthrough with Shimmering, Warm and Bright in 1992, and won the Spellemannprisen award twice, in 1992 and 1996. Their style evolved over time from an ethereal dream pop sound to synth-based pop influenced by world music, also including influences from classical music, traditional nordic folk music and trip hop.
During their career Bel Canto occasionally took breaks in order for Anneli Drecker to pursue a solo career and to perform with other bands and artists such as Röyksopp, as well as performing in films and theater plays. Nils Johansen composed music for film and television as well as working and performing with his other band, Vajas.
In 2007 it was reported that the original three-piece line-up of Bel Canto had reunited and was working on a new album. But the project was not completed and founder member Geir Jenssen left the band again.
In 2009, a previously unheard Bel Canto song, "Flowerbeds", which dates from 1988, appeared on a Norwegian compilation album called Maskindans: Norsk synth 1980–1988 released on Hommage Records.
In 2017 Bel Canto performed at Øyafestivalen in Oslo, playing some of their careers best known songs in a near hour long set. In an interview Anneli Drecker said that the band was keen to do more live work and possibly record new songs.
In June 2022, Anneli Drecker and Nils Johansen announced that they were working on a new Bel Canto album. The album was released on 26 April 2024 with the title Radiant Green, the duo's first album in 22 years.
Discography
Albums
- White-Out Conditions (1987)
- Birds of Passage (1989)
- Shimmering, Warm and Bright (1992)
- Magic Box (1996)
- Rush (French release titled Images) (1998)
- Dorothy's Victory (2002)
- Retrospect - compilation album (2001)
- Radiant Green (2024)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR |
US Dance | |||||||||||
| 1988 | "Blank Sheets" | — | — | White-Out Conditions | ||||||||
| "White-Out Conditions" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1989 | "Dreaming Girl" (CAN only) | — | — | |||||||||
| 1990 | "Oskoreï" (FRA only) | — | — | single only | ||||||||
| "Birds Of Passage" | — | — | Birds Of Passage | |||||||||
| 1991 | "A Shoulder To The Wheel" | — | — | |||||||||
| 1992 | "Shimmering, Warm & Bright" | — | — | Shimmering, Warm & Bright | ||||||||
| "Unicorn" | — | — | ||||||||||
| 1996 | "Rumour" | 19 | 8 | Magic Box | ||||||||
| 1998 | "Images" (FRA only) | — | — | Rush | ||||||||
| 2002 | "Feels Like I'm Already Flying" (NOR only) | — | — | Dorothy's Victory | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released. | ||||||||||||
Drecker's solo albums
References
- ^ Elliot, R.W.; Elswick, J.R. (2003). "Bel Canto: Interview". Musical Discoveries. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- Bel Canto Store norske leksikon
- ^ "Norwegian act Bel Canto confirms new album plans". Side-line.com. 22 June 2022.
- Bel Canto live review and Anneli Drecker interview Side-line.com 16 August 2017
- "Radiant Green". belcanto.no.
- "Norwegian chart - Bel Canto". Norwegiancharts.com. 30 December 2014.
- "US Dance Club Play Chart - Bel Canto". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
External links
- General
- Discographies
- Bel Canto discography at AMG
- Bel Canto discography at Music-City
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byTre Små Kinesere | Recipient of the Pop Spellemannprisen 1992 |
Succeeded byPogo Pops |
| Preceded bydeLillos | Recipient of the Pop Band Spellemannprisen 1996 |
Succeeded byVelvet Belly |