Urlaubshits

This self titled album from Norway’s Blackbelt Andersen is the first full length album from Prins Thomas‘ Full Pupp label, which is surprising considering it’s been going for four years now.

The album’s flow sits somewhere between the drawn out synth prog of Lindstrom’s “Where You Go I Go Too” and that of a more conventional single producer based mix compilation; although there is a clear delineation between tracks, they glide effortlessly into one another, often amidst a gust of synth winds. “Sirup”, likely to be the most well known of Andersen’s productions, is built around a pulsing bassline which slowly pierces its way through bright analog pads. The conga drums and sunset melody of this track are probably what has gained Andersen the balearic tag (this track also features on Fred Deakin’s Nu-Balearica mix from last year), but the album as a whole probably owes more to the sounds of Detroit than any beach on Ibiza. The driving hi-hats of “Mamma” and delayed chords of “Ditråit” evoke the deeper end of house rather than any kind of nu-disco.

The album isn’t exactly packed with production flourishes, but by keeping things reined in the music has a simplicity which, in combination with its breathy pastel shades created by it’s use of simple thick analog synths give this album a real sense of class. In short, the Nordic disco dominance continues.

Download:> Blackbelt Andersen - Nattmanøver

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Blackbelt Andersen is out now on Full Pupp

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