Blackbelt Andersen is set to release his eponymous debut album on Prins Thomas' Full Pupp imprint later this year.
Daniel "Blackbelt" Andersen's roots lie in Detroit-influenced techno music, releasing material in the early part of the decade on Toronto's Restructured imprint as well as the soon to be revamped Heavy Industries netlabel. That passion is apparent on Blackbelt Andersen, which merges the drive and synthesised strings of his first love with the live drums and arpeggiated basslines that have become such a big part of the Scandinavian disco sound.
Five of Blackbelt Andersen's ten tracks have been previously released as singles on both Full Pupp and Mudd's Claremont 56 label, but it'll be the first time that any of them have seen the light of day on a CD release. The album is structured more for home listening than DJing anyway, with most of the tracks segueing into one another to create a smooth and coherent listening experience.
We caught up with Daniel by e-mail to ask him about the record, and his future plans for 2009.You're known in the Norwegian scene for your deep love of death metal. Does that manifest it's way onto the new album at all?
I neither hope nor think so—the whole thing reeks of disco, techno and the occasional samba influence. The metal is more of a listening thing for me—people coming to see me DJ won't have to worry about getting tangled up in a mosh pit!
Prins Thomas gets additional production credits on the record. How did he help you out?
Thomas was a great help when it came to editing the tracks down—if you look at my single releases you'll notice that they often seen to go on forever, and I didn't want to do a five track album! So we had a few sessions where we toyed around in his studio, polishing the sound and editing while consuming inhuman amounts of coffee and cigarettes. Good times.
What's the story behind the cowboy record cover?
You know, that's actually beyond me. Bob, the designer, got carte blanche to do what he wanted, and it was love at first sight when I saw what he came up with—though I've never really been to the moon. Wearing Terminator contacts and six-shooters. Really.
What are your other plans for 2009?
There are a few remixes and single releases in the pipeline, and there will be a little more travelling.
Tracklist
01. Lørdag Del 1
02. Søndag
03. Sirup
04. Mamma
05. Nattmanøver
06. Ditråit
07. Kuk Av Stål
08. November
09. Sandoz
10. Lørdag Del 2
Full Pupp will release Blackbelt Andersen on March 16th, 2009.