Jazzland Artist

Beady Belle is one of the freshest new sounds to come out of the left-of-field music underground of Norway. A collaboration between singer Beate Lech and bassist Marius Reksjo, Beady Belle's debut album *Home* is a sensuous mosaic of sound that draws on the vast libraries of jazz, pop, techno, drums n' bass and ambient to reveal the essence of Beate's stunning live performances yet manages to combine it with the deliberate strategies of her creative musicianship.

Recorded in Beate's home studio, hence the album title, she was given the artistic freedom by Jazzland boss Bugge Wesseltoft to take her vocal talents in any direction she wanted. It was the opportunity of a lifetime and she took it with both hands - composing, lyric writing, arranging, programming, recording and producing, with Marius providing the rhythmic grooves.

Gradually, the project took on a life of its own, and Beate and Marius decided to give it a name. 'I came up with Beady Belle,' says Beate, 'I think it sounds like the name of something beautiful, it's feminine which is why it's now become my stage name as well as the name of the duo project.'

Beate's voice and dynamic live performances have long been one of the sensations of the Norwegian underground. After graduating from the Norwegian State Academy of Music, she sung with the trip-hop band 'Folk & Rovere' recording for Universal in Norway, performed with Insert Coin and was lead singer in the jazz project 'Metropolitan' (Sony). She has also collaborated with Bugge Wesseltoft, Jon Eberson and the Brazz Borthers. Marius studied music in University and was bassist for Insert Coin before joining Eivind Aarset's 'Electronique Noir' band. He has also performed with Bugge Wesseltoft and the Bobby Hughes Experience.

The transparent quality of Beate's lyrics and the architecture of the songs driven by her haunting voice dovetail neatly with Marius' unique rhythmic grooves and harmonic shading. Like all the best music, *Home* has a spaciousness that opens doors in the mind for audiences to find something new. 'To get an idea of what the record is about try "Loose and Win" and "Mobile Bubble,"' says Beate, 'They've got this cool feeling, soulful and funky with a kind of melancholic atmosphere I like and the beat.'

In fact 'Loose & Win' was recorded in Beate's mother's outhouse. In search of a specific sound, she says she sang it under the stairs, 'Which I covered with carpets, eiderdown and pillows to reduce the sound reflection -- there I was sitting in this little eiderdown hut singing my song! It's cool and happy and it's got punch -- I like the open sound of it'

Reflecting on other tracks on the album, Beate says, 'I like "In a Good Way" for its sorrow. The strings are especially beautiful - they cry a bit but I also think the song has a dramatic quality. "Moderation" has a tight beat and light melody, the sound is comfortable and relaxing despite its high energy. "Consolatory Dance" is another song with a great beat -- I feel like dancing when I hear it. "Drawback" has a desperate atmosphere, which I think fits the lyrics. There's an easy, slow melody on top of an aggressive beat that describes the hopeless situation the person in the song experiences.'

A combination of melancholy melodies and intense rhythms is something that has a special fascination for Beate, 'I like this kind of contrast - it gives nerve to the music,' she says and on 'Mobile Bubble,' 'Drawback' and 'Ghosts' it allows an intriguing, dark side of her personality to emerge. In fact, when 'Ghosts' was released as an advance promotional single for the album, it was instantly playlisted by Norway's NRK P3 Radio for several weeks.

There's no doubt that *Home* achieves its ambitious goals. Just listening to the album from beginning to end it sounds like music Beady Belle, quite simply, had to record. 'I try and lift songs to an ecstatic maximum,' says Beate, 'so that when the beat is pumping neither the band nor the audience can stand still, they just have to move to the music, dance. Then I just fly over the top with the melody. When I perform live we loosen up the songs, more jazzy perhaps, decide on the spot when to play the verse or the chorus, we feel free to lift the songs or moderate the songs where it feels natural. My role is more than that of a vocalist, I like to participate in the progress of the songs.'