Trip-Hop.net : You started to play in 1999 in Oslo ; since your first album (you made at home, not in a studio) many things changed...With all you did till now, do you think the hardest is behind you today ?
It depends on what you define as hard.
* The hard work concerning creativity; composing, producing, writing lyrics etc is not over (I hope...) I hope this will continue going on and on. That people want to hear my music is the reason that I allowed to do what I do.
* The hard work concerning making a carrier is definitely not over. Since our albums have been released on a very small label, not so many people even know that we exist (but fortunately enough that we are able to make a living out of it). This means that every time we release an album, the same excitement is there, if our audience will grow or not.
* The hard work concerning finding my musical expression will never end. Since I'm growing, developing, aging and changing, my music will do the same - as long as I'm honest in what I do.
So to answer you shortly: I don't think the hardest work is behind me yet, and on some levels I don't hope it will ever be.
Trip-Hop.net : The way you work evolved too it seems... We feel that Beate s very present on the lyrics and the melodies, while Marius is more on the rhythmic part. How would you say your roles evolved from the beginning of your musical journey ?
The roles you describe is correct. I (Beate) am writing the songs (melodies, lyrics, all arrangements) and Marius is doing the groove part. Mostly... On some songs the roles are switched more or less, but mostly this is how we work.
Trip-Hop.net : It's pretty clear that Jazzland - or should we say Bugge ? - progressively influenced your style ; could you tell us more about how you met him and how you saw Jazzland grow up ?
I met Bugge already in 1991. I was about 16 years old and had won a talent contest on Norwegian television, and the price for that was that I could sing with a big-band on the opening concert of the biggest jazz festival in Norway. Bugge was the keyboard player in this band. I was very young and I think it was the first time I was on a jazz festival on my own. Bugge took care of me, showing me around, teaching me about the different musicians etc. And we kept in tough after that. I had not yet moved from home (I'm from a little village in the north west of Norway). After a while I finished school and moved to Oslo. All these years we kept in tough and I showed him songs I had made all the time. I moved to Oslo and started to educate. I released some pop albums and some jazz albums with other projects.
In 1999 Bugge called me and wanted me to release an album on Jazzland. He wanted me to do it on my own, with my songs, done in my way. This must be one of the best days in my life!
Trip-Hop.net : Does your music allow you to live like free artists ? Would you say today that you will live from your creation and be able to travel all around the world spreading your messages and beautiful music to others ?
I really hope so! As it is now I make an okay living out of it, but I'm not a millionaire... But that's not the point either. The point is to have a good life, and for me this is to be able to make music, to perform music and to not compromise on any musical levels concerning this. But off course, I need people around me that do the selling business. If nobody knows about Beady Belle nobody will buy the records either. I will keep on doing my musical job as good as I can, and I hope the promotion people around me will do the same. This way this journey will last for a long time.
Trip-Hop.net : That said, what is your main message to people while you are playing?
To enjoy. To develop new sides by you self. To think new thoughts. To ask new questions. To stretch your taste. To feel the rhythm in your legs. To experience the contrast in the music, so that the tears comes through the smile. To have an open mind.
Trip-Hop.net : Why "Beady Belle' ? (that's pretty different from "Insertcoin" and "Folk & Rovere" !)
Since Beady Belle is the first project that is my own ("Insertcoin" was a student cover band, and "Folk & Rovere" was a Norwegian trip hop band where I was the singer, not the composer) I thought that I should have a feminine name of my project. Since Marius came in the project after a while, I felt it strange to name the group, "Beate", because it wasn't only me anymore. But still this is my project with Marius as a very important part, so I wanted the name to be linked to my own name (Beate - Beady). And in addition to having a feminine touch on the name, I wanted the name of my music to sound beautiful. "Beady Belle" sounds like something beautiful, I think...
Trip-Hop.net : When was "Closer' born ? Do you remember the very first time you worked on this record ?
It's very hard to say exactly when I start an album, because I constantly create. But the main start of the album production was last summer.
Trip-Hop.net : We clearly feel 3 different worlds in "Closer' : acoustic jazz, groovy beats and free electronica. Do you agree on this recipe ;-) ?
Yes, plus maybe some other worlds as well... Groovy beats and electronic sounds is definitely a part of my music, but I don't think my music fits perfect into the jazz category, since this is a category with long traditions and many rules. I think my melodies and harmonies are as much pop, soul and funk as jazz. The title of my second album
"Cewbeagappic" sums up pretty much all the worlds I think my music belongs to.
Trip-Hop.net : The result sounds very mature and unique. Do you think you found a particular style for "Closer' ?
I constantly try to make honest music. I don't want to calculate my music. Don't want to make my music fit into a fashion or a category. I listen to a lot of different music; different styles from different times, old and new, and for me it feels natural and most right to let me be inspired of all of this, not to choose one direction, but to feel the balance of what the true expression is for me. Not a little part of the truth, but the whole truth. This is the constant challenge for me as a composer. If the result of this is that people think it has a mature and unique sound, I'm satisfied.
Trip-Hop.net : We feel that Bugge is more present on this record, for example on the piano ("Airing' is a telling example). Did you work closer with him on this album ?
Bugge did not play on "Airing"... Our keyboard player Jorn Øien (who is in Beady Belle's live band) does that. The production on this album is something in between "Home" and "Cewbeagappic". On "Home" we had many different musicians playing on every song. On "Cewbeagappic" we had our live band in the studio for two weeks, playing through the whole album live. On this "Closer" album, we also had our live band as a base, but we asked some other musicians as well, to give different spice and flavour to the different songs. Bugge was one of them (He plays on "Skin-deep", "Never mind" and " Closer"). Bugge also did some co-production on some songs on this album, so you are correct that you can hear his touch on some of the songs.
Trip-Hop.net : What track are you the most proud of today ?
I'm afraid that is an impossible question for me to answer. I feel like a mother to all the songs, and it doesn't feel right to favour one sister or brother before another.
Trip-Hop.net : Do you think your music is going to evolve in a particular way in the future ? Is it gonna be more jazzy or more acoustic or more electronic ?
I don't want to make choices for my uncomposed music. I will try to keep on finding my honest musical balance and we'll see where this honesty leads.
Trip-Hop.net : That's a theme that is important to Bugge : would you consider your music as a part of the future jazz he is speaking about ?
I'm a bit afraid of the word "Jazz". I think this word is a bit infected. So many wants to own this word. This word has been used since the beginning of 1900. Louis Armstrong is "jazz", Benny Goodman is "jazz", Miles Davis is "jazz". I don't know, but I think it's about time to find a new word... Many musicians use the word "Jazz" to define their music as free (with improvisation) and uncommercial. But I don't think Jazz has monopole of improvisation. Jazz hasn't monopole of all the music outside the commercial pop world. The "Future jazz" is perhaps meant as good music open for improvisation, open for crossing musical categories, open for mixing electronic sounds with acoustic instruments. I don't have a suggestion of a new word my self, but I hope a smart journalist will come up with something soon :-)
Trip-Hop.net : What is the coming project(s) after your touring ?
We are planning on releasing a live album. We have recorded many of our concerts, but haven't started listening to the recordings yet. So if the quality of the recordings is good enough, this will be the next project.
Trip-Hop.net : Would you consider to work on a soundtrack one day ? If yes, for what kind of movie / director ?
Funny you ask, but yes. This is actually one of my biggest dreams. I think somehow a soundtrack when I compose. I think atmospheres and moods. But I have never done anything soundtrack for real, so then I would have to learn it from scratch. I don't have a suggestion of a director, but the film should have an open feeling. Not a comedy, and not a tragedy, but both . A film full of open questions and full of contrasts would be perfect.
Trip-Hop.net : What about remixing some artists you like ? Who would it be then ?
Hm... This I haven't thought about. But never say never, why not. I don't know which artist this should be.
Trip-Hop.net : How different is you music on stage ?
I think it's quite different. It's opened very much up for improvisation. This is important so that it's possible to communicate between the stage and the audience. It's supposed to be a dialog on the concerts, not a monologue from the stage. Since we have opened up the songs, it gives us room to make choices there and then on the stage. One song could last for 15 minutes on one concert and for 3 minutes on another. It could be very energetic on one concert and very calm on another. This is what is fun! This is what makes me feel alive on stage!
Trip-Hop.net : What are the last albums you put in you CD player ?
Trip-Hop.net : Last question, very existential : What would be your true musical dream today ?
To make this wonderful spiral of making and performing my true music go on and on forever!
