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Bel Canto (band)

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.