Interview Jacob Bellens

Interview mit Jacob Bellens – „I usually try to go new places with my music“

Jacob Bellens im Interview beim Soundkartell; Fotocredit: Jonas Bang

Jacob Bellens im Interview beim Soundkartell; Fotocredit: Jonas Bang

Am 05. Februar erscheint mit „Polyester Skin“ das dritte Album des Dänen Jacob Bellens. Das Soundkartell spricht mit ihm über seine Lieblingsorte, seine kommende Tour durch Deutschland und seine Zusammenarbeit mit Kasper Bjørke.

„Polyester Skin“ ist doch tatsächlich das erste Album von Jacob Bellens, das jetzt auch international erscheint. Also auch hierzulande ganz offiziell in Deutschland. Es ist das dritte Album eines Musikers, der in Dänemark zu den wichtigsten Pop-Musikern zählt. Seit Jahren schon ist er als Bandleader von I Got You On Tape aktiv. Ab März ist er auf Tour durch Deutschland. Das Soundkartell präsentiert die Tour des Dänen. Irgendwie muss er ständig kreativ sein und so kommen immer wieder wundervolle Songs dabei raus. Wie zuletzt die Titelsingle zum Album. Oder jetzt kürzlich „Back To You“. Das ist die zweite Singleauskopplung zum Album und die erscheint am 15.01. Ein Wahsinns-Nummer!
Das Soundkartell hat mit dem Dänen über das Album, seine Liebe zu Cafés und seine Entwicklung als Musiker gesprochen.

Jacob you are coming to Germany in march. What do you personally expect from your tour through Germany?

Jacob Bellens: „I am looking forward to simply playing with the band I have with me. They are truly great musicians and I can’t wait to see how the songs will sound live. From what I expect, the sound will be a lot different from the album versions which I hope the audience will embrace and find interesting.“

In the beginning of february you are releasing your third solo-album But for the first time you are releasing it internationally. Why do you think this is the right moment to release it also out of denmark?

Jacob Bellens: „I cant say exactly why this particular time or moment is right in any way since several of the different band albums I’ve done throughout the years have been out internationally. However I’m thrilled and very excited to have my first solo release out across europe and I’m hoping that a lot of people who didn’t know the music and me before have the chance to listen to it.“

For your new album you worked with DJ and producer Kasper Bjørke. What is the one outstanding characteristic that stands for the influences from Kasper?

Jacob Bellens: „Kasper has an amazing ear in regards of sound aestetics and has been a dear friend an even better playmate for quite some time now. The distinct sound of Kasper on this album is probably best heard in the beats, the overall production and the sound design. Basically, the record would have sounded very different without him and it is definitely a team effort between the two of us.“

Anyway your new album seems to be like a big collaboration with many other musicians like Tomas Høffding (WhoMadeWho), Jakob Høyer (The Raveonettes, Trentemøller, Darkness Falls -Drums) and Nils Grøndahl. In which way this album remains a solo-album from you Jacob?

Jacob Bellens: „I guess most of all simply because it feels like it. I wrote all the songs and lyrics like I usually do and programmed and arranged them all with Kasper. We used some great musicians in order to get an organic feel to an otherwise more electronic sound but in most cases it was merely sound replacement.“

 

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Comparing to an older track like “Advise You to Remember” your sound gets more and more electronic. In which way this was like a “creeping change” for you and your creative work?

Jacob Bellens: „It’s not that much of a change actually, I have always had different ways and styles of both songwriting and production in what I do. The last IGYOT album was mostly electronic and programmed, which is also one of the main reasons why I wanted to do something more handplayed and ‘ecological’ afterwards with The Daisy Age. I usually try to go new places with my music and couldn’t live without the variation in sound and expression. Watch out for my Instrumental ambient album sometime in 2019.“

Can you shortly describe why “Behind The Barricades” is a very special song which shows us that you like rap-music?

Jacob Bellens: „Hehe I am not exactly sure if there’s a specific reason that it should point to my love for hiphop (except for the fact that I do…?) but one thing that kept popping up when we recorded and produced the song was the beat. It has a certain Naughty by nature/De la soul/East coast summer of ’91 feel to it, in the sense that it sounds quite a bit like a sample based breakbeat from that era – and reminded both me and Kasper of the golden age of rap while we were doing it…“

Do you agree with me that there are two levels in your new songs: the poppy synthies and something like 80s Pop and on the other side there are your profound lyrics?

Jacob Bellens: „Hmmm yea I guess I could agree with that statement on a sunny day. Im not quite sure how to answer this question hehe..“
Jacob Bellens im Interview beim Soundkartell; Fotocredit: Jonas Bang

Jacob Bellens im Interview beim Soundkartell; Fotocredit: Jonas Bang

Do you have one place at home that inspires you the most to be that productive?

Jacob Bellens: „I have some regular cafés where I go and sit with either my phone or my computer during the daytime. Most of my songs are written with a set of headphones, a small portable midi keyboard, a full battery on my iphone and a text document – at one or more out of a total of perhaps four coffee drinking locations.“

A new Album is always like a snapshot. If your three albums would be three polaroid pictures which fotostory do you want to tell us with these polaroid pictures?

Jacob Bellens: „I think there are a lot of different stories in the songs themselves but overall I would have to say that if I was to think of a polaroid to represent each album it would have to be a photo of each of the guys who produced them. One of Anders Christophersen (The Daisy Age), one of Frederik Thaae ( My Convictions) and one of Kasper (Polyester Skin). All of whom I consider good friends and will always be grateful for helping me realize certain sounds and arrangements around the songs I keep writing.“

Please complete the sentence: Jacob Bellens is one of the most popular Songwriter in Denmark, but…

Jacob Bellens: „….he has no trousers on? ….but he would love it if more people outside of Denmark listened as well? I think that will be my answer: …but he would like the rest of the world to come along also.“ 🙂

See you and take care // Jacob

Tourdaten 2016: alle Infos gibt es auch hier!

10/3 Hannover, Café Glocksee (DE)
11/3 Köln, Die Wohngemeinschaft (DE)
13/3 Mendig, Pellenzstraße 20 (DE)
15/3 Nürnberg, Z-Bau (DE)
16/3 Erfurt, Museumskeller (DE)
17/3 Chemnitz, Atomino (DE)
18/3 Berlin, Lido @ KarreraKlub (DE)
19/3 Hamburg, kukuun (DE)

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