Focus on Denmark: Kasper Bjorke

Focus on Denmark: Kasper Bjorke

4 February, 2011 | 5.12AM

• Written by: Beatportal
• Filed under: Music News: denmark, focus on, kasper bjorke

One question we ask of every artist featured in our regional roundups is whether or not there’s a specific sound to their city or country. It’s kind of a trick question—regional scenes have been bleeding together for years, and we don’t expect to find too many place-specific sounds, despite the persistence of concepts like “Norwegian disco.”

Denmark’s Kasper Bjorke is a case in point, saying that “the whole ‘cold and dark northern sound’ has turned into a cliché,” giving way to a more diverse, internationalist approach. You can hear that sense of flux in his music, which draws upon Scandinavian disco, British and French electro-pop, and a brand of rough-cut house that could typify either New York’s Plant Music or Germany’s Gomma.

The most typically Danish thing about Bjorke’s work might be its intrinsically pop sensibility. And as the A&R at Fake Diamond Records, responsible for emerging acts like Oh Land, he’s part of a growing Danish movement fusing electronic production and indie aesthetics. At the same time, as records like the recent Bjorke & Barfod single for Mirau Musik attest, he’s hardly giving up his roots in dance music.

Read on for the full interview.

What’s your own history with electronic music—how did you discover it, and how did you come to start making it?

I think 1995 was a big year for me. After many years of listening mostly to hip hop, I discovered trip hop, drum ‘n’ bass and later the genuine US house music sound of that era kind of blew me away. I guess that’s what we today would call old-school house, ha ha – I’m old school! I started producing music with my friend Tomas Barfod around 1998-99. At that time we were very inspired by the sample-based filter-house sound and poppy, soulful, and vocal-driven tracks.

Is there an underground/warehouse/afterhours scene in Denmark, or are parties mostly limited to nightclubs?

Sure, there are parties in off locations, but it’s mainly in clubs and regular venues or bars these days. Dunkel and Culture Box run the best underground lineups in Copenhagen, seen from an international perspective—but also smaller bars like Bakken in the meatpacking district have international DJ guests these days, and many of the best DJs in Copenhagen drop by to play. I must say that the underground club scene itself seems to be struggling a bit these years. Some really nice locations have been shut down, and now most action seem to happen in quite small venues and bars. I guess it’s always been coming and going in waves like that… and I actually really enjoy playing to 150 people in a sweaty bar.

Is there a “Danish sound”? Anything that typically distinguishes Danish electronic music from music elsewhere?

The whole “cold and dark northern sound” has turned into a cliché by now, I think. These days there is more just an international sound coming out of Denmark. Of course you can hear that some are inspired by specific northern acts like The Knife or whatever, but really there are all kinds of producers and bands at the moment coming out of Denmark. The real difference is that now we can actually compete with the best in the world. The bar has definitely been raised.

Which artists and labels from your country should people be looking out for, and why?

Well, the ones you have already interviewed for this Focus on Denmark piece, of course, hehe—but also acts that are not just electronic/dance related, I think. We have a very interesting indie and pop scene here. For example Peder, who is a great producer. And the darlings like Sleep Party People, Chimes & Bells, Efterklang, and new international pop star Oh Land.

When it comes to labels, I would have to mention Fake Diamond Records and that’s not just because I’m the A&R there, ha! On the electronic label front there are Tartelet Records and Echocord… and there surely are others, but I’m so bad at remembering these things.

Are there any Danish festivals that visitors from other countries should be coming to check out?

Of course Roskilde Festival is legendary to most. Distortion Festival is a Copenhagen street-party festival that has evolved into a huge thing over the past many years, now it’s like a full-on city party where even young couples grab their kids, a picnic basket and go sit on the grass and listen to a local techno DJ go mental in the afternoon. At night it becomes quite ravey with a cool international lineup. There are several festivals popping up all the time. Trailer Park Festival is a cute summer weekend festival with a great lineup and a really cozy vibe.

Enough about music: what food should visitors to Denmark seek out?

Tradtional Danish food can be quite interesting, but I find that the international food restaurants have a very high standard. We have a lot of nice places with kind of fixed menus, for example Les Trois Cochons or Spuntino on Vesterbro. Famo is more Italian, with a bit of the same style and concept.

If you are into Asian food, you should check out the really spicy dish “Phat Ga Pav Kai Dow” (with beef) from the Thai Home takeaway place on Vaernedamsvej on Vesterbro. And also the restaurant LêLê nhà hàng on Vesterbrogade, run by the sweetest Vietnamese family. Their wontons and rolls are just perfect. Or you can just try to book a table at Noma, the No. 1 restaurant in the world, if you feel like spending some serious money?

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