Banish Producers
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handles many of the top acts in Denmark and has 16 pro- ducers on its roster. "Everybody wants to hear happy pop." Thomas Helmig, one of the hottest veteran acts in Den- m mark, agrees with the producers. "Maybe the Danish sound ark appeals to the child in us, or maybe there is a simple hon- esty in what comes out of production," he says. "When I make a record, I try to make it as international as possible, but when I play it for people from the U.S. or U.K., they say it sounds Scandinavian. I don't know what it is. The Dan- ish sound may not be as polished, but that gives it a sense of genuineness, a raw sound. Some Danish producers have taken their talents abroad. Cutfather & Joe work from a London base. "We live in Den- mark, and there hasn't really been an international Danish sound," says Cutfather. "We were influenced by pop and loved American R &B, so I guess the fusion of the two gives the sparkle." Banish producers "I come from hip -hop and rap, mixing and scratching," says SoulShock (Carsten happy Schack), who makes up Soul - get Shock & Karlin with his partner, Kenneth Karlin. Their Soul - power production company has L.A., THE SEND Of R SMILIDG SID ]EH bases in Denmark and MOM where they spend much of their time. "I won third prize in a N charles f erro world DJ competition and got a call from Queen Latifa. I was COPENHAGEN Just as every artist has a special stroke, 17. That's how it started. I went architects have signature lines, and clothing designers may on tour with her and later be recognized by a cut of cloth, there's something that makes remixed "Madness." She liked the Danish sound special. This comes from producers who the result and put it on her first stamp their hallmark on a record, and this is usually a smile. album." "We're not afraid to make it happy, to try to make it sound Soulshock worked closely as if the singer is smiling," says Jan Langhofffrom the team with Cutfather and still retains Hartmann and Langhoff, who broke through with Me & SonlShock & Karlin close ties to him. "But I realized My's hit "Baby Boy" and produced four tracks on the that the taste I have is more benchmark "Aquarium" album by Aqua. "In the U.K., for American than Danish, so the only thing to do was go to the instance, music needs to have a grown -up edge, whereas U.S.," he says. SoulShock & Karlin, however, still work with we don't care if we appeal to 10- to -25- year -olds." Danish acts and will put their touches on Juice's second "We spend a lot of time making the singer act as if she or album for EMI -Medley. The working method is basically he is having a good time," adds Peter Hartmann. "We tell the same on both sides of the Atlantic, and SoulShock them to forget what they've learned in singing school." prefers to address entire albums instead of singles. "With "We're not afraid to do commercial music," agrees John an album, you can be creative -get into the artist, find out Aagaard, managing director of TG Management, which Hartmann and Langhoff what's going on and get it out of them," he says. THE NEW DANISH SENSATION! The band behind the hitsingles "Tarzan & Jane" "Best Friends" "The Sailor Song" More than 1 million records sold in Northern Europe! 2 x Platinum and 3 x Gold in Denmark 1 x Platinum and 1 x Gold in Norway 1 x Gold in Sweden 1 x Platinum and 3 x Gold in Holland 1 x Gold in Singapore ...and so the story goes on! FanTasCi "' ?SPIN MUSIC! BILLBOARD SEPTEMBER 1 ", 1 5'99 BILLBOARD SALUTE D-15 www.americanradiohistory.com.