BE1ELIJX SPOTIIGni Local talent gains strength in Belgian charts

has positioned itself as athere. That song never made it to dEUS promoter of the home-Belgian radio, but Radio Donna was dEUS's new album Ideal Crash is grown music scene. Thevery quick to pick up In My Eyes, high priority for Universal Music station's new program-their new release, and took it to the Belgium. The follow-up to In A Bar ming, as from April 1st,top of the charts. I would say that Under TheSea, op RadioDonnais whichsoldmore very strongin than 50,000 units in breaking the 'sat- Belgium, ishighly ,. er'dancetracks anticipated, andI' e such as Extreme's Universal has set up Love Song, where- a strong promotion asprivatenet- campaign to achieve workssuchas its 75,000 units sales target. This Radio Contact and album carries the band's hopes of an Top Radio are international breakthrough. Headed excellentforthe by Tom Barman, five -piece dEUS more 'edgy' dance added a string section to their products." already distinctive sound, which was laid down at ICP(Brussels) and International mixed at Olympic studios in London. ambitions The album was set for Europewide Not content with release on March 22nd, and the band home success, have sold out their March 26 London n comparison with 1997, recordcompanies gig in advance. the Belgian record indus- are actively devel- try shows increases of 4 oping acts which percent in sales and 12 have European Indiana percent in units. Single breakout potential. Songstress partnership Indiana is sales continue to grow with For example, another act with a prominent place a 40 percent rise in sales Play That Beat, in Universal Music's plans. "With and units. "Dance reper- adivisionof Indiana we have a special story," toire makes up an impor- Virgin Belgium explains MD Dirk De Clippeleir. tant part of the overall since 1996, has "Usually, we build artists Belgian industry's growth," until now only locally before taking them explainsIFPIBelgium focused on the abroad. With Indiana, a Director Marcel Heymans, Belgian market, handsome girl duo, it was "and this is reflected not holding the our French colleagues who only in the charts but in the Flemishchart suggested that we release overall industry landscape.Clockwise from top: Milk Inc.; number one spot Sauvages et Rebelles. The The fact that singles haveNatural Born Deejays; 2Fabiola; for 41 weeks in single was received very continued to grow for three 1997 and27 well, and Indiana were consecutive years is veryVanessa Chinitor weeks last year. invited on an 11 -date con- positive, although we saw a Now, saysthe cert tour with 2B3 last slight stabilisation at the end of lastprovides opportunities label'sfounder year. We plan to release a year which might indicate that, infor new demo versions of and MD Theo new single in April." 1999, we may not achieve the sameBelgian bands' record- Linder, "we're 40 percent growth." ings. "As in the past, ready to export Studio Brussel attaches quite somesome of the label's artists. Our first Beverley Jo Scott Domestic acts increase shareimportance to local artists. We invite priority is Get Ready, and we're send- With Beverley Jo Scott, Arcade takes The share of domestic talent in over-new bands to present their debuting promo packages to all European on a high quality composer and per- allsalesfiguresissomewhere albums and organise rock contests forVirgin -affiliates". former. She released her well -received between 17 and 18 percent, repre-upcomingtalent,"saysStudio Get Ready were launched in 1996 debut album Honey & senting growth of 11 percent in com-Brussel MD Jan Hautekiet. Bands and have, to date, achieved 10 number Hurricanes with Sony in parison to 1997. Heymans says the such as Zita Swoon, Soul Wax, dEUSone hits and three platinum albums. Belgium back in 1991, fol- figures don't include Belgian talent in and Arid are current frequenters ofTheir new album, set for release in lowed by Mudcakes (1993) classical repertoire or on compila-the station's playlist, he adds. May, was produced by Phil Harding and theliverecording tions. "Over 40 percent of last year's Some 25 to 30 percent of (CHR)and Ian Curnow (East 17, Boyzone) Wailing Rail in 1995. Her Top 100 Ultratop album chart wasRadio Donna's 66 -title playlist con- and recorded at Strongroom Studios in new album and debut for domestic talent, and these figures sists of domestic releases, but Jan VanLondon. The first single off the album, Arcade Music, Amnesty for once more reveal the discrepancyHoorickx, head of music program-I Still Luv U, was the Belgian chart's Eve, was preceded by the between sales and what radio sta-ming, says the audience's choice is the highest new entry at number 20 in the promo -only release of the tions (claim to) play," he adds. first criterion. "Our weekly selectionUltratop 50. single Jean Baltazaar, a The Belgian 1998 singles chart consists of 'happy go lucky' music. In From the ARS Productions stable remarkable duet version of was dominated by dance product with future we might implement some pos-come Norwegian signing Autopulver, David Bowie's Jean Genie, performed Kim'Kay, MacKenzie feat. Jessy, 2itive discrimination in favour of local purveying straightforward alternative by Scott and singer/performer Arno. Fabiola,Fiocco, NaturalBorntalent, but the music should fit ourrock. "We want to establish ourselves The English language album was Deejays in the Top 10 singles chart, philosophy." as a fully fledged record company and released in February (containing a which also included Flemish revela- Van Hoorickx cites artists such as not just a dance label," says A&R man- limited four -track French language tion Get Ready. Alana Dante, Kim'Kay, Get Ready,ager Peter Decraene, "and for us bonus CD) and sold more than 6,000 Helmut Lotti continued his stringCoco Jr and Milk Inc. as examples ofAutopulver, whose debut album F - copies in a month. "Initially , Beverley of multiplatinum albums, and the Topthe station playing a substantial roleWords [released last summer] has Jo Scott was playlisted with stations 1998 album chart also included K's in breaking local talent. already sold 1,000 units in Holland like the VRT's Radio 1 and Studio Choice, Axelle Red and Mama's Jasje, Sam Hellemans, head of radio pro- through our distribution deal with Brussel. Now, we note than the plus children -oriented Samson &motion at EMI Belgium, picks up theSony Music, are a great challenge. The French -language Radio Contact net- Gert and Kabouter Plop. Milk Inc. reference to explain "howband will play the Bevrijdingsfestival work has picked up the single," says complicated things can get" in the [May 5th] in Haarlem before a 100,000 Marleen Bassez, head of promotion at Radio airs home talent Belgian radio landscape. "[Milk Inc.]crowd, and we believe this will fuel Arcade Music in Brussels, adding that Studio Brussel, the Flemish publiccracked the French charts with Laexpectations for their second album Amnesty for Eve is now set for release broadcaster's alternative channel,Vache and sold half a million records due out in September." in Germany, Switzerland and France.

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