Blackbelt Andersen Blackbelt Andersen
Maybe there’s something in the water, because the list of top-flight disco producers coming out […]
Maybe there’s something in the water, because the list of top-flight disco producers coming out of Norway just keeps on growing—Lindstrøm, Prins Thomas, Todd Terje, and now, Blackbelt Andersen. His self-titled first outing is a sprawling affair, 70-plus minutes of smoothly crafted cosmic disco with healthy nods to classic Detroit techno and Chicago acid house. From the arpeggiated basslines of “Søndag” to the acid stabs of “Mamma” to the dense, washed-out keys of “November,” Blackbelt Andersen is deliberate without being boring, and danceable without being obvious. I hate to tag things with the dreaded “M” word (mature), but this is one incredibly self-assured debut album.