Record label profile: Beatservice Records
By Glenn Folkvord

One of Norway's leading electronica record labels Beatservice is owned and run by Vidar Hanssen. He talks to Electronic Shadows.

Electronic Shadows: When was your record label founded?

Vidar Hanssen: It was founded in 1994, first as a one-off thing with the album TOS.CD, compiling what was going on in Tromsø, as a 10 year celebration of my radio show called Beatservice. The philosophy have been and still is to spread quality electronic music from Norway to the world.

Electronic Shadows: Has your label specialized in one type of electronic music?

Vidar Hanssen: I don't specialize in any specific type of electronic music. I have been into quite a wide range of styles through the years. I am only looking for a couple of things in a demo: 1) Do I like it 2) Does it have something special in it that I think others would be interested in buying. Then there is the question of capacity, etc.

Electronic Shadows: How many albums have the label released up until now?
 
Vidar Hanssen: 40 albums (phew!) and over 80 releases totally. This year being the most active year, with a total of 10 albums. It is always hard to pick a few highlights from the catalogue, because I tend to take this very personal, and like each and every record in their own way. It was very enjoyable to get the success of the Xploding Plastix debut album (now re-released through Palm Beats in Europe and hopefully US) and I also loved putting together the Arctic Circles compilations.

Electronic Shadows: Has there been a development in the type of music that the label has released since the beginning?

Vidar Hanssen: Definately. In the beginning there was more techno / trance-ish kinds of stuff, especially on the early 12"-ers. Later it evolved more into electronica, which then evolved towards downbeat stuff, with a few detours into drum 'n' bass and house stuff. The changes in styles have been both reflecting the changes in electronic music in general, the changes in my personal tastes, and the changes in the types of material I get sent on demos. The changes of Norwegian electronica has been pretty much the same as the rest of the world. But the main thing is that there is now more people doing a wider range of styles.

Electronic Shadows: Tell us about the process of finding and selecting artists and albums for release.

Vidar Hanssen: It's been a while since I signed a new artist, and nowadays I focus more on developing the artists I have in my current rooster. But I usually either get demos that I pick up an interest in, or I hear rumours of an artist that sounds like something for me. When it comes to putting together an album, the artist have quite a lot of control. I have the final yes or no, and sometimes I am more involved in the process of picking tracks than other times, but usually, the artist's "final cut" almost every time is approved. I only release Norwegian music. This is mainly due to concept - that's what I do. But also somehow due to capacity. 

Electronic Shadows: Since your label has specialized in electronic music, do you find it difficult to sell or market EM in general, with it's sometimes narrow appeal?

Vidar Hanssen: Electronic music still is a small thing, despite the rare sucess of Röyksopp etc. It is always difficult to get "ordinary people" to understand the wonders of this kind of music. But we just keep on releasing good music, and do our best to get reviews and radio play. But often, it's more of a word of mouth thing, like the Xploding Plastix success.

Electronic Shadows: Your label is based in Tromsø in Northern Norway, often called the electronica capital of Norway. Why do you think that is?

Vidar Hanssen: It's historical based, but electronic music has never been big in Tromsø. In the mid 90s, when all of the electronic music released in Norway was from people from Tromsø, the music scene in Tromsø was more based on roots rock and blues.

Electronic Shadows: Beatservice was preceded by a radio show in Tromsø that played all kinds of electronic music, in the mid 80s. What was the state of Norwegian electronic music back then?

Vidar Hanssen: There was some EBM / industrial stuff down south until the techno / house wave came, and the "Tromsø scene" took over.
 
Electronic Shadows: Beatservice still releases music on vinyl, tell us about that.

Vidar Hanssen: The vinyl marked is a difficult thing. It's cool to have stuff out on vinyl, but as long as we don't sell much, I don't think we will keep on releasing vinyl. Sad but true.

Electronic Shadows: With cheap music production equipment being more and more used by amateur musicians, is it getting easier or more difficult to find the good artists?

Vidar Hanssen: Definately more difficult. Everything sounds very "professional", but mostly there is some depth missing.

Electronic Shadows: Why should an up-coming EM artist release his record through a specialized record label when the music can be released easily and to the whole world on the internet, or using home CD burners?

Vidar Hanssen: You rarely get any money from internet distribution and CD burning. But then again, you don't get much money releasing stuff in small amounts on a small specialized label either. But you do get the mechanicals (mechanical rights) and you get a nice slice of plastic to show to your grand-children someday... Besides, there will soon be some Beatservice CDRs. 

Electronic Shadows: What are the most important ways of promotion for your artists?

Vidar Hanssen: The usual hassle of getting the right people and the right magazines to write reviews, hopefully positive, and getting it plaid on the radio. Which is not that easy here in Norway with the latest twist in playlist philosophy at NRK Petre. But DJ Friendly is a nice fellow!

Electronic Shadows: Many large record labels are accused of not meeting the MP3 / internet revolution. How does your label adjust to the new reality of music distribution?

Vidar Hanssen: I view it as promotion. If someone downloads an Aedena Cycle track somewhere, and he realy likes it, he just might buy the albums from my mailorder page.

Electronic Shadows: What are the future plans for your label?

Vidar Hanssen: At the moment, the main focus is consolidating the artists I have in my rooster, developing them further.

Electronic Shadows thanks Vidar Hanssen for the interview.