Bård Berg – Oslo Beats, Vol II

The streets of Oslo may echo in silence as its citizens isolate from the pandemic and the bitter winter. However, the city walls still reverberate with the sound of its urban music scene which continues to grow and diversify, unhindered and uninhibited by a history of pop music. Redefining the sound of the Nordic city is Norwegian producer Bård Berg.

His new album, Oslo Beats, Vol II contains a collection of soulful house/beats tracks and lush voices from a new generation of talents.

No One Told me is a gem opening and Bus No.9. is a ride I strongly suggest you don’t miss. Fans of Fieh will recognise Sofie Tollefsbøl‘s vocal talents, and she graces the single with impeccably warm melodies over a faultless, summery production.

A velvety-smooth vocal by Liva Austad Sværen and an addictive broken-beat tempo makes Swipe such an alluring listen. Lyrically exploring a modern relationship using today’s apps, this song deserves a video and TikTok dance interpretations! Swipe right, swipe left …

Andrea Louise joins the albums list of inspiring names to note, and she contributes dreamy, soulful vocals on the sublime What Next.

Bård Berg finds the right driving synth beats and dresses them in jazzy touches (flute, keys) with evident love and understanding for the human voice as an exquisite instrument. Only the dark, Dive saunters a little off the path, but the overall album experience remains euphoric.

Its a release like this, especially during a global pandemic, that makes you crave a ‘socially-undistanced’ nightclub. DJs, keep this in your selection box. This album has the longevity and timeless appeal to keep dancefloors moving – open or closed.

I’ve been lucky enough to have owned this album several weeks in advance and spun this almost daily. The top tracks are virtually all! Digitally released, I hope it arrives on vinyl one day.

Oslo Beats VOL II puts Bård Berg firmly in the middle of the map.