Welcome 2 Norway

On Ol' Burger Beats' new album Welcome 2 Norway, the Norwegian beatmaker delves into Norway's rich music history and has created a record that might be his most accomplished to date. On the best beat tapes throughout history, a story is told through the samples used, and this is truly the case with Ol' Burger Beats' new album, his first on Jansen Records.

Norwegian Ol' Burger Beats (Ole-Birger Neergård) has been a mainstay on the international beats scene ever since his debut album High Rhodes was released in 2014. On that record we were introduced to the Oslo-based producer, DJ, and record collector's ability to create magic from old jazz and soul records.

On Welcome 2 Norway, he re-discovers many national treasure, both well-known and forgotten ones. Among other things, he has had free access to the catalog of the legendary Arne Bendiksen's old record label, he’s sampled songs by Norwegian greats Jan Erik Vold, Kåre Virud, and Åse Kleveland, and chopped and pasted forgotten ballads from old-time dance bands, along with some Christian gems from dusty basements. The result is a record that both showcases the venerable history of Norwegian music, and also highlights Ol' Burger Beats' ability to create fantastic instrumental hip-hop tunes from old and dusty classics.

The last albums by J Dilla might be the biggest inspiration for this album and are good examples of storytelling through sampling. The title Welcome 2 Norway also refers to Welcome 2 Detroit, a Dilla album that introduced the listener to the various musical styles in Dilla's hometown.

In addition to delivering brilliant solo albums in rapid succession, he is also keen to collaborate with other artists on different levels. There are projects where he is the producer – Mind Games from 2017 and Out of Sight, Out of Mind from 2018 – where he works with some of his favorite rappers like Quelle Chris, Pink Siifu, Fly Anakin, Maxo, and Illa J. But then we also have the magical Loft from 2022, where the 12 tracks explores the world of jazz together with other jazz enthusiasts like Ralph Thomas and Wendell Harrison, and the very successful albums with the Norwegian rapper Vuyo – All Yours from 2020 and Dialogue from 2021

When talking about the new album, Welcome 2 Norway, Neergård himself says: «After doing a few collaborations with rappers that’ve dragged out a bit, with more emailing and coordinating than music production, this has been an album where I've banged out a lot of beats, and just had some fun again. The samples I've used tell stories from my life over the past few years, and I've been searching for a Norwegian sound reminiscent of the typical soul and jazz samples found in American hip-hop – and I think the result turned out quite unique!»

Welcome 2 Norway is released November 1st on Jansen Records