Since the beginning, we’ve always envisioned the Hidden Beach brand to represent a simple stamp of quality. Thus far, we have built our brand with domestically grown music but we’ve always envisioned spreading a wider net to release and share with you wonderful sounds from beyond our shores. With that in mind, we are proud to release BENT FABRIC’s Jukebox as the very first recording underneath our new banner: HIDDEN BEACH INTERNATIONAL. BENT FABRIC, a virtual institution in his home country of Denmark, recorded most of the enclosed album for release in Europe where it was received with great acclaim and achieved chart topping success hitting the gold sales threshold in Denmark. As a U.S. Grammy® award winner, BENT is accustomed to success with his music. He has collected almost every major music industry award from his homeland. Even though he has enjoyed success before in North America, he is very humbled by the enthusiastic responses to his new music, and everyone associated with bringing BENT’s new album to the U.S. has been pleasantly delighted by the reception to this record in this hemisphere even before its official release.
With the selection of “Jukebox” as the theme for a massive advertising campaign by Cingular Wireless for the first I-Tunes enabled cell phones, the use of “Keep On Rising” as the theme of the WB’s 2005-2006 image campaign, the inclusion of other songs such as “Shake” in several major motion picture releases, we estimate that nearly two hundred million people have been exposed to his latest work. A triumphant achievement for an unassuming “Steinway” artist. the Danish masterminds behind this project set out with the production team of Paw Lagermann and Lina Rafin and BENT to achieve a sort of Frank Sinatra meets Fat Boy Slim sound infused with a constant universal feel of youthful optimism. This feel good concept has already been accepted by the rush of advertisers and marketing folks willing to pay for the right to marry this music with youth oriented consumer products or fun youthful entertainment in need of a soundtrack. The universal appeal of the music is also evident in the clubs. As of this writing, the enthusiastic response in the NYC club market to BENT’s grooves is overwhelming. It’s refreshing to see an accomplished musician gain such acceptance by such an eclectically broad audience. Whatever happens with the eventual commercial success of this project, we are happy – no ECSTATIC to be in the position to make it available here in North America.
Like all recordings that bear the Hidden Beach mark we hope you will derive endless hours of pleasure from the sounds placed within. Be on the lookout for BENT’s arrival in the US to promote this project. Seeing him live or on one of the many planned upcoming television appearances will be something the lovers of this music won’t soon forget.
Enjoy!
Steve McKeever
