"If you name your debut album in 2020 'La Belle Époque, Volume I,' it's actually no surprise that Danny van Tiggele (also known from Mister and Mississippi & Blaudzun) was already working on creating a beautiful series out of it. The studio project 'La Belle Époque' debuted two years ago with an album full of beautiful songs. Think, for example, of collaborations with Judy Blank, Pablo van de Poel (DeWolff), Anne Soldaat, Blaudzun, and Ruben Hein, among others. The album received great reviews and was characterized by the polished arrangements and an atmospheric production. Magazines like 'Musicmaker' and 'OOR' wrote about 'a surprisingly beautiful album,' and the album ranked high in Leo Blokhuis' year-end list.
"The first single from the album is called 'Back Where I Belong / Take it Slow' and is a collaboration between Danny van Tiggele and Maurits Westerik. An uptempo song with driving guitars, a melodic chorus, and atmospheric synths. It's one of the tracks on 'La Belle Époque, Volume II' that features the most musicians. In addition to Danny and Maurits, you can also hear Tom Broshuis, Jakob Sigmond, Marcel van As, Jan Teertstra, Kees Schaper, Tom Swart, and Bram Hakkens playing on the recordings. The song was written during a summer garden session at Danny's place and was eventually recorded at Heirloom Studio & Mailmen Studio. Maurits: 'To be honest, Danny called me during a difficult period in my life. I was going through a negative turn and needed space to find a way. The melancholy of things, a series of circumstances that provide room for a new perspective and challenging approaches for everyone's sake. In good times and bad, I shared my time with Danny with openness, and he gave me the opportunity to embrace his musical world and add my own experiences to his beautiful song at that moment. Eventually, there is light at the end of the tunnel again. I share this energy with Danny, and it can be heard on 'Back Where I Belong / Take it Slow.'
On 'La Belle Époque, Volume II,' you can clearly hear a love for the '60s, but there's always a modern sound peeking around the corner. The music and polished arrangements once again take center stage on this special album. Let yourself be carried away by the 14 beautiful songs on this second edition of 'La Belle Époque.' The album will be released on 10.11.2023 via V2 Records. Additionally, there will be an exclusive 'La Belle Époque' show on 13.12.2023 at Tivoli in Utrecht. Tickets are available starting today."Two years later, here comes 'La Belle Époque, Volume II.' Once again, the front cover is a beautiful collage of a café filled with cool names from the Dutch pop & indie world. We see Tim Knol & Cato van Dijck sharing a table, Camiel Meiresonne on a rocking chair, Spike with his beloved Vox guitar, a cozy gathering at the bar with Maurits Westerik & Maxime Barlag, and Tessa Douwstra and Bent van Looy having a drink at the piano. We also see Robin Kester, Bertolf, Megan de Klerk, Bas van Holt, and Anne Lieke Heusinkveld appearing in the café. Danny himself stands behind the bar as the organizer of the party, and that's how he sees it too. 'It's an honor to work with so many cool musicians - and each of these names has also earned a place in my record collection with their own work. The initial ideas for the songs came from me - but working on the songs with this group is truly a party. In addition to this large group of vocalists, 25 different musicians also play on the album. Sometimes, I have to look back in the CD booklet myself to see who played that cool bass or guitar part. Some collaborations are really unique. I'm very happy to hear Spike singing in a song again - and a duet by Tim Knol & Cato van Dijck is also quite special. So, each song has its own story.'
You can hear a lot of different inspirations on the album - but it's clear that Danny's record collection is filled with albums where melody and atmosphere take center stage. Think of 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' by Wilco, 'Happy Traum' by Daryll-Ann, and the oeuvre of Paul McCartney. You can clearly hear inspirations from the '60s and '70s. Good examples are the fuzz guitar by Pablo van de Poel in the song 'Part Time Peace of Mind' or the Keith Moon-inspired fills by Kees Schaper in 'Out of Bad Luck.' The acoustic song 'Wildflower' could have been written in Laurel Canyon during the heyday of Joni Mitchell and Judee Sill. However, there are also modern influences. In songs like 'Nobody Really Lives Here' and 'I've Searched All Of My Skies,' you can hear the dreamy sounds reminiscent of the early Mister and Mississippi and Beach House records."
"The first single from the album is called 'Back Where I Belong / Take it Slow' and is a collaboration between Danny van Tiggele and Maurits Westerik. An uptempo song with driving guitars, a melodic chorus, and atmospheric synths. It's one of the tracks on 'La Belle Époque, Volume II' that features the most musicians. In addition to Danny and Maurits, you can also hear Tom Broshuis, Jakob Sigmond, Marcel van As, Jan Teertstra, Kees Schaper, Tom Swart, and Bram Hakkens playing on the recordings. The song was written during a summer garden session at Danny's place and was eventually recorded at Heirloom Studio & Mailmen Studio. Maurits: 'To be honest, Danny called me during a difficult period in my life. I was going through a negative turn and needed space to find a way. The melancholy of things, a series of circumstances that provide room for a new perspective and challenging approaches for everyone's sake. In good times and bad, I shared my time with Danny with openness, and he gave me the opportunity to embrace his musical world and add my own experiences to his beautiful song at that moment. Eventually, there is light at the end of the tunnel again. I share this energy with Danny, and it can be heard on 'Back Where I Belong / Take it Slow.'
On 'La Belle Époque, Volume II,' you can clearly hear a love for the '60s, but there's always a modern sound peeking around the corner. The music and polished arrangements once again take center stage on this special album. Let yourself be carried away by the 14 beautiful songs on this second edition of 'La Belle Époque.'
