Having crossed paths many times under their guise as traveling musicians for various Norwegian bands, in 2016 Øyvind Blomstrøm and Chris Holm decided to join forces on a project they could call their own. After Holm invited the Bergen-based drummer Kim Åge Furuhaug to join the pair, Orions Belte was formed. Describing themselves as “inspired by Nigerian 70s rock, postcards from the French Riviera, Formula One races at the Monza track in Italy, to when Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in the Fight of the Century in 1971,” the band is currently readying their debut LP Mint for release on September 14th via the Oslo-based label Jansen Records.
“Joe Frazier” is the third single off the upcoming album and it features the group’s throwback vibe with Blomstrøm’s pedal steel guitar infusing a psychedelic feel to Holm’s funk-driven basslines and vintage-inspired vocals. The video for the track was animated by the Norwegian illustrator Steph Hope–who also designed the album’s cover. The artist draws everything on paper on top of an LED light pad, later scanning the images into the computer to be colored and layered in Photoshop. Her expressive style and angst-filled characters add a nervous edge to “Joe Frazier” as one man’s morning bus commute turns dangerously strange while another rushes to his aid.
