D'Sound

D'Sound
Origin	Oslo
Genres	Pop Pop rock R&B
Years active	1993–present
Website	dsound.com
Members
Jonny Sjo Simone Larsen
Past members
Kim Ofstad

D'Sound is a Norwegian pop band based in Oslo, Norway. The band currently is composed of Simone Larsen, the lead vocalist, and Jonny Sjo, the bassist.

Band history

Drummer Kim Ofstad (born November 25, 1969) and bassist Jonny Sjo (born April 7, 1969) met while both attending Berklee College of Music. D'Sound was formed back in 1993 in Oslo with vocalist Simone Larsen (born on August 21, 1970) at a coincident rehearsal-meeting. Their debut album, Spice of Life, was released in 1997, following the successful single "Real Name", and was nominated for two Spellemannpriser, the Norwegian equivalent of the Brits (United Kingdom) and the Grammys (United States). D'Sound's blend of jazz-pop with funky elements was well-received and they also gained recognition as a live-act. Their second album Beauty Is a Blessing was released in 1998 and won the Spellemannpris for Best Norwegian Pop Group. It received platinum certification in Norway, however, the album was never released internationally. The second single "Down on the Street" also entered the UK club charts. Musical influence shifted more to drum-n-bass and modern soul sound in the following albums. The single "Tattooed on my Mind" was released and received favorable reception in Southeast Asia. After extended touring, the band took a break.

In 2000, the band resumed working together on the next album in Johnny Sjo's home studio. After a long period of writing material, Talkin' Talk was recorded. For the first time, the band also produced the album, along with their long-time keyboardist Stein Austrud. In the production of their third album, D'Sound was heavily influenced by modern rhythm and blues American artists such as Angie Stone, D’Angelo, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu. The album Talkin' Talk was mixed in Virginia Beach, USA, by Serban Ghenea, whose credits include work for Janet Jackson and Prince. For the subsequent tour, D'Sound joined with numerous national and international musicians toured Norway with the songs from the three albums. Several international musicians like DJ Kemit from US hip-hop group Arrested Development also joined the band in touring.

In 2003, the group released Doublehearted, which featured the hit single "Do I Need a Reason". In 2004, their first greatest hits was released, entitled Smooth Escapes - The Very Best of D'Sound. The album was followed by the release of their fifth studio album My Today, the following year. The band took a break after the release of their fourth album. In 2010, Kim Ofstad left D'Sound, paring the band down to a duo of Simone Larsen and Jonny Sjo.

Discography

Main article: D'Sound discography

Studio albums 1996: Spice of Life 1998: Beauty Is a Blessing 2001: Talkin' Talk 2003: Doublehearted 2005: My Today 2009: Starts and Ends

Other albums 2001: D'Sound - Live at Rockefeller Music Hall 2001 2004: Smooth Escapes - The Very Best of D'Sound DVDs 2001: Sweet Music - Live at Rockefeller Music Hall

External links

• Official Site