Global InformationWouter Van Belle information
Wouter Van Belle is a Belgian musician and producer. He is known for his work with Flip Kowlier, Gorki, Noordkaap, Arno, Axelle Red, Yevgueni, Novastar and Racoon. He scored as producer four number-one albums in Flanders and one in the Netherlands, and had top three singles in Flanders, France and the Netherlands. He is also the keyboard player for Dead Man Ray.
One of his first productions was Gorky, the debut album of Belgian band Gorki. Van Belle was responsible for much of the sound and melody of the song Mia, which he turned from a punkrock song into a piano ballad.[1] Despite never being released as a single, it became a classic which was voted the best song ever by the listeners of Studio Brussel[2] and best Belgian song ever by the listeners of Radio 1.[3] Van Belle not only produced the album, but also created the piano melody for the song.[4] The number 2 song in the above mentioned list of best Belgian songs ever, Als ze lacht by Yevgueni, was also produced by Van Belle.[3] In the 2005 version of that all-time Flemish songs list, he was involved as producer, mixer, writer and/or musician with 18 of the 100 songs.[5]
In 1994 he won the Zamu Music Award for Best Producer.
He created his own label "Petrol" in 2000, to release an album he produced for Flip Kowlier which was then rejected by his original label. Ocharme ik reached #18 in the Flemish charts, and Van Belle would continue to release music on his own label, not only by Kowlier but also by Yevgueni and Gabriel Rios. In 2006 he released a solo album, Wow/Flutter.[5]
In 2011 he was one of the four judges on Idool, the Flemish version of British TV show Pop Idol.[6]
In 2020, he was inducted into the "Eregalerij" (Hall of Fame) of Radio 2, the largest radio station in Flanders, for his "large influence on Belgian music"[6] The Hall of Fame lauded his work as a producer and as talent developer with e.g. Axelle Red and Flip Kowlier.[7]
- ^ "'Mia' van Gorki: van loeiharde punksong over iconisch kampvuurliedje tot stadion-klassieker" ['Mia' by Gorky: from loud punk song to iconic campfire song to stadium classic]. Knack (in Dutch). 29 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "'Mia' van Gorky op één in 'Top 100'" ['Mia' by Gorky at number one in 'Top 100']. De Tijd (in Dutch). 29 December 2003. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b "'Mia' van Gorki weer beste Belgische plaat volgens Radio 1-luisteraars" [Gorky's 'Mia' is again the best Belgian album according to Radio 1 listeners]. De Morgen (in Dutch). 5 December 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ ""Eigenlijk is Mia van Gorky ontstaan door een foutje"" ["In fact, Mia van Gorky was created by a mistake"]. Radio 1 (in Dutch). 18 August 2016. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b Vantyghem, Peter (20 June 2006). ""Deze cd is mijn leven"" ["This CD is my life"]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b "20 jaar Eregalerij eert ook Wouter Van Belle voor een 'Leven vol muziek'" [20 years of the Hall of Fame also honors Wouter Van Belle for a 'Life full of music']. Radio 2 (in Dutch). 14 January 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ IDR (15 January 2020). "Van 'Mia' tot 'Ik hou van u': producer Wouter Van Belle in 'De Eregalerij'" [From 'Mia' to 'I love you': producer Wouter Van Belle in 'The Gallery of Honor']. HLN (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 November 2011.