Laid Back

Laid Back are a Danish electronic music duo from Copenhagen, active since 1979. The group consists of John Guldberg and Tim Stahl. Their music is usually associated with electro-disco and pop, and they are known for songs including “Sunshine Reggae” and “Bakerman”.

Formation and early work

Guldberg and Stahl meet in the mid-1970s and first play together in the Starbox Band. After a poorly received support slot for The Kinks, that group ends, but the two continue as a duo. Guldberg sets up a small studio in central Copenhagen, and the pair begin working with multitrack tape machines, synthesizers and drum machines.

Their debut album, Laid Back, appears in 1981. The single “Maybe I’m Crazy” reaches number one in Denmark. In 1983, “Sunshine Reggae” becomes a chart success in Denmark and several other countries and later appears on their second album, Keep Smiling.

International success

“White Horse” becomes the duo’s highest-charting single in the United States. First issued as a B-side, it is later released as an A-side and reaches dance and R&B charts, as well as number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984. The track is later sampled by 2 Live Crew on “Get the Fuck Out of My House” and by Monifah on “Touch It” in 1998.

Further albums such as Play It Straight and See You in the Lobby, and singles including “Abu Dhabi” and “Tricky Kind of Thing”, have more limited commercial impact. In 1989, Laid Back return to European charts with “Bakerman”, featuring Hanne Boel. The song reaches number nine in West Germany and number 44 in the United Kingdom in 1990. Its video is directed by Lars von Trier and shows the duo skydiving while miming to the track. The lyric “Sagabona kunjani wena” is described by Guldberg as a Swahili greeting meaning “Hello, how are you?”.

Later activity

Following the success of “Bakerman”, “White Horse” is re-released as “White Horse ’89” with new remixes, although it does not match the earlier commercial performance. Laid Back continue to record and release music in later decades. They compose the soundtrack for the 2001 film Flyvende Farmor and receive a Robert Award for it. That same year, an exhibition of their artwork, including material used for album covers and promotional material, takes place in Copenhagen.

In 2003, they appear on “Tango” by the Danish band Hæst, produced by Umpff. A Shaun Baker remix of “Bakerman” reaches number one in Greenland in 2006. In 2010, they release “Cocaine Cool” on their own label, Brother Music, followed by the mini album Cosyland and the instrumental album Cosmic Vibes in 2012, and the double album Uptimistic Music in 2013.

Recent releases and recognition

In 2019, Laid Back receive the Danish award Pioneer of the Year, or Årets Steppeulv, for their contribution to music. That year also marks four decades of activity, and they continue to work from their original Copenhagen studio. Their 12th studio album, Healing Feeling, appears in 2019. In 2023, they release the 21-track album Road to Fame, which includes the Danish-language song “Mig” (“Me”); their previous Danish-language track is “Flyvende Farmor” (“The flying granny”) from 2001. Laid Back continue to perform occasionally, including a guest appearance at Roskilde Festival in 2023 alongside Free Nationals.