Bran Van 3000
| Company type | Collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Founder | James Di Salvio, E.P. Bergen |
| Defunct | 2002 (first disbandment) |
| Fate | Reestablished in 2006 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
Area served | Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Europe |
Key people | James Di Salvio, E.P. Bergen, Stéphane Moraille, Sara Johnston, Steve "Liquid" Hawley, Jayne Hill, Jean Leloup, Kim Bingham |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Bran Van 3000—also referred to as BV3—is a Canadian collective blending alternative rock and hip hop, originating from Montreal, Quebec. Established by James Di Salvio alongside E.P. Bergen, the group has worked with a variety of contributors such as Stéphane Moraille, Sara Johnston, Steve "Liquid" Hawley, Jayne Hill, Jean Leloup, and Kim Bingham.
The band's name is inspired by the Swedish spirit Brännvin and pays homage to Bergen’s taupe Volkswagen Camper Van from the mid-1990s, which they humorously claimed ran on a mixture of bran flakes, brännvin, and brand recognition during their Canadian tours.
From 1996 through 2016, Bran Van 3000 consistently ranked within the Top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in their home country.
1994–1996: Origins
In 1994, James Di Salvio received a royalty payment for remixing a song by Quebec artist Jean Leloup and subsequently invited E.P. Bergen to New York. With Di Salvio’s background in video directing and Bergen’s expertise in music production, they formed Bran Van 3000. E.P. Bergen co-wrote and produced Leloup’s single "Johnny Go," which featured Di Salvio’s debut rap performance and achieved the number one spot on Quebec’s charts. Di Salvio also directed the accompanying music video.
Contributions to Leloup's platinum-certified album Le Dôme included the tracks "Forest" and "La Chambre." This collaboration led to a contract with Audiogram Records. Partnering with Haig V, they co-produced BV3’s first album that incorporated Leloup’s "Forest." Bergen initiated a cover of "Cum On Feel the Noize" initially intended for Sara Johnston's vocals but later involved Steve "Liquid" Hawley. By 1996, as the album neared completion, demo versions of "Drinking In LA," "Couch Surfer," and "Everywhere" were entered into Canadian Music Week; despite tying for first place, Bran Van 3000 was disqualified due to not having an established performing band. Subsequently, they formed a touring ensemble featuring Gary Mackenzie, Nick Hynes, and Rob Joanisse.
1996–1999: Glee Era
In February 1997, Bran Van 3000 released their debut single "Drinking in L.A." in Canada, which peaked at number 35 on the RPM Top Singles chart by July. Their inaugural album, Glee, was released in April and attained gold certification. At the Juno Awards of 1998, it secured Best Alternative Album, while BV3 received nominations for Best New Group and Single of the Year for "Drinking in L.A."
The Glee album comprised 17 tracks including the French-language song "Forest" featuring Leloup. The track "Afrodiziak," produced by E.P. Bergen, sold 100,000 units in Germany and was featured in the movie XChange. Additionally, "Everywhere" appeared on the soundtrack for Practical Magic, and "Drinking in L.A." was included in Playing by Heart. The song "Ceci n'est pas une chanson" (later retitled "Une chanson") incorporates the melody from "Perfect" by The The.
When Glee was released internationally in March 1998, several alterations were made: "Ceci n'est pas une chanson" was transformed into an instrumental named "Une chanson"; "Forest" was revised with English lyrics; and three new songs—"Rainshine," "Carry On," and "Old School"—were added, extending the album to 19 tracks.
Following their signing with Capitol Records, Bran Van 3000 undertook extensive tours throughout Canada and the United States, appearing at festivals such as H.O.R.D.E. and Endfest. In Europe, they supported prominent acts including Massive Attack, Björk, Pulp, and performed alongside Moby in Quebec.
In May 1998, "Drinking in L.A." reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart, marking their initial breakthrough across the Atlantic. After its inclusion in a Rolling Rock television advertisement, the single was reissued in August 1999 and climbed to number three on UK charts.
2000–2002: Discosis
During the summer of 2001, Bran Van 3000 unveiled their album Discosis. The single "Astounded", which includes the final recorded contribution from soul icon Curtis Mayfield, became the group's highest-charting Canadian single, peaking at number 3 on the Canadian Singles Chart. Contributors to the album featured Senegalese vocalist Youssou N'Dour and reggae performer Eek-a-Mouse. The song "Go Shopping" was part of the soundtrack for the Mexican movie Y Tu Mamá También, while a remix of "The Answer" by the Latch Brothers was included in the 2002 video game Jet Set Radio Future.
2006–2007: Rosé
The third studio effort from BV3, titled Rosé, was launched in Canada on October 30 and later in the United States on November 27, 2007. James Di Salvio and Sara Johnston co-produced the album, which showcased collaborations with artists such as Fatlip, Max-A-Million, Swanza, Chris Opperman, and Noel Osborne. The writing process took place in Los Angeles, with recording sessions held at studios owned by Depeche Mode and Steve Vai. On July 1, 2008, the original lineup reunited to perform at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, entertaining an audience estimated at around 180,000 people.
2010–2012: The Garden
After the passing of his father Bobby Di Salvio, James Di Salvio reformed Bran Van 3000 to release The Garden on October 19, 2010. Subsequent tours across Canada featured partnerships with musicians including Pierre-Luc Cérat, Nick Hynes, Pascal Lepage, and Stéphane Moraille. In 2015, the collective issued the album French Garden. On May 3, 2022, Bran Van 3000 announced a commemorative 25th anniversary tour spanning Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | AUT | BEL | FRA | GER | UK | |||
| Glee | 59 | 15 | — | 120 | 96 | 77 |
| |
| Discosis |
|
5 | 15 | 38 | 89 | 49 | 97 | |
| Rosé |
|
9 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| The Garden |
|
15 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| French Garden |
|
— | — | — | — | — | ||
Compilation albums
| Album Title | Release Information |
|---|---|
| Greatest Hits |
|
Singles
| Single | Release Year | Highest Chart Rankings | Associated Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | AUS | NLD | SWE | UK | US Dance | |||
| "Drinking in L.A." | 1997 | 35 | 79 | 46 | 9 | 3 | — | Glee |
| "Couch Surfer" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Everywhere" | 1998 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Exactly Like Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Afrodiziak" / "Forest" (French version) | 1999 | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | |
| "Astounded" | 2001 | 3 | — | 72 | 49 | 40 | 35 | Discosis |
| "The Answer" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Love Cliché" | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Forever" | 2006 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Rosé |
| "Call Me (I'll Be Around)" | 2007 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Grace (Love on the Block)" | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Garden |
| "Jahrusalem" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "La Dolce Vita" (Fred Everything Remixes) | 2011 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Soundtrack credits
- Playing by Heart (1998): Tracks - "Drinking in LA", "Exactly Like Me"
- Practical Magic (1998): Track - "Everywhere"
- Entropy (1999): Track - "Drinking in L.A."
- Y tu mamá también (2001): Track - "Go Shopping"
- Xchange (2001): Track - "Afrodiziak"
- Skeppsholmen (TV Series) (2002): Track - "Astounded"
- Jet Set Radio Future (2002): Track - "The Answer"
- Everwood (2004): Track - "Rock Star"
- FIFA Street 2 (2006): Track - "Astounded"
- The L Word (2008): Tracks - "Loaded", "Rock Star"
- The Trotsky (2009): Track - "Shine"
- Bon Cop, Bad Cop 2 (2017): Tracks - "Black Diamond", "Girlz"
- The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For (TV Series) (2021): Track - "Cum On Feel the Noize"
- Aftersun (2022): Track - "Drinking in LA"
See also
References
- Articles with short description
- Musical groups established in 1996
- Musical groups disestablished in 2002
- Musical groups reestablished in 2006
- Musical groups from Montreal
- Musical collectives
- Canadian dance music groups
- Capitol Records artists
- Virgin Records artists
- English-language musical groups from Quebec
- Audiogram (label) artists
- Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year winners
- 1996 establishments in Quebec
- 2002 disestablishments in Quebec
- 2006 establishments in Quebec
- Alternative dance musical groups
- French-language musical groups