Faroe Islands (Feb 20/06) - Former Iqaluit DJ and musician Thor Simonsen released his first CD earlier this month.

The disc, titled International, is distributed on the Tutl record label in the Faroe Islands, where Simonsen has lived with his grandparents since moving from Iqaluit in November.

Administered by Denmark, the Faroe Islands are located in the North Atlantic between Scotland, Norway and Iceland.

Tutl promotes Simonsen's album as the first ever Faroese rap/hip hop recording. The hook in the first single, Back In Time, is in Faroese. The rest of the songs are in English.

The CD mixes Canadian hip hop style with some European-influenced trance and techno.

It features 16 tracks of original music written and produced by Simonsen in Iqaluit, Denmark and the Faroe Islands.

He wrote, composed, recorded, mixed and performed every track on the album using an iMac, a music programme, a MIDI keyboard, a guitar, a microphone and his own voice.

He cites Michael Jackson, Kaos, Eminem, Black Eyed Peas, Ben Harper and Cold Play as influences.

"I'm always making music," Simonsen said. "I've made a couple of songs since the CD came out."

The 18-year-old songwriter moved to Iqaluit from Denmark with his mom, Rannva Simonsen, at age eight.

His mom, also a musician, taught him to play guitar and drums as a child. He also picked up piano at a young age.

"Since he was eight, he's always been busy with his own stuff," Rannva said.

Simonsen started recording music on his hard drive at age 12. As a teenager, he played in bands at coffeehouses in Iqaluit and at Inuksuk high school, starring as Danny in the school's production of the musical, Grease. He also deejayed around town.

"Thor used to say that he wanted to be a music star when he was little and I used to say to him that if he wanted to get far in music he had to let the music be a priority before the ego," said his mom. "He has a humble attitude toward the music and I think that's why he's wonderful at it."

Simonsen plans to travel Europe on a Eurorail pass with Iqaluit friend Eliane Kanayuk-Gabriel this winter. They will tour seven countries, starting in Copenhagen.

Simonsen said he's bringing copies of International to distribute as souvenirs along the way.