Ethereal Folk artist Kari Rueslåtten releases “Sørgekåpe”
Norwegian singer Kari Rueslåtten is known to have one of the finest voices in alternative Nordic folk-pop. Her new album Sørgekåpe is out May 8, and this will be her eighth solo album. For the first time since her debut-solo album Spindelsinn, she sings in Norwegian.
Sørgekåpe
The new recording, titled “Sørgekåpe”, reaffirms Rueslåtten’s ability to deliver incredible vocals laden with dark-edged melancholy. She has always been aiming to uncover the beauty hiding in the dark:
– Sørgekåpe describes those lonely hours at night when every thought is looming, and one loses the battle against reality. By the time morning light finds its way through the curtains, the mind is so fragile, it can be tipped over by the gentle touch of a butterflies’ wing.
Sørgekåpe is the Norwegian name for the butterfly Mourning Cloak.
Norwegian language and landscape
Sørgekåpe is Kari Rueslåtten’s first album in Norwegian since her debut-solo album Spindelsinn in 1997. Spindelsinn reached across borders, in spite being sung in Norwegian, a language spoken only by 5 million people worldwide. Fans all over the world embraced the album and found meaning in the music that spoke to them although they did not understand the meaning of the words.
– With my new album Sørgekåpe I am really looking forward to inviting people again into my native landscape of sounds and language, Kari Rueslåtten says.
Amazing reception of the first single
Rueslåtten has been stunned by the amazing reception from all corners of the world for the first single, the title track Sørgekåpe.
– That so many people who follows me from around of the world embrace that I sing in my native language is wonderful. To be honest, I was not sure what people would think when I sung in Norwegian again, so this really warms my heart.
Inspired by metal, classical and folk music
Some will say they know Kari Rueslåtten from her metal background in the early years of her career, when she sung in the Norwegian prog metal band The 3rd and the Mortal. At that time, she took lessons in classical singing in the daytime, sang in metal bands in the evening – all the time inspired by Nordic and Celtic folk music. Since then she has delivered dark-edged folk-pop to a world-wide audience. Kari Rueslåtten’s work with The 3rd and the Mortal is said by Tuomas Holopainen to be the reason why he was inspired to start Nightwish.
Dreamfarm Studios
Kari describes Sørgekåpe as a personal album, with an acoustic character.
– The arrangements are quite sparse, and producer Jostein Ansnes has carefully chosen instruments to accompany the songs. Together with the fine musicians contributing on the new songs, he has created a wonderful music-landscape, she says.
Kari Rueslåtten and producer Jostein Ansnes did preproduction at a small cabin in the beautiful, majestic mountains of Nordmøre in Mid-Norway. The recordings were done at a local recording studio in Surnadal, the nearby village. Here, an old farm has been refurbished and turned into a highly modern and professional recording studio. It was such a special and warm atmosphere at Dreamfarm Studios. We felt at home straight away, and very welcome, Kari says about the studio.
Kari Rueslåtten was one of the founder members of the progressive doom metal band The 3rd and the Mortal. The band defined a genre and was an inspiration for many other bands worldwide. After leaving The 3rd and the Mortal in 1995 she has now released seven solo studio albums, and one collection. She has toured in Europe and Latin America. Her unique talent has brought Kari Rueslåtten into collaboration with many different artists, such as Toumas Holopainen from the Nightwish, Anneke van Giersbergen (ex The Gathering), Liv Kristine (ex Theatre of Tragedy) and the Norwegian rock legend Åge Aleksandersen.
