Producing Nanna Barslev's 2nd album
Me, adding hurdy-gurdy to a song-spell to help one with their fears.
In short but intense bursts of time, singer and songwriter Nanna Barslev and me have started production for her second album. Nanna and her instruments travel to my studio all the way from her farm in rural Denmark. She’ll also carry with her the raw ideas for songs, melodies and rhythms, with old stories and mysteries attached to them. The lyrics are spells, ancient words or modern renditions of ageless archetypes.
With all of those ingredients we then set out to find the right sounds and structure for the music. When working on the first album, this meant that we still were defining the sound from scratch. Now we can build on what we started and develop it further.
The genre of Scandinavian neo-folk could be regarded as saturated - but that makes finding a unique sound a challenge I gladly take on. For Nanna I mix the old instruments with modern ones. Synthesizers, distortion and electronic beats accompany the moraharpa, , flute, hurdy-gurdy, bódhran and sounds of wood, shells and bone.
Some of the singing on the album is improvised - once the soundstage is set, Nanna can further “tune into” the mood of the song. There’s something magical about a first take.. and I make sure to always record that. But sometimes we take extensive time to find the right mood… take after take, which all sound wonderful to my ears, but Nanna would still be searching… until she finds what she seeks and then I understand what she was looking for… I’m always patient and happy to give an artist the space they need to chase for that something of which maybe even they themselves don’t know yet what it is - only that it isn’t there, until it is.
If you are not familiar with the first album, below you can listen to one of the songs.
Some words about that first album:
“She has managed to weave her musical tales in a spellbinding fashion, the Nordic and tribal leanings giving rise to some historical sounds and moments of beauty, whilst maintaining a current and modern feel. A fascinating release with lots to enjoy, with hidden depths which make repeated plays a must.”
~ The Progressive Aspect
“Viking Dead Can Dance”
~ Wastistdas.co.uk
“Nanna Barslev’s Lysbaerer (By Norse) is a heavier take on Norwegian traditions using medieval instruments such as the moraharpa to build an intensity that throbs close to metal.”
~ The Guardian
