We'll be heading to Sweden, Iceland and Denmark later (hopefully), but first we'll start in Norway with an artist who has an amazing background in contemporary music working with other artists, and is now releasing music in her own right. 'Elimarit' is Norwegian, and after performing with the London Contemporary Voices caught the attention of some of our favourite artists, including the likes of Tom Chaplin, Lucy Rose and Guy Garvey, subsequently working with them on a variety of different projects, too many to name here. However most recently she performed with Katie Melua, Rick Astley and Guy Garvey for BBC Radio 2’s ‘The Beatles Orchestrated’ at Abbey Road Studios.
Now 'Elimarit' is working on her own EP due for release in 2020, and from it we have a glimpse of her songwriting through the atmospheric 'Heart So Cold', a track that positively demands that everything is still and silent whilst listening. The vocals here are breathtaking, at first I almost couldn't quite grasp why this was drawing me in so much until I realised that the only sound you can hear is her voice - simply her vocals, intertwined and overlapping to create an ethereal choir, with an unmistakable Nordic folk sound, but somehow transported to a higher place. It was written and inspired by a profound personal loss, considering the 'aftermath of suicide' whilst still finding hope whilst grieving.
Listening to the song again after hearing the context behind it simply makes it even more compelling, and I'm struggling to find many comparisons. It's interesting too that her new EP will be called 'Silences', because the pauses in 'Heart So Cold' are as powerful as the music itself. Take a listen to the track here:
Clearly it goes without saying that if you're looking for music that will literally make you dance into work this morning, this may not quite be for you, but everyone needs time to contemplate the sadness in life and find the glimmers of hope on the horizon, and we really look forward to hearing 'Elimarit's' EP next year. You can visit her on Instagram and Facebook.