…før de spredtes : NEW THING COMMING UP

 

– “Nordic musical heritage, change, and acceptance”

‘…før de spredtes’ : Tomas Raae feat. Eline Hellerud Åsbakk

 

“A phrase from Ernst Frandsen’s book *Danske Folkeviser* from 1945 forms the title of the album ‘…før det spredtes’. The album is a study of, and an album about, the Nordic region and the Nordic musical heritage; the words, the change and development, the melancholy and the light, the nature and the people. The 9 tracks are a collection of both newly composed songs and folk music from the period 1580-1870.”

 

Så stiller han mjød og vin frem på sit bord

“Drik nu Venelite glem din far og mor”

– Tiril liril lilil haugjen min

Og de leged’ så let gennem lunden

 

Da Venelite tredie gang af mjødglasset tog

Glemte hun sin faders gård glemte hun sin tro

– Tiril liril lilil haugjen min

Og de leged’ så let gennem lunden

(uddrag fra Venelite) 

 

“The old songs are full of life and immensely powerful. Filled with both poetry, sharp realistic descriptions, and deep reflections on life in all its wonder and incomprehensibility—love, pain, sorrow, and acceptance. I was completely overwhelmed and absorbed when I delved into them. And when, by chance, I heard Eline sing, I could very easily see myself reflected in the lyrics.” This is how Tomas Raae explains it, who, besides writing, producing, and playing music, from improvisational music to pop and TV series, has also released three full-length albums since 2020, all reaching a wide audience on streaming services.  

Ernst Frandsen’s book discusses the transcription of the old songs, before they would otherwise fade out of the public consciousness. Although the songs were written down and thus preserved, this musical tradition wasn’t about preservation or turning the songs into museum artifacts, but rather about understanding what it means to be human, to understand and reflect on the world around us, and to accept life in its entirety. And about dancing. The chain dance, one of the great entertainments of the Middle Ages, spread from France throughout the rest of Europe. The melodies followed the dance, but the lyrics had to be created by oneself. They were written to, and about, life in the local consciousness.  

This is what Tomas Raae has attempted to continue with this album, striving to create a contemporary version of Nordic folk music—both in terms of sound, choice of existing songs, and newly written lyrics and melodies. In doing so, through change and addition, he honors and respects the distinctive logic of the Nordic musical heritage.  

The music consists of sonic images and light melodic elements, which together create an airy sound deeply influenced by Nordic jazz and improvisation. The music is primarily recorded with acoustic/analog instruments, drum machines, vocals, and electronically processed field recordings.  

What sets this album apart from Tomas Raae’s other albums is the collaboration with vocalist Eline Hellerud Åsbakk from Tromsø in northern Norway. Eline Hellerud Åsbakk’s sources of inspiration are hymns and folk tunes from the northern Norwegian region, combined with a strong foundation in the experimental and improvisational aspects of jazz.  

The full quote from Ernst Frandsen’s book reads as follows: ‘And it was fortunate that it was them, that it was precisely that social class, which for centuries had poured their soul into these poems, that also caught them in flight before they scattered.’ (Ernst Frandsen, 1945, *Danske Folkeviser*)

 

Fakta:

Album: …før se spredtes

Skaber: Tomas Raae

Udgivelsesår: 2025

 

Eline Hellerud Åsbakk: Vokal

Lea Foxman: Vokal (6 & 7)

Victor Dybbroe: Percussion (7)

Bjørn Heebøll: Trommer + Marimba (1, 2, 4, 5 & 8)

Lars Emil Riis: Piano (2,5 & 9)

Tomas Raae: Moog, Polysix, Guitar, Piano, Bas (all)