Hege Høisæter – “Himmelskygge”

Hege Høisæter’s new album, Himmelskygge, is a really fascinating mix of styles that comes together in a way you don’t hear every day. Released on the LAWO Classics label, the record puts a modern twist on Norwegian contemporary songs by blending classical traditions with electronics, improvisation, and jazz elements.

Hege, a mezzo-soprano, is joined by pianist Jorunn Marie Bratlie and electronic musician Kari Telstad Sundet. The jazz ensemble Tov a Vot also plays a massive part here. Vetle Nærø on keys, Theis Jakob on bass, and Ola Grindbakken on drums don’t just back Hege up. They actually composed Two Dystopian Songs for the project, which throws a completely different, genre-bending energy into the mix.

The tracklist covers a lot of ground. It kicks off with a dramatic piece by Olav Anton Thommessen called Cosima minnes, dives into some lyrical Norwegian poetry settings by Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen, and wraps up with a reflective piece called Ave Verum by Gisle Kverndokk. It’s cool to see how well these older traditions and newer, electronic elements get along.

If you want to keep up with what Hege is doing next, head over to her Instagram and Spotify to follow her for more updates.