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| Sissel Kyrkjebø and Sort Sol's Steen Jørgensen unite in the duet "Elia Rising" on the rock group's long-awaited album "Snake Charmer." (Photo: Oddmund Lunde) |
It could be, regarding Sort Sol's upcoming album release on 1. April, but the following is not an April Fool's joke: the album actually contains a duet between Steen Jørgensen and Sissel Kyrkjebø.
Yes, you read that right. The kingdom's (Denmark's) most evil and morally corrupt rock band and the innocent angel voice from the Norwegian mountains.
The number is called "Elia Rising" and Ekstra Bladet was among the first to hear the lavish ballad. Sort Sol unveiled the otherwise secret sounds under a listening session in their place at Holmen, and the highly surprising affair reminds one a great deal of Nick Cave's much discussed duet with Kylie Minogue -- the hit "Where The Wild Roses Grow."
The bassist Knud Odde composed the number originally as a regular Sort Sol song, but when the group convinced Sissel to be involved, a verse was written especially for her.
Skulls in the bunker
Guitarist Lars Top-Galia tells about
the day when Sort Sol received a visit from the Norwegian beauty in their
claustrophobic studio, which is in an underground Cold War-bunker:
"I had put up some skulls around, where she was to sing. She glanced around a little awestruck and said that it wasn't entirely what she was used to. So, I said that this was a bit of heaven and hell. Yes, she was, of course, heaven," said Lars Top-Galia.
Sort Sol have a hard time hiding that they were extremely impressed by their fine visitor:
"She absolutely cannot sing false!"
added Lars Top-Galia.
Sissel Kyrkjebø was herself
also impressed:
"Sissel also praised Steen's voice
and Steen had to admit that she does sing very well, " said Lars Top-Galia.
Sissel's new style
"Elia Rising" came to be because
both Sort Sol and Sissel are on the same record label Mercury/Universal.
It's expected that the duet will be released as a single in the course
of the summer, but in the meantime both Sort Sol and the 31-year-old Norwegian
have both released long-awaited albums.
Sort Sol is releasing "Snake Charmer" on 1. April, while already 19. March Sissel will release her first album in 7 years in Denmark.
It is called "All Good Things," and as a follow-up to her success with the "Titanic" soundtrack, she's releasing English-language material as an attempt to make her into an international star.
With a more electronic style, not unlike a modernized edition of Enya, the album is a marked break from her earlier releases.
Her long break between albums is because she has been very busy having two daughters with her husband Eddie Skoller.
Sissel would not comment on the duet
with Ekstra Bladet.
© 2001 The Sissel Website