Sissel Ready In November

It's taken a long time, and cost a lot of money. But now, it appears that finally the new album from Sissel is soon done. If the record company's plans come to fruition, it will be available in record stores about 20. November, in good time for Christmas sales.

Engelen
Einar Engelstad
translated from Norwegian by Robert A Jones

At first the album is only going to be released in Norway. All the complicated plans of an international launch are for the time being suspended. Sissel has also chosen to drop the traditional Christmas concerts this year, and won't be touring with the new stuff until next Spring at the earliest.

For now there is a bit of work left before there is a finished product. There is a lot of studio work left, and the plan is to do the final mixing in the beginning of next month. Perhaps, the Norwegian public will get a little taste in the form of a single at the end of October. Sissel has recorded about 20 songs, but there still need to be 12 songs chosen to be on the album. Recording is, for the most part, finished -- done in the studio in Oslo, but some were also recorded in Trondheim and at Musikkforum in Sandnes.

Sissel has only kept a few of the original melodies that were originally written for her scrapped international release. In the meantime, these have been recorded again with fresh material of, among others, Jørn Dahl, and Morten Abel. Even Sissel has been involved in the songwriting process, and all the lyrics are in English. The main producer is Jørn Dahl, who also was behind Lene Marlin's successful album. Stargate in Trondheim and Morten Abel have also had a finger in the production side.

Bergens Tidende has heard some of the unfinished material and can report an entirely new Sissel, quite far from "Vestland, Vestland." The sound is not unlike the recent productions of Madonna, but it is also easy to find references to both Lene Marlin and Enya. That the album will be found under many Christmas trees, there should be no doubt.