Kari Rueslåtten
Country of origin:
Norway
Type of music generally:
Mainstream and alternative pop, some with a traditional flavour
Status:
Most recent release, Demo Recordings 1995 (compilation update + re-release, 2016); most recent release of new material, To the North (2015)
See also:
Kari Rueslåtten's site
Comparisons:
A mix between Dronning Mauds Land (voice and norwegian lyrics), Loreena McKennit, Enya, Tori Amos
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Former vocalist with Norwegian metal band, The 3rd and the Mortal, Kari Rueslåtten launched a solo career in the mid-90s.she's great!! Her voice is GORGEOUS. (collectedsounds@gmail.com)
Comments about live performance:
Kari Ruesletten is amazing live!!! (onealien@mo.himolde)
Recommended first album:
Spindelsinn remains my favourite, though Other People's Stories may be easier to find. (Neile)
Recordings:
- Demo Recordings (compilation, 1995)
- Spindelsinn (1997)
- Mesmerized (1998)
- PIlot (2002)
- Other People's Stories (2004; reissued 2007)
- Collection (compilation, 2014)
- Time to Tell (2014)
- To the North (2015)
- Demo Recordings 1995 (compilation update + re-release, 2016)
Spindelsinn
Release info:
1997—Sony (Norway)—COL 487304 2
Availability:
Wide in Norway on release; currently unknown
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Kari Rueslåtten—vocals, piano
Guest artists:
Børge Petersen Øverleir—guitar (1, 2)
Kai Priddy—guitar (8), bass
Rune Arnesen—percussion
Annbjørg Lien—fiddle
Hans-Josef Groh—cello
Atle Sponberg—violin
Vegard Johnsen—violin
Dorthe Dreier—viola
Jan Olav Martinsen—French horn
Kjetil Bjerkestrand—string arrangements
Produced by:
Ulf W. Ø. Holand
Comments:
Spindelsinn was one of the releases I really waited for. After hearing her when she was in The 3rd and the Mortal, and the rumours about what this album would be all about—this could be the BIG album this year. I bought it in Oslo a couple of weeks ago, and it is just so very wonderful...think of a mix between Dronning Mauds Land (voice and norwegian lyrics), Loreena McKennit, Enya, Tori Amos (melody-lines) and Norwegian trad. music. This is such a wonderful album, and as good as I expected it to be. Wonderful lyrics (though in Norwegian as I already said), music, voice and arrangements.
When she was with The 3rd and the Mortal she never got to show how brilliant a songwriter she really is. Her songs are based upon Norwegian folk-songs with some elements from the Celtic tradition. This is about the forest, and how much she likes it there among the trees. She writes in Norwegian, so for people outside Norway you just have to listen to the music which is excellent.
In The 3rd and the Mortal (part of an old very much metal band with 3 guitars, bass and drums) she was a rather strange opposite of the rest of the band members. Some wonderful songs came out of that period though. Spindelsinn is something completly different with its folk music feel.
Spindelsinn is highly recommended. She is mixing norwegian trad. into her songs in such an amazing way. (onealien@mo.himolde)The fairylike quality is what I like best about it. (Marion)
Norwegian artist, Norwegian lyrics. Being a kind of folk-pop album, it is heavily inspired by traditional Norwegian music and Norwegian folklore, with all its trolls and faeries. Spindelsinn has a sort of faery-tale atmosphere about it; when listening to it, I feel just like I am participating in the old, traditional Norwegian faery-tales most Norwegians have been reading at some point in their lives. Very good. An album I do not hesitate for a second to put in my CD player. (Alvin.Brattli@phys.uit.no)
Mesmerized
Release info:
1998—Sony (Norway)
Availability:
Wide in Norway on release; currently unknown
Ecto priority:
Recommended for pop fans
Group members:
Kari Rueslåtten
Guest artists:
Knut Bøhn, Roger Ludvigsen, Jon Marius Aareskjold, Geir Sundstøl, Berit Værnes, André Ohrvik, Henning Båtnes, Bjørg Værnes, Rune Arnesen, Baard Slagsvold
Produced by:
Knut Bøhn
Comments:
I got Mesmerized at the same time as Spindelsinn, but Mesmerized has already gone off to another home. They're both basically pop/rock discs, but Mesmerized was way more pop-sounding and just left me cold. Funny the difference there. (Neile)
Pilot
Release info:
2002
Availability:
See Kari Rueslåtten's site
Ecto priority:
Recommended
Group members:
Kari Rueslåtten
Guest artists:
Fredrik Ellingsen, Thomas Von Sonnenberg, Jon T. Wesseltoft, Roger Ludvigsen, Lars Lien, Erik Holm, Marthe Belsvik, Martin Eden, Morten
Produced by:
Kari Rueslåtten
Comments:
It is just so wonderful. It is hard to pin down though because her style is all over the place, but mainly it is very laid back with focus on her voice, which isn't a bad thing at all. She has brought back some of the norwegian influences on her first album Spindelsinn and added a bit of Celtic to that in addition to sometimes sounding like Tori musically and then Lamb + a lot of herself. It is gonna be hard for some other CD to kick it off my top 10 this year. (onealien@mo.himolde)kari's album is wonderful. (stjarnell@yahoo.com)
Other People's Stories
Release info:
2004, reissued 2007—GMR Music Group—PEACHCD0006
Availability:
See Kari Rueslåtten's site
Ecto priority:
Recommended for pop fans
Group members:
Kari Rueslåtten—vocals
Guest artists:
Frode Flemsæter—vocals (1), keyboards (1,2,8,10), organ (4), piano (5)
Jorn Flemsæter—guitars (1,2,3,5,6,7, 10)
Håkon Austheim—drums (1,2,3,5,6,7,10)
Bjarte Sandoy Gronning—bass (1,2,3,4,5,10)
Roald Kaldestrad—guitar (3,4)
Roy Ole Forland—programming (3,4,5,6,7,9), chimes (3,4), organ (4), piano (4), sounds (8)
Lars Lien—guitar (3)
Bjornar Habbestad—programming (4,7,8.9)
Stig Sandbakk—guitars (6), daouble bass (!!)
Produced by:
Kari Rueslåtten and Roy Ole Forland
Comments:
Her voice is astonishingly pure on this recording. Amazing! My favourite song here is "Ride." Beautiful pop music for those who like such things. (Neile)
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