About Me
ABOUT;HELEN ERIKSEN;It`s easy to resort to clichès when describing Helen Eriksen. Not that there`s anything wrong with that; it`s no secret that all great clichès originate from even greater truths. Nevertheless, clichès are not the first thing that spring to mind when you hear the music of Helen Eriksen. The saxophone player, singer, songwriter and arranger, has since her debut record "Standards" (96)set her own....standard for what her musical universe is charged with. John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Marc Bolan, Motörhead and Eastenders......they all live happily together here, side by side. What makes Helen such a rare flower may be the distinct sound of her voice, or it could be her exquisite saxophone ventures. Then again, these are two sides of the same story.In 1995, Helen started working with internationally acclaimed Norwegian hip-hop producer Tommy Tee, Not with any intentions of hitting the zeitgeist (lite-jazz with added hip hop beats was starting to exite people at this point), but because she felt a strong connection between jazz and hip hop / rap. A tape containing rough mixes of "Standards" coincidentally found itself in the hands of Bruce Lundvall at Legendary Blue Note in New York. Very shortly, New York was calling Bergen, enthused with what they`ve heard. At age 24, Helen became the first ever Norwegian artist signed to Blue Note. A year later, her debut album "Standards" was released. Nominated for two Norwegian Grammy`s, or the far more challenging " Spelemannsprisen", she took home a bronze harp that year for best new act.1998 saw the release of "Lovevirgin", a refined continuation of her work with Tommy Tee and Blue Note. Like her debut, "Lovevirgin" was also released throughout Europe and Japan. In 2000, with a new approach and a new label (Curling Legs), Helen put out "City Dust". This was Helen`s first record backed by a more regular combo and thus many anticipated a pure jazz record this time. But in collaboration with producer Jørgen Træen ( Magnet, Jaga Jazzist, Sondre Lerche, Sir Dupermann ) Helen instead provided echoes of cool jazz and bossa nova in soundscapes reminiscent of contemporary pop outcasts like Bertrand Burgalat and Cornelius.Five years later the time has finally arrived to present Helen Eriksen`s new album, her first of many recordings on New Records we hope. Recorded in Gjøa Studio, produced by the Sensible Twins and mixed by Tommy Tee. Small Hall Classic could be said to be a symbiosis of her previous efforts; attention to rhythm and minimalist precision recognizable from "Standards" and "Lovevirgin" and live musicians providing an organic sound, continuing the journey on from "City Dust ". The songs combine the structures of pop with Helen`s unique sense of harmony and improvisation. Other signature sounds; loud, funky hip hop beats are part of the composition, only this time they are not programmed. And then there`s the legendary Juno 106 synthesizer, thoroughly explored throughout the record.At the center of all this reigns a focused and mature musician, constantly digging deeper into her own universe of music (NEWRECORDS)
