Linnea Hjertén – Nio systrar

Release date: 12 January 2024
Label: Nordvis Produktion

Intro

Sweden is known to have a strong hold on various forms of metal and rock, with greats like In Flames, Opeth, and The Hives. However, there are also a number of artists who focus on traditional folk melodies and ritualistic ambient tracks. Spiritualist and trained music producer, Linnea Hjertén, is the newest of these to enter the fold. Her music, wordless and haunting, has been described as a psychoacoustic gateway to altered states of consciousness. Originally, she used it as grounding forces, enhancements of energies, and as manifestations of intent to release that which no longer served her. After a while, however, it was clear that these songs needed to be heard by outside ears. No longer confined to just her private sanctuary, Linnea Hjertén is proud to release her first solo album, Nio systrar.

The Album

Light hums, both vocally and instrumentally, begin Noder before Hjertén changes to a more chilling tune. This tune carries itself to the end among soft drumbeats alternating between steady and still. Vägen in has sharp exhalations underneath, an almost choral hum adding itself. The choir slowly chimes in, some asking for more attention than others, as the track comes to a close. The titular Nio systrar has a somewhat forceful hum behind it, as if subtly trying to relay a message. The backing music is nearly non-existent, the focus on Hjertén’s plaintive hums, slowly rising in urgency until the end.

Uppsåt makes great use of simple drums, the beat awakening something old and deep from within Hjertén’s voice. Overlapping harmonies compete with one another here, each attempting to be the most powerful force before quickly and suddenly dying. The longest track on the album, Skuggan, is comprised of a slow and simple drumbeat and quiet bells softly jingling. Hjertén’s vocals wander as they come and go, eventually finding their way to a crescendo before falling away. Dark and foreboding is the energy behind Avgrund, Hjertén’s repetitive vocals rising over the murmuring music. A wailing intermittently joins in, but never reaches a definitive conclusion, the track ending on a sad, almost abrupt note.

Gasping and keening are what make up Återfödelse before the somewhat quick drumbeat comes in to break up the sadness. The grief turns into something mysterious, Hjertén’s vocals almost becoming a chant, her cries in the back urging her on. The mirror to Vägen in, the soft Vägen ut relies on gently rumbling drums to hold up Hjertén’s sorrowful voice. This track is almost catchy, a sort of dance welling up inside the listener, as if trying to find something more primal. The final track, Det Som Växer Ur Lera, feels like a funerary chant, Hjertén’s vocals clear but sombre. The lamentations continue, over and over, calling the album to a close like a mother calls her children home.

A Final Word

During production, Linnea Hjertén has been compared to the likes of Dead Can Dance, Kari Rueslåtten, and Forndom. Indeed, ethereal beauty, spellbinding chants, and Nordic minimalism are all present in her music. As an artist, Linnea Hjertén‘s aim in sharing her music is to make even one person calm or find a moment’s pause from the material world. With Nio systrar, and the tranquil tracks within, it is safe to say that her goal has been, and will continue to be, achieved.

Line up:

• Linnea Hjertén (she/her) – Vocals, backing music
• Ludvig Swärd (he/him) – Samples on Noder, Vägen in, Uppsåt, Det som växer ur lera, Nio systrar, Vägen ut; Additional recordings on Vägen ut
• Daniel karlsson (he/him) – Toms on Uppsåt, Vägen ut, Skuggan, Återfödelse

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