New Music
Wardruna's Helvegen returns transformed after 12 years of living in the world
By Markus Hamence
Norwegian band Wardruna release "Helvegen II", a newly recorded version of their 2012 landmark song, accompanied by a music film directed by Tuukka Koski and featuring dancer Sofia Ruija. The track is available today via By Norse Music on digital platforms and 12" coloured vinyl, reflecting how the song has evolved through a decade of global performances, collaborations and its adoption in ceremonies across cultures far beyond Scandinavia.
WARDRUNA - Norwegian Modern World Music Masters, Release Helvegen II
A new recording and music film for one of the band’s most defining songs
Wardruna release a new recorded version of their landmark song “Helvegen”, accompanied by a new music film directed by longtime collaborator Tuukka Koski. The song is released today via By Norse Music and on 12” coloured vinyl.
First released in 2012, “Helvegen” has evolved through more than a decade of performances, new orchestrations, collaborations and guest appearances, progressively taking on a life of its own.
Wardruna’s composer Einar Selvik elaborates: “For some years now, we have been quietly working on a new recorded version of Helvegen. Not to replace the original, but to reflect what the song has gradually become.
“Over the years, it has found its way into the lives of people around the world in ways we could never have anticipated. We have received countless stories of Helvegen finding its way into funerals and memorials, weddings and births, and moments of both profound grief and great joy. It has become part of communal singing traditions in places far beyond Scandinavia and has found new voices in many different languages.
At some point, we realized that the song no longer existed only as the version we recorded in 2012. It had become something larger, shaped by the people who embraced it and by the countless moments in which it had been given a place and a purpose. This recording is our way of acknowledging that journey.
If this new recording offers anything beyond itself, it is to encourage a renewed relationship with song, not only as something we perform or listen to, but as something that can accompany us through life.
A tradition does not truly survive when it is merely remembered, but when it is lived.”
Listen to Helvengen II here
https://bfan.link/helvegen-II
Released alongside this new recording is a new music film directed by longtime Wardruna collaborator Tuukka Koski.
Finnish dancer Sofia Ruija brings the role of the deceased to life through her powerful movement and expression, accompanied by Krummi the raven, silently witnessing the crossing. Together, the recording and film reflect what Helvegen has gradually become through more than a decade of performances and the countless lives in which it has found a place.
Tracklist
Helvegen II
On vinyl only:
Helvegen (Skaldic Version)
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