Men Med Abne Ojne

Helene Blum's fourth solo album ''Men med åbne øjne' translates as 'But with my eyes open'. - Blum is known for her dynamic, multi-layered interpretations where the gentle softness has deep roots and the door is open both to light and dark. Her beautiful melodies live in a 'velklingende' a euphonious melancolic universe all enriched by the present. Great poetry has been a major inspiration for much of the musical material and the texts on the album with a wide range of styles from the traditional ballad 'Gådevisen' to Hans Christian Andersen and the modernist poet Poul Borum. Her latest album is produced by herself and fiddler/composer Harald Haugaard - with the exception of quot;Syrenprinsessenquot; which is produced by Sune Haansbæk. Blum's usual ensemble is the base on most tracks but there are also other guests appearing including one of the great folk singers, Martin Simpson, from UK. Martin appears as fellow composer and duet partner on the Danish/English duet quot;Når først vi har sagt farvelquot;. The album was mixed by Søren Mikkelsen in the legendary Medley studio in Copenhagen. As one of the finest interpreters of Danish traditional singing Blum has, over the years, been extremely active touring the world. Her ensemble with fiddler Harald Haugaards has visited festivals in Canada and the USA, beautiful chamber music halls in Wienna and Tokyo, churches and clubs in Denmark and the rest of Europe with over 100 concerts every year. As a professional singer Blum has developed into a mature, storyteller opening up for new depth of sounds and presence in her voice. The sound is still based in folk music but on this album elements from modern classical music alongside electric guitars and percussion blend into the sound of acoustic folk. It gives the album a wider range than earlier releases, but there is never any doubt who the author of the music is with most of the music and lyrics on the album is composed by Blum herself.