{"id":5672,"date":"2022-08-15T12:14:22","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T11:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shindig-magazine.com\/?p=5672"},"modified":"2022-08-15T13:08:20","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T12:08:20","slug":"haakon-ellingsen-cloudberry-tales-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shindig-magazine.com\/?p=5672","title":{"rendered":"Haakon Ellingsen – Cloudberry Tales Forever"},"content":{"rendered":"

What kind of tale can you spin with an oud, a tabla and a chiming 12-string guitar? \u00a0<\/strong>MICHAEL BJ\u00d6RN discusses dreamy Norwegian melancholia with HAAKON ELLINGSEN over a glass of cloudberry wine<\/strong><\/p>\n

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With Kindergarten being the only ever non-archival release or reissue on David Wells\u2019 legendary Tenth Planet label, Lars Pedersen and Haakon Ellingsen\u2019s band The Last James soon achieved cult status. Haakon eventually went on to a solo career. After having spent the 2010s mostly releasing albums in his native Norwegian language, Haakon last year returned to English with My Purple Dress<\/em>. A welcome return that paved the way for intriguing new follow-up Cloudberry Tales.<\/p>\n

Using a mix of ethnic string instruments such as bouzouki, oud, Portuguese guitar, charango and ukulele together with tabla and more typical pop props including 12-string guitars and drums, he has made a fragile and dreamy album that combines Donovan\u2019s flowery chamber sound with Scandinavian melancholia. \u201cI tried to make my own sound with ethnic stringed instruments and Indian harmonium,\u201d explains Haakon. \u201cI’ve always been very fond of Donovan, even in the \u201980s when everybody listened to punk and other things.\u201d The inspiration is made explicit in \u2018That Donovan Song\u2019. \u201cIt is a childhood memory of listening to Donovan together with a good friend,\u201d says Haakon. \u201cA friend who is not here anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although many of the songs are about death and separation, the lyrics convey nostalgic thankfulness to have crossed paths rather than outright pain, such as on \u2018Loneliness\u2019: \u201cThere\u2019s a very special feeling in the Beach Boys song \u2018God Only Knows\u2019, about separation from people you love very much,\u201d muses Haakon. \u201cWhen I wrote this song, I thought I may have touched the same feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u00a0The intricate, multi-layered arrangements painstakingly built up across numerous home demos, have been filtered through a watchful less-is-more lens by long-time producer Kyrre Fritzner into an intimate and softly psychedelic pop gem worthy of attention.<\/p>\n

Surprisingly, the rather wonderful single \u2018Fire Engine Man\u2019, released as a taster in April, is not on the LP. \u201cActually, it was recorded after the album,\u201d explains Haakon. \u201cI guess we’ll put it on the next LP.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cloudberry Tales is out on 23rd September on Ellingsongs<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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