Dark Essence Records announced the release of “Fremmede Toner”,  the new release from  Norwegian Folk Prog Rockers LUMSK. It was clear from the start that this was going to be a very unusual  album. The band explained:

We stumbled upon «Fremmde Toner», a collection of poems the by Norwegian Author André Bjerke in which he had translated and re-created poems from different English and German speaking poets, and we realised that not only did we want to write music for the Norwegian poems, but also to write music for the original poems themselves. The idea of the concept was not to create the same songs twice, but to make the songs mirror each other in a way, trying to somehow recreate the idea of a translation or re-creation. Thus, as with the poems themselves, the songs are not the same, but are, nevertheless familiar.

In keeping with this concept, Dark Essence Records will be debuting a double single from the album, with Andre Bjerke´s “Det Døde Barn” and Conrad Ferdinand Meyer´s “Das Tode Kind” being the first pair to be released, and, according to LUMSK, this will be the first time that the band can be heard singing in German.

The two tracks can be streamed or downloaded from a variety of services at

https://link.darkessencerecords.no/Lumsk_DetDodeBarn_DasTodeKind

When LUMSK were formed in 1999 it was a time when metal bands and fans alike were exploring the use  regional folk traditions within music. Already sure that this was the direction in which they wanted their music to go, and with their use of heavy guitars, keyboard and organs, violins, session horns and female vocals, LUMSK were therefore ideally placed to build themselves from the ground up, and take their place in what was to become a sub-genre all of its own.

Having garnered  a considerable reputation, both at home and internationally, LUMSK took a hiatus which lasted sixteen years from the release of their last album, but now they are back with “Fremmede Toner” which is the band’s fourth full-length release. 

Mixed by Rhys Marsh at Autumnsongs Recordings, and Mastering by Arnstein Fossvik at AudioMaster,  “Fremmede Toner”  is the LUMSK’s most varied and intriguing work to date , demonstrating how the band’s unique blend of metal and Nordic folk music melds together with rich textures and clever arrangements. 

Featuring works by some of the most famous European and North American poets, such as Nietzsche, Goethe, Swinburne etc., the “dual” concept of “Fremmede Toner”   is also reflected on the album cover by Per Spjøtvold, someone with whom the band has worked since the beginning.

 “Fremmede Toner” is released in CD, Double LP and Digital formats and is now available to order from:

darkessencerecords.no/kar215-lumsk-fremmede-toner (EU webshop)
lumsk.bandcamp.com/album/fremmede-toner (Bandcamp)
darkessence.indiemerch.com (US webshop)
link.darkessencerecords.no/Lumsk_FremmedeToner (Pre-save)

Tracklist

1. Det Døde Barn
2. En Harmoni
3. Avskjed
4. Under Linden
5. Fiolen
6. Dagen er Endt
7. Das Tode Kind
8. A Match
9. Abschied
10. Under der Linden
11. Da Veilschen
12. The Day is Done