Photo of Elin Synnove Brathen / ELIKSIR

Elin Synnove Brathen / ELIKSIR

Elin Synnove Brathen / ELIKSIR Radio

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Released: Jan 1, 2010
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General Info

  • Genre: Other / Pop / Rock

    Location Oslo & Wales, No

    Profile Views: 88808

    Last Login: 2/10/2012

    Member Since 6/2/2006

    Website elinsynnove.no

    Record Label Curling Legs

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    A NEW BEGINNING: Upon turning the new millennium Elin Synnove Brathen started afresh. It was time to pursue her dream of becoming a performer, a recording artist, a singer & songwriter. She realized that the most important thing in life was music. Elin Synnove moved from friends, family and music projects in the north of Norway to start a 5-year long music education at the University of Agder. From being a "local talent" in small-town Northern Norway, she now was in a situation that allowed her to really explore her music dream, and find her voice as performing artist and songwriter. There were a thousand tales to tell. DISCOVERING THE VOICE: Growing up in the north, Elin Synnove sang with a lot of choirs, especially church repertoire and classical repertoires; mostly using her soprano voice. Little by little she started experimenting, stretching the voice into a much deeper range, and sometimes using full chest voice in a semi-high range, producing a nearly Bulgarianesque nasally ethnical sound. When writing music, Elin Synnove made a point of writing without filter, without any set rules, but in a flow of creativity where the sky has no limit. This goes for the melodies, the arrangements, and also the lyrics. After having struggled with lyric-writing, she found unexpected help in her dreams. For some time Elin Synnove had taken interest in dream interpretation and started keeping a dream-journal. The dream-notes kept piling up by the bedpost until she linked them with the music; she basically turned her dreams into pop-lyrics. All the songs have sprung out of a dream; they may sound fairytale-like, but are at the same time deeply personal. THE BAND ELIKSIR: Since 2000 Elin Synnove had created a most peculiar world of pop-songs in which she mixed elements of pop, rock, jazz, world, and Celtic music. She now needed a band. In the school environment of Southern Norway she connected with four talented male musicians: Hilmar Kristoffersen (keyboards, vintage synthesizers, grand piano), Trygve Tambs-Lyche (drums and percussion), Glenn Phillip Nilsen (electric bass and double bass), and Haldor Royne (guitars, often spiced up with signature sound effects). The band-name "Eliksir" is not taken from the dictionary (where it means 'magic potion'); it is taken from Elin Synnove's childhood. She called herself "Elik" instead of "Elin" and often referred to herself in the third person; thus "Elik says" (in her northern accent) became "Elik sir". Elin Synnove and the band introduced the first Eliksir concert during the Dark Season Festival in the city of Kristiansand in fall 2003, and followed this up by a number of concerts in Norway. They received overwhelmingly positive feedback everywhere; after a concert in Melbu Eliksir received their first fan-letter, which ended with a heartfelt and inspiring request: I hope this fantastic music will be recorded and released soon! OYSTEIN SEVAG AS PRODUCER: In fall 2004 Elin Synnove asked one of her university mentors, saxophone-player and recording artist Bendik Hofseth, for advice. She had songs and a band and now wanted to record and publish the material. Who would be the right person to produce this project? After pondering for a few weeks Hofseth suggested she contacted Oystein Sevag who resided in Germany at the time. Elin Synnove had never heard of Oystein Sevag, but was taken by surprise when doing some research. This man had composed music and released a fine collection of records; his international merit-list was very impressive. He was released on SonyBMG and legendary Windham Hill in the USA; and chart-listed on Billboard for 36 subsequent weeks. My study-mates started speaking in enthused high-pitched voices when they heard Elin Synnove had contacted Oystein Sevag. Apparently it would be scoop to have this man produce her record! The challenge now was money. How on earth would she be able to pay for a professional studio recording with a star producer? Self-confidently she dialed Sevag's number and laid the cards on the table. Sevag asked her to send a demo, saying the artist and the music was ultimately more important than money. A couple of weeks later Elin Synnove got a call from Germany: Oystein Sevag was in! EP BECOMES DEBUT-ALBUM: With producer Sevag onboard Elin Synnove and the band started recording 5 tracks for an EP. Sevag was so impressed by the song-material that he insisted extending the EP into a full album. The band members moved the production to Musikkloftet Studio in Oslo, where they resumed recording the debut album "Earthly Things". Alongside the Eliksir musicians and Elin Synnove, a number of esteemed musicians contribute on this album: Kristin Skaare (accordion), Aage Kvalbein (cello), Bente Brathen (vocals), Trond Tellefsen (keyboards and programming), Knut Andreas Alnes Antonsen (guitars), Bendik Hofseth (vocals), and Oystein Sevag (additional piano and programming). Elin Synnove travelled to Portugal to have photos taken for the cover, and to collect sound samples of whales and dolphins from a whale-watching base on the Acores; the animal sounds are used as sound-curtain on one of the tracks. "Earthly Things" was released 7 May 2007 on the producer's label (Siddhartha Records); publishing rights kept by Elin Synnove. Distributor in Norway was SonyBMG, and thereafter Musikkoperatorene. (The album is available online on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other online music outlets.) The release concert in Oslo took place in front of an enthusiastic audience with high expectations. A music journalist wrote in his review: "Earthly Things" is a strong album with 10 great songs that leave you painting mental pictures; it conveys the feelings of sorrow, longing and pain, but also joy and comfort. I would like to believe that many people will find this music both exotic and exciting far beyond Norway's borders." Elin Synnove Brathen's music has been likened to artists like Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Sting, Roxy Music, Radka Toneff, Mari Boine, Renaissance, Tori Amos, The Corrs, Clannad, Enya, Bel Canto, October Project, Mary Black, Keane, Sarah Fimm, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Joni Mitchell, Loreena McKennitt, just to mention a few points of reference. EARTHLY THINGS GOING ABROAD: In 2007 and 2008 Elin Synnove Brathen presented the debut album at the music trades MIDEM in Cannes and POPKOMM in Berlin. Her newly established music contacts shook their heads upon the artist "representing herself" at professional music business trades; at the same time they were intrigued by the daredevil-mindedness and perhaps a little bit charmed by the certain "Norwegian naivety"? Whatever the reason, Elin Synnove enjoyed some hectic days in the European big cities, because there were a lot of people who wanted to meet "Elin of Eliksir"; "the voice of the Arctic north", the artist seemed so exotic to some of them that they hardly raised the eyebrow when she told them (as a joke!) she was brought up among a pack of wolves and had no language until she was 13… Meeting the world's music business has given positive exposure in a number of countries, primarily the UK and Ireland, but also Southeast Asia, Germany, USA, France, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Basically it is down to single-track licensing for compilations, and airplay – on both commercial and alternative radio channels. Elin Synnove gave a major interview for a Spanish music magazine: Eliksir is given more space than The Rolling Stones. The track "Fairytale" is released on the compilation "Simply The Finest Vol.2" in Hong Kong , and in December 2009 the radio edit of the track "Harbour Song" was included on German release "Soundtrip Norway" alongside Vamp, Mari Boine and other famous Norwegian artists. This year title song "Earthly Things" appears on a different German compilation release containing exclusively international female artists, "Uncompressed World Vol.II". Through the net phenomenon MySpace Elin Synnove connected with the famous author Paulo Coelho, Coelho got a copy of "Earthly Things" upon which he invited her to visit next time she came to France. October last year she dropped by Coelho in Paris. Elin Synnove has been asked to do vocals for soundtracks a few times, and is just waiting for the right project to present itself. AWARD AND CHARTLISTING IN THE UK: Maybe most remarkable was the nomination for Best International with the track "Harbour Song", and actually winning the EMA UK 2008 award Best Video for the track & video "Fairytale" – a low budget video that the Exposure Music Awards jury fell in love with because there was a certain "Twin Peaks quality" about it. However, the award may have had more to do with the track itself because it was later known that one of the jury members was sight-impaired… The footage for the video (directed and cut by Harald Sando) was filmed on locations in Oslo: Roa, Uranienborg Church and in the director's bathtub… Following up the EMA, Elin Synnove Brathen was invited to be guest on air at SKY TV (Birmingham), where the video-show Cuetracks aired the video for 3 subsequent months alongside Coldplay, Katy Perry, and other world-renowned artists. The London-paper "The Irish World" used all superlatives available in its review of the debut album: "stunning debut" ; "an altogether groundbreaking album"; "spectacular"; "…so beautifully and sensually sung that words simply cannot describe the experience that awaits the fortunate listener. There is certainly a great creative intelligence at work here throughout this album-wherever it hails from-and the listening experience simply gets richer and more absorbing with every play. An amazingly talented Composer / Singer / Songwriter, herself hauntingly beautiful with such an incredible voice, she can most certainly take her place among the top contemporary female artists of today." The track "Feel It" is included on two different compilations in the UK, and in 2009 a trance remix (by Alien in Transit) was released on "Poolside Anthems Vol.2" in the UK. This version was "pick of the week" on the radio, and reached spot 14 on the UK House Chart in June. ELIN SYNNOVE BRATHEN AND OTHER PROJECTS: Previously Elin Synnove has been sort of a musical chameleon; the list of various concert collaborations and recordings is long and versatile. Without any classical training she has been soprano soloist with a baroque ensemble performing Handel's "Messiah", she has performed with artists like Mari Boine, One People, and Karen Jo Fields at the world concert "Wiping the Tears". In the very north of Norway Elin Synnove did the opening number for the festival "Riddu Riddu", performed an improvisation concert with rock musicians in the City of Tromso; she has visited jazz-club scenes with jazz versions of her own material; guest vocals with big bands and had solo parts with a number of different choirs. On several occasions she did vocals in Oystein Sevag's band with musicians like Bendik Hofseth, Paolo Vinaccia, and Lakki Patey, Rune Arnesen, Audun Erlien, Audun Kleive and others. Of recent recordings Elin Synnove Brathen contributes on Oystein Sevag "Caravan" and jazz saxophone-player Petter Wettre "Hallmark Moments". She has performed with the band "Rebels" (Irish traditional music), and appeared live on Irish radio with Gaelic songs after having been spotted singing in an Irish pub long after closing hours… THE ANCHOR AND THE DREAM – WITH MEN'S CHOIR, MANDARIN SONG, AND THREE VIDEOS: Fall 2008 throughout 2009 was a creative working period for Elin Synnove. In fall 2008 she wrote about 20 new songs at the same time as she started out on a doctorate research project within popular music performance (at the University of Agder). In the first month of 2009 she went to South Africa to take part in a television production. The rest of 2009 has been dedicated to working on the recording of the album "The Anchor and the Dream", this time released under her own name – not Eliksir. The band musicians are the same, and as with "Earthly Things" Elin Synnove hired Oystein Sevag as producer. The recording has taken place at Musikkloftet (with Vidar Lunden) and Fersk Lyd in Oslo, final mix and mastering done by Giert Clausen in collaboration with Elin Synnove. This somewhat extraordinary pop-album includes 12 tracks and 3 music videos, whereof one of the tracks is sung in Mandarin, a task that eventually called for bringing in a language coach. A label manager and friend from Hong Kong, who turned Elin Synnove's attention to this song in the first place, returned the tape twice tagged with the following remark: "You sing like an angel, but I don't understand a word of what you are saying" … Another "oddity" on this pop album is men's choir, male singers from the Oslo choir Gli Scapoli. This has added a special flavor to this production. Guest musicians are Oystein Sevag (piano), Ashild Watne (lyre and Norwegian folk harp), and Gisle Torvik (guitar). Four music videos were filmed on locations in Ireland (Carraroe in Connemara and Dublin). Elin Synnove brought a crew over from Norway: the fantastic cameraman Nils Petter Lotherington, the exceptionally creative stylist Carejanni Enderud, producer Sevag and photographer Astrid Lunke. The Irish actor Seamus Hughes is co-acting in two of the videos; cut by Erland Edenholm, sound finish by Giert Clausen. "The Anchor and the Dream" is released by Knut Vaernes on the label Curling Legs, distributed by Musikkoperatorene, and promoted by Atle Bockmann and Glenn Larsen (Kult AS). Album design is by Oivind Madsen. The album is available on iTunes.

  • Members

    Elin Synnøve Bråthen (vocals, composer & lyricist) at presently working with these brilliant musicians: Hilmar Kristoffersen (keys) Glenn Phillip Nilsen (bass) Trygve Tambs-Lyche (drums) Haldor Røyne (guitars)

  • Influences

    Eliksir is influenced by a lot of different styles, for example progressive pop, progressive rock, jazz, Celtic music, traditional music from Norway, Ireland and Arabic countries. Artists that she admires and has collected inspiration from over the years are - among others - early Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Sting, Police, Beatles, Renaissance, Yellowjackets, Clannad, Sade Adu, Bel Canto, Breandan Hara, Mary Black, Afro Celt Sound System, Jethro Tull, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Loreena McKennitt and many many many more...

  • Sounds Like

    A potion of contemporary nostalgia JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eliksir/151872577352?ref=ts#!/pages/Eliksir/151872577352?ref=ts

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Comments

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  • Bartosz Ogrodowicz

    If you like my music, please vote, I need your help!
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    This is a MetalFest Open Air - Polish Edition, you can give me a chance and great option to promote my music.

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    Greetings!

    28 days ago
  • Richard Harris



    LISTEN TO SOME SWEET MUSIC FROM MY NEW CD "LOVE'S SWEET SONG" AVAILABLE @ www.RichardHarrisLive.com

    ENJOY LIFE !

     

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    1 month ago
  • Fepc Fepc

     happy holidays xoxo

    1 month ago
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    10 months ago
  • Bobbie ERIckson



    Thank you so much.

    1 year ago
  • Nico Serrato

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    1 year ago
  • viberate recordings

    The Acid Never Dies ep by Ethan M is out on beatport
    listen to it on our page


    1 year ago
  • 100m Records

    ..
    Watch here the last of Neil Chamberlain's remarkable animations for the Django Voris album, The Strange Particle (out now on 100m Records)...
    ..



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    1 year ago
  • Goran Gomaz

    There is a new "instrument" around.. unlike any other..
    INstrUment is an audio-visual experience dedicated to all true artists
    who are spreading positive energy, using themselves as an INstrUment
    to make World a better place..
    >
    "It's like you're not.. You're not playing the INstrUment..
    It's like you're THE INstrUment and Universe is playing you !!"
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    >
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    1 year ago
  • John Blues

    Just dropping by with friendly Love, Respect and Good Vibes for you and yours…
    Thank you so much for your support and your nice friendship, it means a lot, so stay in touch and KEEP ROCKIN!
    Have a great upcoming weekend :o))
    John

    1 year ago
10 of 1365More

Bio:

Songwriter and vocalist of Eliksir (Elin Synnøve Bråthen) evolved the project in 2003/04 creating songs mixing elements of pop, rock, jazz and world - a potion of contemporary nostalgia. She put together a band of musicians of which Hilmar, Glenn and Trygve have stuck by her since the beginning, since 2005 also involving guitarist Haldor. The lyrics are spun from her dreams; personal and fairtale-like. Playing concerts in the south and later in the north of Norway during the past years Eliksir has collected overwhelming reviews. In fall 2004 Eliksir involved Øystein Sevåg at Siddhartha Records as producer and started recording 5 tracks for an EP in Kristiansand. Enthusiatically about the songs, producer Sevåg convinced the Eliksir-members that they were making a full-length album, not just an EP. The project was moved to Musikkloftet Studio in Oslo, where they continued recording. The mix of the eclectic track "Harbour Song" was done at Fersk Lyd AS in Oslo, challenging Mr. Giert Claussen to make use of all his mixing skills. The album "Earthly Things" was launched with a concert at Herr Nilsen in Oslo on the 25th of April 2007, and distributed to Norwegian shops by Musikkoperatørene. The Eliksir-album is also available on iTunes. Eliksir will be working towards licensing and distribution abroad. The track "Feel It" is included on a UK compilation "Chaos & Glory" as a follow-up of Eliksir winning the EMA UK 2008 for best video. In 2009 "Feel It" was remixed by trance duo "Alien In Transit" - a remix that not only was included on the UK Compilation "Poolside Anthems Vol.2" (Acuna Boyz Productions), but also was playcharted in the UK in June 2009, and chosen for "pick of the week" in a radio show in France. Title track "Earthly Things" will be released on a compilation in Germany this December. At the moment songsmith and vocalist Elin has gathered the band and again joined forces with producer Øystein Sevåg, the next Eliksir-album is in the making. Recording sessions have run through 2009. Planned release is January 2010. Elin of Eliksir brought a team to Ireland in April/May 2009, shooting 4 music videos in 3 magical days. The result of this work will soon be published. Broken Windows Photos for cover & booklet for "Earthly Things" are done by Pedro M. Pereira; recording studio shots by Kristel Jensen; studio portray, forest photos and cover photo for the 2008 licensed version of "Earhtly Things" by Caroline Roka; live photos from release concert by Astrid Lunke & Tone Hagen. Black & White photos and pics from park by Silje Sivertsen. Music video for "Fairytale" by: Harald Sandø (See photos from film-shoot, more photos and info at websites: www.sevag.com / www.elinsynnove.no) Butterfly dream Eliksir at music trades in 2007 & 2008: Eliksir attended Midem in Cannes and Popkomm in Berlin; meeting contacts in the world's music business has paved way to launching the music of Eliksir on different international markets: Southeast Asia, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany & Switzerland. More news and updates will be posted here and at www.elinsynnove.no as we move along... Thoughtful In the time to come vocalist and songwriter Elin will be combining her artist career with working on her Ph.D (a popular music science project researching metaphors in communication between collaborators in working on her own music recording and performance projects). The doctorate program is given at the University of Agder, but Elin will be based in Oslo, the UK (Wales) and NZ while doing research and writing the doctorate dissertation.

Member Since:

juni 02, 2006

Members:

ELIN SYNNØVE BRÅTHEN "Higher Than My Stairway" (The Anchor And The Dream 2010) ELIN SYNNØVE BRÅTHEN "This Is Not The End" (The Anchor And The Dream 2010) ELIN SYNNØVE BRÅTHEN "Poetry" (The Anchor And The Dream 2010) Fairytale

ELIKSIR - Elin Synnøve Bråthen (vocals, composer & lyricist) who at presently is working with these brilliant people: Hilmar Kristoffersen (keys) Glenn Phillip Nilsen (bass) Trygve Tambs-Lyche (drums) Haldor Røyne (guitars) Øystein Sevåg (producer, add. keys and programming) Guest performances on "Earthly Things" by: Kristin Skaare, Aage Kvalbein, Bente Bråthen, Trond Tellefsen, Knut Andreas Antonsen and Bendik Hofseth .. .. .. .. Stone in My Shoe - LIVE

Add to My Profile | More Videos REVIEW OF ELIKSIR IN "THE IRISH WORLD" http://www.theirishworld.com/article.asp?SubSection_Id=11&Article_Id=3403 ELIKSIR - LIVE ON NATIONAL TV "You Must Fly" ..





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Influences:

Eliksir is influenced by a lot of different styles, for example progressive rock, jazz, traditional music from Norway, Ireland and Arabic countries. Artists that she admires and has collected inspiration from over the years are - among others - early Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Sting, Police, Beatles, Renaissance, Yellowjackets, Clannad, Sade Adu, Bel Canto, Breandan Hara, Mary Black, Afro Celt Sound System, Jethro Tull, Supertramp, Pink Floyd, Loreena McKennitt and many many many more... ON AIR: Eliksir visited SKY Cuetracks in the UK in August 2008 - presenting award winning song & video "Fairytale" - shown daily on RedTV alongside Coldplay and other great artists and bands. ELIKSIR WON UK EXPOSURE MUSIC AWARD Nominated in for "Harbour Song" (Best International) and for "Fairytale" (Best Video) - and Eliksir won the latter. A jury consisting of Music Industry Professionals, including Grammy Winning Producers assessed song combined with images, and chose Elin (Eliksir) from small-town northern Norway. She was in Cheltenham to receive the award May 31. She also presented the "Best Out Of Area" award. She is happy she went to the UK for this award arrangement, as she got to hear a lot of other interesting upcoming bands and artists, and probably also met some friends for life. In December 2008 Elin took a detour from Eliksir, performing a jazz concert in the Arctic city of Tromso with local professional jazz musicians. This gave her the opportunity to rearrange some of the Eliksir material into a more jazz-tinged sound. The musicians she worked with here were: Konrad Kaspersen (double bass), Kurt Samuelsen (piano) and Trond-Sverre Hansen (drums). Live in Tromsø - Jazz concert at Skarven 27 December 2008 Live in Tromsø - Jazz concert at Skarven 27 December 2008

Sounds Like:

Eliksir. A potion of contemporary nostalgia. BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK: Eliksir

Record Label:

Curling Legs

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