As spring unexpectedly graces Bergen with sunlit warmth and curious birdsong, we’re delighted to dive into Bodil Rortveit‘s world – a place where vocal explorations meet nature’s whispers and inner peace takes center stage. Let’s explore how her album “Djupna” transformed two years of wandering and improvisation into a journey through the deep, serene, and sometimes surprisingly playful landscapes of the soul.
Chain D.L.K.: Hey Bodil! How are you doing?
Bodil Rørtveit: I am excited! It is springtime, and the sun is shining in Bergen (which is unusual), the birds are singing – and I am looking forward to sharing my album Djupna with the listeners – after working on the project for more than two years.
Chain D.L.K.: “Djupna” means “the depth”. What kind of depth were you exploring – emotional, sonic, spiritual, or all of the above?
Bodil Rørtveit: I was searching for inward depths – how peaceful could I feel, how much could I be in touch with my inner, most authentic self, how grounded could I feel? And also how deep a connection could I feel with nature – both the forest and the ocean. And exploring how the music could be composed of that deep connection, trying to let go of any expectations and let the music come through me.
Chain D.L.K.: You describe this album as a search for inner peace. Did you find what you were looking for?
Bodil Rørtveit: Yes, especially when I had some days alone at my cottage, wandering in the forest, improvising and recording. And interestingly when I was in the mixing process, walking around in Bergen, listening to the album on headphones – in general I was a bit stressed as you can be when you want to make something great, and you feel the pressure – listening to my songs calmed me down and put things in perspective. And then I realized I might be on the right path.
Chain D.L.K.: The human voice is the sole instrument on this album. What drew you to this radical simplicity?
Bodil Rørtveit: I have always been drawn to the radical use of only voices – singing acapella from childhood in choirs and also in professional vocal groups earlier in my career. I also like having restrictions when I make music, to spark my creativity. It is based on my solo project, where my Loop Station (Boss RC-50) is my only accompaniment.
Chain D.L.K.: Your voice takes on an almost elemental quality, evoking wind, water, and birds. How did nature inspire your vocal choices?
Bodil Rørtveit: I have been working with these nature-inspired vocal sounds in many of my composing projects. I have been listening to different birds, especially the blackbird has been a favorite – imitating it – answering it in the forest. Making my bird language. I also grew up on an island off the coast, so the ocean sounds are very close to my heart. The whale sounds came into my repertoire when I (together with an artistic team) made a big stage art project with plastic and pollution as the theme – with instruments made out of plastic garbage. Just before the premiere this famous “plastic whale” was stranded on the island of Sotra outside Bergen, and he died with his stomach full of plastic bags. As a tribute to the whale, we included whale sounds – singing through a traffic cone with a plastic tube connected to it. I have continued bringing in whale sounds in my later projects.
Chain D.L.K.: The album was influenced by Sotra, an island off Norway’s coast. How does this landscape shape the sound and feel of “Djupna”?
Bodil Rørtveit: The music has been described as having a Nordic sound. I guess the nature on the island invokes the primeval part of me, like with the growling drones in Morgonskog. I was also inspired to use elements from Norwegian folk music, which is of course closely linked to nature. Someone even described the music as “seeming to come from the heart of the earth”.
Chain D.L.K.: Were there any specific experiences in nature that deeply influenced the making of this record?
Bodil Rørtveit: Yes, the forest near my composer cottage at Sotra. It has one particular area where the forest is very dense and dark and the sound is very “woody” – but there is also a nice touch of ecco from the mountain behind the forest. I enjoy singing – and listening for ideas there. I think the drone in Morgonskog came up from the ground there – from the soft forest “floor”, with layers upon layers of pine needles.
Chain D.L.K.: You’ve said this album is a meditation against mindless efficiency. Do you think slowing down and deep listening can be a form of resistance?
Bodil Rørtveit: Yes, definitely! When something is wrong or difficult, it is always a good idea to take a deep breath, slow down and listen inward for the right answer. And of course, come back out in society again and take inspired action. When we stay in the hamster wheel, it is not easy to think deep and new thoughts.
Chain D.L.K.: The track titles (“Roots”, “The Drop”, “Hope”) suggest a journey through different natural elements. Is there a narrative hidden in the sequence of the songs?
Bodil Rørtveit: Well, we start the album with Stjerneteppe – with stargazing, looking for inspiration, awe, and wonder in the universe, and we end with the title song Djupna – in the depths of the ocean (and our inner depths). We zoom out on the horizon, and we zoom in to the details of a flower, an insect, and a single raindrop. The song Von (hope) is inspired by a painting by my dear visual artist friend, Marianne Morild, where a seed is lying in frozen soil, resting and waiting for the right time to bloom. Is there anything more hopeful than a seed?
Chain D.L.K.: What emotions or states of mind do you hope listeners experience when they hear “Djupna”?
Bodil Rørtveit: I really wanted to make a vocal art project that also would calm the listener down, and that could be listened to both as an art experience but also as a grounding and stress releasing experience.
Chain D.L.K.: Your voice functions as both melody and texture. How did you develop this approach to using vocals like an instrument?
Bodil Rørtveit: It all comes from improvisation – lots and lots of it. I make lots of sketches on my Loop Station, and at the beginning of making a sketch, I try not to think – just let through what sounds want to come at the moment. Sometimes, like in the song “Von”, I am in a really deep, meditative state when I improvise. And this song is recorded exactly like I improvised it the very first time.
Chain D.L.K.: Did you use improvisation while creating these soundscapes, or were the pieces more structured from the beginning?
Bodil Rørtveit: Yes, it always starts with improvisation, and then I might structure and decide the form of the melody later. Sometimes a song can have an unfixed melody, and when I have performed it many times – suddenly it has come into a fixed shape.
Chain D.L.K.: You worked with Iver Sandy for recording and mixing. How did the studio process shape the final sound?
Bodil Rørtveit: Iver was wonderful to work with, it was the first time we worked together. I had sent him some reference music sound-wise, and when I recorded the first song, the sound was already close to perfect! He understood what I wanted. A fun fact is that he plays the drums in the famous black and extreme metal band Enslaved, and as we were going into the mixing process, he was touring all over Europe. He couldn’t find the peace he needed to mix my album before he came home to his family’s desolate island on the northwestern coast of Norway.
Chain D.L.K.: Some describe your music as deeply moving, while others find it soothing. Do you see your voice as a tool for emotional transformation?
Bodil Rørtveit: It seems many people in my audience experience it that way. And nothing would make me more happy if that is something I can contribute to. It is also part of my secret goal, but do not tell anyone.
Chain D.L.K.: Were there any specific vocal techniques you experimented with that pushed your boundaries?
Bodil Rørtveit: I have experimented a lot with my voice for many years, for instance describing rage, fear, and desperation through growling, grunting, creaking, and distortion techniques. But this time my challenge was to hold myself back, staying mainly in a soft, airy vocal universe and letting through my bigger voice in smaller doses. There will be other projects later, where I will use more extended techniques again, I am sure.
Chain D.L.K.: What were the biggest challenges in making an album entirely with voice?
Bodil Rørtveit: The biggest challenge was being all alone with all the musical decisions, no one to play ball with. And no one else to blame if it didn’t work out. And also to trust my voice would be enough to make an interesting album. I did get a mentor later in the process, a dear colleague, Kristin Bolstad, who also does acapella projects. And she has been a great support! I also have my producer Hjrdis Steinsvik (as in more of a theater kind of producer) who helps keep me on track when I waver.
Chain D.L.K.: Your past projects often involve immersive experiences, like concerts with hammocks in the forest. Do you see “Djupna” as an extension of that work?
Bodil Rørtveit: Yes, on this album I want the listener to be immersed in a vocal, soothing cocoon. And I also plan to make a live immersive experience in the Djupna concerts. My sound designer, Thorolf Thuestad, will be processing my vocals and vocal loops in surround and with different effects, and I also bring in local choirs as part of the experience as often as possible. They also surround the audience. The audience can also choose to lie down on the floor to listen (if there is space).
Chain D.L.K.: How does performing solo with only your voice differ from your past collaborations with orchestras and live electronics?
Bodil Rørtveit: Working with orchestras and many musicians is very exciting and gives one type of energy to the music, and I can concentrate on only my solo parts of the performance and enjoy listening to the others when I don’t sing. Working solo with my loop station, I have to be highly focused so that every loop starts and ends when it is supposed to, and I have to “drive” the whole performance alone. But I also have full control and freedom, if I feel like doing something different from planned. So in the Djupna concerts, I will also leave room for new music to happen.
Chain D.L.K.: You’ve explored themes of ecology and sustainability in past works. Do you see “Djupna” as part of this dialogue?
Bodil Rørtveit: Yes, I am still exploring ways in which I can contribute to these themes through my music and art projects. With the album Djupna, I am partly inspired by the Zen-master Thich Nhat Hanh. In his book “Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet”, he writes that it is important “to still the mind and look deeply to see ourselves and the world. From this foundation of clarity and insight, we’ll be able to take the most appropriate, effective action to transform the situation and create a regenerative culture in which all life is respected.” So I hope to contribute to the feeling of stillness and inner peace through my music.
Chain D.L.K.: What’s next for you? Do you see yourself continuing this path of vocal exploration, or are there other sonic territories you’re eager to explore?
Bodil Rørtveit: I will still be continuing this path for a while, I feel there is still more to explore. But at the same time, I always feel a nudge of doing something opposite. Exploring rhythms and new collaborations with musicians and other artists within other art fields. Actually, I have just started the preliminary research together with my costume designer, Silje S. Kise. The plan is to make a dress of natural materials that makes sound, and this dress – its sounds, material, and shape will be the starting point for the music/stage art project – the compositions, the performance, and the “character”. We are exploring different materials, and it is exciting to be in this early, open phase. Last time she made me a dress of cones, and it makes a beautiful sound! But yes, I look forward to doing live concerts with Djupna, and then continue to go deeper into this contemplative vocal exploration in dialogue with the audience.
Learn more about my projects at my webpage www.bodilrortveit.no
Visit Bodil Rørtveit on the web:
https://bodilrortveit.bandcamp.com/
