Benedicte Maurseth releases first single from her upcoming album – “Sommarbeite” out now

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Like Hárr, Mirra is deeply rooted in the landscape and sounds of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau – near where Maurseth herself grew up – but this time, the wild reindeer takes center stage, both musically and conceptually. With “Sommarbeite,” we are invited into the reindeer’s world. Benedicte explains:

“After months of endless migration and digging through snow with their hooves on the Hardangervidda – from late September until early May – spring and summer finally return to the high mountains. During the winter, the plant-eating wild reindeer survive on lichen, heather, and dwarf shrubs, found on windblown ridges where the snow melts first, or unearthed beneath thinner snow layers. ‘Sommarbeite’ captures the reindeer’s ecstasy upon discovering the season’s first fresh birch shoots, green grass, herbs, moss, and mushrooms in the alpine landscape.”

With her distinctive Hardanger fiddle tone and the use of field recordings from nature and wildlife, Maurseth once again creates an evocative and poetic soundscape. “Sommarbeite” is both a tribute to the beauty of the mountain and a story of survival, movement, and rhythm within the cycles of nature – blending the hypnotic repetition of traditional folk music with elements of minimalism, krautrock, and free improvisation.

Mirra continues the legacy of Hárr, which was awarded the Nordic Music Prize and named by The Guardian as one of the top ten folk albums in the world in 2022. On this new album, Maurseth ventures even deeper into the natural world – and closer to the reindeer. The title Mirra is taken from an old, forgotten dialect word from Hardanger that describes a reindeer herd running tightly in circles – a behavior used to protect against predators or to stay warm during harsh winter conditions.

The work follows the reindeer’s annual cycle – from “Kalven reiser seg” (The Calf Stands Up) to “Jaktmarsj” (Hunting March), with “Sommarbeite” as a pivotal moment. In addition to field recordings of mountain wildlife, the piece also features sounds from endangered species such as the snowy owl, arctic fox, wolverine, and Lapland bunting – contributing to a larger ecosophical reflection on the human relationship with nature and the animal world.

Maurseth has composed the music in close collaboration with some of Norway’s most acclaimed musicians:
• Håkon Stene – melodic percussion, 12-string guitar, and percussion
• Mats Eilertsen – double bass, electric bass, and electronics
• Morten Qvenild – keyboards and electronic processing

Biographies of the contributors 

Benedicte Maurseth is an acclaimed Hardanger fiddle player, composer, and author—an exceptional and award-winning performer. She studied for decades under master fiddler Knut Hamre, specializing in traditional folk music from Hardanger. Maurseth has toured extensively as a soloist in Norway and internationally and collaborated with a range of renowned artists across genres, including Jon Fosse, Kronos Quartet, and Marilyn Crispell. She has composed numerous commissioned works for prestigious ensembles and institutions, as well as for TV and film. Her albums have been released on Heilo, Hubro, and ECM. 

Håkon Mørch Stene is an award-winning percussionist who studied in Oslo, Freiburg, and San Diego. From 2005–2008, he was part of Rikskonsertene’s Classical INTRO launch program for young soloists. Håkon performs actively as a chamber musician and soloist around the world, including with ensembles such as asamisimasa, Pantha du Prince & the Bell Laboratory, Ensemble Modern, Oslo Sinfonietta, London Sinfonietta, 2e2m, Klangforum Wien, and the Nils Økland Ensemble. His latest solo album, Lush Laments for Lazy Mammal, won the Norwegian Grammy (Spellemann) in the contemporary category in 2014. 

Mats Eilertsen has been a prominent figure on the international jazz scene for the past 30 years. He has contributed to countless recordings and been central on major ECM releases alongside artists such as Tord Gustavsen, Trygve Seim, Mathias Eick, Nils Økland, Wolfert Brederode, and Jakob Young. He leads several of his own projects, including a trio with drummer Thomas Strønen and Dutch pianist Harmen Fraanje. Their latest release, And Then Comes The Night (2019, ECM Records), received a Spellemann Award and international acclaim. In 2022, Eilertsen received Norwegian jazz’s highest honor, the prestigious Buddy Prize. 

Morten Qvenild has been an active musician and composer in European jazz and related genres since 1998, touring internationally throughout that time. He has made artistic contributions as a solo artist and in numerous bands and collaborations, including In the Country, The National Bank, Solveig Slettahjell, A-ha, Marit Larsen, Susanne Sundfør, Arve Henriksen, Thomas Dybdahl, Martin Hagfors, Ingrid Olava, The Budding Rose, Nils Petter Molvær, Shining, Jaga Jazzist, Trinity, and Susanna and the Magical Orchestra.