Sorten Muld

2025-03-30T18:26:56Z

2001:1C02:2B16:F000:245D:1052:AD8F:A44B:

{{Short description|Danish folktronica band}}{{Expand Dutch}}{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sorten Muld
| image = Sorten Muld, Slagelse Musikhus - Badeanstalten 2022 (07).jpg
| caption = Sorten Muld in 2022
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[Århus]], Denmark
| genre = [[Folktronica]]
| years_active = 1995–present
| label = [[Northside Records]]
| current_members = {{plainlist|
* Ulla Bendixen
* Martin Ottesen
* Henrik Munch
}}
}}
'''Sorten Muld''' ({{Lit|Black Soil|Dark Ground}}) is a [[Denmark|Danish]] [[folktronica]] band, formed in 1995. They have won two Danish Grammys for ''Mark II''.

Their music can be characterized by elegantly composed rhythms, floating sound of typical folk-instruments like [[bagpipe]]s, [[flute]]s and [[violin]]s, in an [[electronica]]-composition that supports the dramatic [[lyrics]]. Some tracks on ''Mark II'' are up-beat with only few lyrics and could also be characterized as [[dance music|dance]] or [[techno]].{{Cn|date=March 2025}}

The lyrics are old stories from Danish folk tradition, about [[jealousy]], [[murder]], mythology and creatures. In "Kirstin" from ''Mark II'' a father serves his daughter a meal of her boyfriend's heart. In "Ulver" from ''III'' a man takes his girlfriend into the forest to kill and bury her. He falls asleep and she cuts him into pieces with his own sword.

Sorten Muld also published a [[concept album]] called ''Jord, Luft, Ild, Vand'' (''Earth, Air, Fire, Water'') – a mostly instrumental journey through [[Classical element|the classic elements]]. The album is a reworked recording of music commissioned by [[Danske Gymnastik- & Idrætsforeninger]] for a gymnastics show on [[Bornholm]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gaffa.dk/nyhed/1684|title=Sorten Muld udgiver soundtrack|language=Danish|last1=Jeppesen|first1=Lars Löbner|date=17 July 2002|work=Gaffa.dk|publisher=[[Gaffa (magazine)|GAFFA]]|accessdate=29 June 2013}}</ref> It was self-published and was only available to buy from their website.

After this album the group disappeared from the public eye, but in April and May 2011 they performed three concerts in Denmark,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gaffa.dk/artikel/48198|title=Sorten Muld tager på pilot-tour|language=Danish|last1=Børjesen|first1=Jesper Rise|date=1 April 2011|work=Gaffa.dk|publisher=[[Gaffa (magazine)|GAFFA]]|accessdate=29 June 2013}}</ref> and again in 2012 at [[Tønder Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kloppenborg|first1=Sten|date=25 August 2012|title=Sorten Muld: Tønder Festival 2012, Open Air Scenen|url=http://gaffa.dk/anmeldelse/63877|accessdate=29 June 2013|work=Gaffa.dk|publisher=[[Gaffa (magazine)|GAFFA]]|language=da}}</ref> and in 2014 and 2019.

==Members==
*Ulla Bendixen – vocals
*Martin Ottosen – musician-architect
*Henrik Munch – electronics

(all after this point appear on ''III'' only)
* Søren Bendixen – guitar
* [[Harald Haugaard]] – viola, violin, hurdy-gurdy
* Johannes Hejl – double bass
* Niels Kilele – percussion
* Tommy Nissen – drums
* Martin Seeberg – bagpipe, flute, Jewish harp

==Discography==

===Albums===

*''Sorten Muld'' (1996)
*''Mark II'' (1997)
*''III'' (2000)
*''Jord, Luft, Ild, Vand'' (2002)
*''Mark IV - Lånt tid'' (2021)

===Singles===

*"Ravnen" (1997)
*"Ravnen" (1997) (alternative cover/track list)
*"Bonden og Elverpigen" (1997)
*"Som Stjernerne på Himlens blå" (1997)
*"Venelite" (1998)
*"Mylardatter" (1998)
*"Vølven" (2000)
*"Glød/Gylden Glød" (2020) - with AySay
*"Sangen om jorden" (2021)
*"Venelite II" (2021)
*"Under Månens Blanke Tæppe" (2021)

==External links==
* [http://www.sortenmuld.dk Official site]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051225140255/http://www.noside.com/Catalog/CatalogArtist_01.asp?Action=Get&Artist_ID=36 Information from Northside]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041014014703/http://www.onbyone.dk/SortenMuld/ Vilden Ø – unofficial site (Danish)]
* {{Cite web|url=http://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/sorten3.shtml|title=Sorten Muld III / RootsWorld Recording Review|last=Rootsworld|website=rootsworld.com|access-date=2017-01-26}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Danish electronic music groups]]
[[Category:Danish folk music groups]]
[[Category:Folktronica groups]]
[[Category:Musicians from Aarhus]]

{{Denmark-band-stub}}

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Sorten Muld