Enslaved is celebrating one year of their latest record Heimdal with a deluxe version featuring a handful of interesting bonus tracks. The deluxe version of Heimdal is out March 1 and features the bonus track "Gangandi", alternative versions of two album tracks "Congelia" and "Forest Dweller" featuring cellist Jo Quail, and the entirety of The Otherworldly Big Band Experience – Enslaved's 2022 streaming event featuring fellow psychedelic Norwegian prog band Shaman Elephant.
You can check out the Quail-assisted version of "Forest Dweller" below. Pre-orders for the deluxe version of Heimdal are available here.
"It is an absolute honour to have Jo Quail on these special versions of 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia'," said Enslaved guitarist Ivar Bjørnson. "We are all big fans of her unique work and style; I have personally had the pleasure of working with her for some time through By Norse Music (the label co-founded with Einar Selvik and our manager Simon Füllemann).
"When we had the chance to invite guest artists for the release show in Bergen of Heimdal back in March 2023, Jo Quail was a given. She blew our (and the audience's) collective minds with her powerful interpretation and performance on 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia' – to the degree that it simply could not be the end of the story.
"She has a take on her art that is one of a kind – impossible to categorise, haunting, emotive and atmospheric; we feel that this version of us joining forces underlines the artistic and musical kinship we feel being present between our two camps. So here we are; for the world to hear! Be sure to check out Jo's releases while you are at it!!!"
"I've long been a fan of Enslaved, and I have huge admiration for the way their masterful compositions broaden and deepen with each release," added Jo Quail. "When the band invited me to collaborate I had to re-read the email several times! I was honoured and humbled by this invitation from a band so greatly revered by so many of us all over the world, and I was tremendously excited by the chance to explore our sonic worlds together.
"Enslaved are the same people on and off stage, which is not always a given, and it's something that, in my opinion, translates in their music and performance – the connection with their audience in concert draws us in deeply and it's nothing short of inspiring. It was an absolute honour to be invited by Enslaved to perform 'Forest Dweller' and 'Congelia' with them in March 2023. I approached these two quite diverse tracks with immense respect, as both were already fully developed and everything sat perfectly and exactly where it needed to be, so any contribution from me needed to underpin or enhance the existing story arc rather than divert from it.
"Enslaved are musically very generous; they were wholly supportive of my suggestions for cello parts, and the result was a collaboration that I shall treasure for all time. I'm thrilled that this now has life beyond that one very special concert, and I hope you enjoy the result!"
