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Karin Dreijer
Fever Ray SS 23032023 (cropped).jpg
Dreijer performing as Fever Ray in 2023 at Sentrum Scene in Oslo
Background information
Birth name Karin Elisabeth Dreijer
Also known as Fever Ray
Born (1975-04-07) 7 April 1975 (age 50)
Gothenburg, Sweden
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active 1994–present
Labels
  • Rabid
  • Brille
  • Mute
  • Cooperative
Fever Ray
Dreijer performing as Fever Ray in 2009

Karin Elisabeth Dreijer (born April 7, 1975) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and music producer. They are known for their unique musical style and visual performances. Karin was one half of the electronic music duo The Knife, which they formed with their brother Olof Dreijer.

Karin also creates music as a solo artist under the name Fever Ray. Their first solo album, Fever Ray, came out in 2009. Their second album, Plunge, was released in 2017, and their third, Radical Romantics, in 2023.

Karin Dreijer's singing style is special because they can use both high and low voices. They often layer their vocals and use technology to change the pitch of their voice. In their performances and photos, they use masks, face paint, detailed costumes, and other theatrical elements. They sometimes perform behind a screen, which adds to the mystery of their shows.

Early life and beginnings

Karin Dreijer was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, on April 7, 1975. They started playing guitar when they were ten years old. This led them to form a band called Honey Is Cool. Before becoming a full-time musician, Karin worked as a web designer. In 1998, they moved to Stockholm.

Music career

The Knife

Karin and their brother Olof Dreijer started the electronic music duo the Knife in Gothenburg in 1999. Their first album, The Knife, was released in 2001. The duo became more well-known around the world after their song "Heartbeats" came out in 2003. This song was from their second album, Deep Cuts.

The Knife performed live for the first time in 2006 during their Silent Shout Tour. In 2009, they helped create an opera called Tomorrow, in a Year, which was based on Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species. Their fourth and final album, Shaking the Habitual, was released in 2013. The Knife stopped making music together in November 2014 after their tour ended.

Solo work as Fever Ray

While The Knife took a break, Karin Dreijer began their solo project as Fever Ray. Their first album, Fever Ray, was released online in January 2009 and physically in March 2009. The song "If I Had a Heart" from this album became very popular. It was used in many TV shows like Person of Interest, Breaking Bad, and Wentworth. It also became the main theme song for the TV series Vikings.

Fever Ray performed at the 2010 Coachella Festival and received great reviews. They also performed at Electric Picnic in Ireland that same year.

In 2011, a song by Fever Ray called "The Wolf" was featured in the movie Red Riding Hood. This song was also used in the video game Far Cry Primal.

Karin Dreijer wrote music for a play based on the horror film Hour of the Wolf. This play premiered in Stockholm in 2011. One of these songs, "No Face", was included on a charity album in 2012 to help victims of the 2011 Japanese tsunami.

In 2016, Dreijer announced they had written music for a play called Vahák (meaning Violence). They also mentioned working on new solo music.

On October 20, 2017, Fever Ray released the song "To the Moon and Back". Their second album, Plunge, was then released just a week later without much warning. Music critics loved the album, and it appeared on many "best of the year" lists. To support Plunge, Dreijer went on an international tour in 2018, performing in Europe and North America.

In 2018, Karin Dreijer and the producers who worked on Plunge won the "Producer of the Year" award at the Swedish Grammys. Plunge was also nominated for Best European Independent Album.

Fever Ray released their third album, Radical Romantics, on March 10, 2023.

Working with other artists

Karin Dreijer has also worked with other musicians. In 2005, they sang on the song "What Else Is There?" by Röyksopp. This song became very popular and helped Karin gain more recognition early in their career. They also provided vocals for the band Deus on their 2008 song "Slow". In 2009, they sang on two more Röyksopp songs, "This Must Be It" and "Tricky Tricky".

In 2019, a special music collection called Country Creatures was released. It featured remixes by Björk, Fever Ray, and The Knife.

Personal life

Karin Dreijer prefers to keep their private life out of the spotlight. They have two daughters. Karin uses the pronouns they/them in English. They have described themself as "definitely a queer person" and "very gender-fluid".

Awards and recognition

Karin Dreijer and their projects have received many awards and nominations for their music.

  • In 2018, their album Plunge was nominated for "Best Sophomore Release" at the AIM Independent Music Awards.
  • Their music videos, like "If I Had a Heart" and "When I Grow Up", have been nominated for awards for their cinematography.
  • At the Swedish Grammys, they won "Video of the Year" in 2023 for "What They Call Us" and "Lyricist of the Year" in 2024.
  • They won "Best Dance" at the P3 Guld Music Awards in 2010.
  • In 2018, they won "Electronic of the Year" at the Sweden GAFFA Awards.

Discography

Karin Dreijer, as Fever Ray, has released several studio albums.

Studio albums

  • Fever Ray (2009)
  • Plunge (2017)
  • Radical Romantics (2023)

They have also released remix albums and live albums, and several singles.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Karin Dreijer Andersson para niños

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