Djupa andetag (English: Deep Breaths) is the fifth album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (her fifth album as 'Frida'), released exclusively in the Scandinavian region by Anderson Records on 20 September 1996.[2][3] Tracks from this album, "Alla Mina Bästa År", "Ögonen" and "Även En Blomma", have been remixed for Frida – The Mixes.
Overview
Comeback and recording session
As chairperson for the Swedish organisation, "Det Naturliga Steget-Artister För Miljön" ("The Natural Step-Artists For The Environment"), Frida decided to record a mature album with lyrics dealing with "inner personal environment" and the nature's surroundings. Frida's composition, "Kvinnor Som Springer" ("Women Who Run"), was inspired by the book "Women who Run with the Wolves", by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. This is one of only a few songs in her career that Frida has written herself.
At the time of recording, Frida did not want the attention an international release would bring, but she also felt for singing in her mother tongue again. She asked Agnetha Fältskog to record "Alla mina bästa år" with her, but Fältskog declined citing fear of ABBA reunion rumours. Recorded in the Swedish language, the recording sessions took place from 18 March to 9 August 1996 in numerous studios in Stockholm including Polar Studios, Sveriges Radio Studio and Cirkus.[2][4] A one-hour documentary of the making, video clips and recording of the album (titled 'Frida – mitt i livet') was broadcast on Sveriges Television. It is also available on the DVD set, Frida – The DVD, including interviews with Frida and producer Anders Glenmark.
Djupa andetag was met with a favorable reception, with critics citing the theme and Lyngstad's approach to singing on the album as positives. Critic Bruce Eder of AllMusic has praised Lyngstad for her 'relatively low-wattage' voice, the content and her vocal style on the album as 'more expressive and personal than any of her singing on those earlier records', as well as noting that it was a mature step for the singer and commenting, on her singing's volume, that 'less is more'.[5]
