# DATAROCK’s Fredrik Saroea Teams Up With Acclaimed Ensemble BIT20 For Elegant “Bulletproof Vest” Single

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/datarocks-fredrik-saroea-teams-up-with-acclaimed-ensemble-bit20-for-elegant-bulletproof-vest-single/
- Published: 2022-02-23T14:30:00-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

[[

**DATAROCK’S FREDRIK SAROEA TEAMS UP WITH BIT20 ENSEMBLE**
**FOR SUBLIME NEW SINGLE“
BULLETPROOF VEST” **

**PREMIERES ON [THE BIG TAKEOVER](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=da5eac28c6&e=615f2b8493)
TODAY **

**_Rona Diaries: The Chamber Versions Live at Greig Hall, Bergen_ Set for Release
on May 13, 2022 _via_ YAP Records**

**Pre-Save: [Here](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=a147c4c875&e=615f2b8493)**

![](https://i0.wp.com/mcusercontent.com/f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984/images/edbb3c18-
af6d-bb82-769e-f858a177f55d.jpg?resize=503%2C335&ssl=1)

**Fredrik Saroea with BIT20 Ensemble @ **_**Bergen International Festival **_ 
credit:**
Thor Brødreskift**

**FEBRUARY 22, 2022 (NORWAY) – **“I always loved songwriters who managed to do something
_interesting enough_ with a stand-alone guitar, vocal melody and piece of confusing
and/or interesting lyrics delivered with just enough pathos to pull you in,” says**
Fredrik Saroea,** about the inspiration for his new single “**Bulletproof Vest.**”
Best known as the frontman of the critically acclaimed global disco punk outfit **
DATAROCK**, the Norwegian multi-genre artist re-envisioned his recent solo album_**
Rona Diaries**_ (2021) as a live piece with award-winning string quartet **BIT20
Ensemble**, merging his contemplative indie rock with the exquisite air of a chamber
orchestra.  “That’s how I intended [“Bulletproof Vest”] to be delivered – like an
energetic, odd indie/folk, emo/hardcore/post-rock, musical-esque ‘troubadour’ combo
with a little bit of Morrissey, Bowie, Kozelek (_Sun Kil Moon, Red House Painters_)
and Prekop (_Sea and Cake_) – and strumming as the multi-headed twee-beast who thinks
he’s entire bands Fugazi, Minor Threat, Hot Water Music or And You Will Know Us 
By The Trail Of The Dead… alone with a guitar.”**   **_**Rona Diaries: The Chamber
Versions Live at Greig Hall, Bergen**_** **is set for release on** May13, 2022 **
_via _**YAP Records.**

Fredrik Saroea with BIT20 Ensemble - Bulletproof Vest

[⌊Fredrik Saroea with BIT20 Ensemble - Bulletproof Vest⌉⌊Fredrik Saroea with BIT20
Ensemble - Bulletproof Vest⌉
Watch this video on YouTube

Fredrik Saroea with BIT20 Ensemble “Bulletproof Vest”

Combining his passion for indie rock with the sweeping pastoral soundscapes, Saroea
and BIT20’s string quartet (**Martin Shultz** on violin, **Liene Klava** on viola,**
Agnese Rugevica **on cello,** Johannes Wik** on harp with arrangements by **Bjørn
Morten Christophersen**), will be releasing “Bulletproof Vest” today **Tuesday**,**
February 22, 2022 **and premieres _via_[**The Big Takeover**](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=3432800de3&e=615f2b8493)****
who says, “_Supported by BIT20’s sensuous strings, Saroea gets up close and personal
with ‘Bulletproof Vest’ — a heartfelt, intimate number that belies its name.”_

![](https://i0.wp.com/mcusercontent.com/f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984/images/a9f0d8f9-
3e9f-3e6c-80b5-3371e935ca4a.jpg?resize=463%2C695&ssl=1)

**FREDRIK SAROEA**
Photo credit: Dag Sandven

Recorded at the infamous _**Grieg Hall **_during Norway’s 69th annual _Bergen International
Festival _(which took place on May 28, 2021), “Bulletproof Vest,” along with prior
singles “**Bergheim**” and “**Understatement Lovesong**” as well as all the other
tracks from _**Rona Diaries**_ were premiered to an unsuspecting public who were
more familiar with his former band’s rhythmic brand of dance music.  

“As soon as I started recording “Bulletproof Vest” (for first solo album _Rona Diaries_)
I, of course, started banging the drums and playing melodic lead guitar and bass,
and… off you go, bye max minimalism,” says Saroea to The Big Takeover. “This new
orchestrated version is so much closer to what I wanted the song to be in the first
place, as intensely and intimately uncomfortably beautifully as possible about… 
torn between engagingly emotional, observing, understanding and suffering.  But 
youthful and jam-packed with (undergrad) classic references.” 

As COVID-19 shut down live music in 2020, Saroea started recording solo material
that became his first solo album _Rona Diaries_ at YAP Records’ studio in Bergen,
Norway with the help of DATAROCK drummer **Øyvind Solheim **engineering, mixing 
and co-producing. The 12 songs were then mastered by UK’s GRAMMY®-nominated **Mike
Marsh **(_Björk, Massive Attack, Basement Jaxx, Depeche Mode_) and released May 
28, 2021. 

Featured in “Best Of” lists from Rolling Stone to NME  and headlining festivals 
from Coachella, Lollapalooza, Reading and Leeds, Saroea’s other love DATAROCK impacted
music scenes worldwide while also infiltrating both the videogame market with inclusion
in **FIFA** and **Sims** and the commercial environ with ads for **Apple**, **Google**,**
Microsoft**, **Samsung** and **Coca Cola**.  While their singles including the smash“
Fa-Fa-Fa” cemented them as dance sensations, Saroea moonlighted as a restaurateur
by opening world famous and Michelin-rated restaurants **_Lysverket_** and **_Hoggorm_**
in Norway. 

_**Rona Diaries: The Chamber Versions Live At The Greig Hall**_**, **_**Bergen**_
includes chamber versions of the _Rona Diaries_ tracks plus two bonus DATAROCK tracks.
It** **was mixed in Los Angeles by the two-time GRAMMY® winner **Mark Rankin** (
_Adele, Weezer, Florence and the Machine, Harry Styles_) and mastered by Mike Marsh
in the UK.  The album artwork was created by renowned artist **Magnus Voll Mathiassen**
who worked on **Rihanna**’s _Unapologetic_ and 2021’s _**Oscars**_. 

![](https://i0.wp.com/mcusercontent.com/f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984/images/04334d41-
5339-0daa-a1c6-fe7d8b5d2e94.jpg?resize=362%2C362&ssl=1)

1. I’m a Rock
2. Battered & Bruised3. [Bulletproof Vest](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=e866cb58b0&e=615f2b8493)
4. The End5. A Matter of Dying6. [Bergheim](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=4224cd2f87&e=615f2b8493)
7. [Understatement Love Song](https://reybee.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67b4587af2b2ef9aa80ed984&id=278e6ae5e6&e=615f2b8493)
8. Stray Cats9. Dragging You Down10. The Family You Got to Choose11. Feather in 
the Cap12 Heaven Knows Those Songs Weren’t Heaven Sent13. Catcher in the Rye (Bonus)
14. Laugh in the Face of Darkness (Bonus)

[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/fredriksaroea/) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2hOtCBWHEsB52vdadEzvAX?si=4FMXHXtDS2y4vCXSsWlrtw&nd=1)
| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/DatarockOfficial)

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