01	Ploska						05:04
	02	M. Nykanen						02:44
	03	Stappen (The Steppe)						04:03
	04	Goskarlen (The Pikeman)						05:27
	05	Jtt						06:03
	06	Reel Carrowkeel						04:22
	07	Trana (Crane)						01:49
	08	Svampmannen (The Mushroomman)						06:32
	09	Ekorrn (Squirrel)						04:26
	10	Grontmannen (The Grontman)						03:27
	11	Vantans Vals (Waiting Waltz)						04:29
	12	Nacken						08:35

Never before has Swedish folk music swung with such intensity. Traditional music with a modern attitude. Tremendous individual musicians taking ensemble playing to new heights. Acoustic instruments with power and emotion. This is Vдsen.

Vasen are:

Olov Johansson, nyckelharpa
Mikael Marin, viola
Roger Tallroth, guitar
Andre Ferrari, percussion

Press

"The absurdly broad term 'world music is rendered useless in the face of these four musicians who play with such genuine passion and glee that everything on the globe seems to disappear except their hometown fires." -David Greenberger, National Public Radio's "All Things Considered"

"The sound may be traditional, but the attitude is completely modern, mixing up the ideas of folk, the virtuosity of prog, and the humor of the insane asylum into a cuisinart of acoustic bliss. Visualize whirled music." -Chris Nickson, Wired

"...the band's anciently original compositions can be immensely brooding, stately, fitfully spry or dramatically expansive." - Richard Harrington, The Washington Post


Gront
by
Vasen

The highly-anticipated 1999 release from the leaders of the Viking invasion. Following their critically-acclaimed Whirled (1997), Vasen heralds the new millennium with a powerful new release: Gront is dark and brooding yet suffused with unforgettable melodies and surprising arrangements.

Vasen (VEH-sen), NorthSide's best-selling band, are a unique ensemble who transcend barriers and delight listeners with their music and personality.

Four great Swedish musicians: Olov Johansson on the nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden), Mikael Marin on viola, Roger Tallroth on guitar, and Andre Ferrari on an array of exotic percussion. The quartet's music has a telepathic intensity. Together they create more electricity on their acoustic instruments than most rock bands can generate with their amps turned all the way up to "11." More than one rock critic has proclaimed them "the best band in the world" (but it's safer just to say they are the tallest, and leave it at that.)

Traditional music with a modern attitude. Tremendous individual musicians taking ensemble playing to new heights. Acoustic instruments with power and emotion. This is Vasen.

"With string arrangements as crisp and jolting as a Swedish winter morning, Vasen treads an enchanted territory between classical, folk and pop." -- Utne Reader, Jan./Feb. 2000

"Invoking both serene panoramic vistas and sharp blazing melodies, the music has found fans far beyond the borders of the band's native Sweden, and for good reason." -- CMJ Music Monthly

"The skill of these musicians is legend...but it is the instinctive relationship they have developed over years of working together that makes them so exciting." -- Cliff Furnald, rootsworld.com



Vasen, Gront (Northside, 1999)

Vasen's roots delve deep -- back two full decades, when then teen-aged Olov Johansson (nyckelharpa -- a type of Swedish keyed fiddle) and Mikael Marin (viola) first met and began to play together. The band gelled a full nine years later with the addition of guitarist Roger Tallroth, and produced their first album, Vasen . Seven years and three albums later, the band added its fourth and final member, percussionist Andre Ferrari. Gront, the band's fifth (disregarding re-releases, live albums and compilations) studio release, sees that lineup intact.

Twelve original tunes make up Gront, several of which ("Stappen / The Steppe," "Trana / Crane," "Ekorrn / Squirrel," "Grontmannen / The Gront Man") appear to have been inspired by a snippet of poetry -- "The Gront Man," by Karl Erson Bousard -- quoted in the liner notes. Regrettably, I could find neither the poem in its entirety nor anything describing its titular Gront man. Nor do the liner notes offer any illumination. Thus, it is the music itself that must speak for him.

These tunes paint a lovely picture indeed, full of verve and beauty that truly needs no words to be understood. Anchored by Ferrari's tasteful, subtle percussion and Marin's haunting viola playing, Tallroth (who adds bouzouki and mandolin beyond his usual 12-string guitar) and Johansson are free to play, to experiment, which they definitely take advantage of. Johansson was named a master musician at a young age, and his talent is apparent throughout the CD. His band mates match him step for step.

Many of the tunes on Gront are a wild, wonderful ride. Not because they're played fast and furious, but because of the many mood and tempo changes which the band springs on their unwary listeners. Take, for example, "Squirrel," which begins at a nice clip, with more prominent percussion than the other songs, then slows dramatically in the middle to a quiet interlude, only to speed up again (in keeping, perhaps, with the bit of poetry that reads: "I could see a squirrel that changed immediately into a crane"). "The Pikeman" is similar, a slow and mournful beginning yielding to a more upbeat tempo and feel.

"M. Nykaen" is a stellar track which contrasts a dark undercurrent of percussion and viola with an almost frantic, frightened fiddle. Highly intriguing and effective. "Vantans Vals / The Waiting Waltz" is another superb tune, its elegant, stately sound due to the gentle touch of tambourine, guitar and fiddle, with the viola haunting the background. "JTT" also stands out, a sweet rolling gem of a tune, just perfect for dancing to.

Do I know any better who the Gront man is after listening to the CD? I would posit that he is a creature of wild beauty, yet gentle and playful when the mood strikes him. I would also posit that Vasen is a musically superlative band, and that Gront is a fine introduction to their style of music.

[April Gutierrez]



Vasen
Gront
(p) (c) 1999 Xource Records
12 tks / 57.06 mins


About a year ago the author of these lines had a good luck of visiting Finland. Though he was there for a rather short period of time, he succeeded to feel the special atmosphere of Scandinavia, the modest, not bright beauty of this northern land. You need some time to see this beauty, to feel this fragrance. But when you succeed to feel it - you feel youself very joyful and happy! Of course this concerns not only the nature, but also the people of Scandinavia. And Sweden is quite close to Finland! This new musical surprise from the famous Swedish label Xource Records helped me to pass through this feeling and visions again. New album "Gront" by famous group Vasen is a rather extraordinary event, so it is no wonder that it was nominated for a Swedish Grammy 2000. Music just carries you away, far from the problems and fuss of everyday life to a wonderful land of fantastic, sparkling dances and romantic travelling in the flow of bright, unusual and still so beautiful and harmonic sounds! Every composition is full of life, musical inventions and masterly improvisations made by traditional classical instruments and folk instruments, which adds some unusual freshness and originality to the music! The musicians masterly weave classical and folk traditions into a beautiful whole. Really, "Gront" is new and original in many respects. This is felt just from seeing the masterly prepared album booklet, where the musicians are introduced to us, and the citation from "The Gront Man" by Karl Erson Bousard (so this where this wonderful name came from!) is given. So, let me tell a few words about the participants of Vasen. First of all, I need to say that all of them are very good and skilled professionals, who already have a serious "luggage" of creative work. Vasen is a quartet , and it consists of Olov Johansson (who played with the world-famous Kronos Quartet), Roger Tallroth, Mikael Marin and Andre Ferrari. Every musician continues his collaboration with other groups and musicians, and also is working on their solo career, composing and performing their own music. The musical instruments, which is used by Vasen, are: nyckelharpa, viola, violin, acoustic twelve-string guitar, mandola, a Swedish bouzoki and sundry sorts of drums, percussive instruments. Harmonious playing of these instruments makes the music of "Gront" so fascinating, beautiful and original. But - enough for words. Let the music speak for itself! Put on this wonderful album and listen to the music of Scandinavia!


Alexander PETROV

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Okay, so Northside Records isn't exactly a Celtic label, per se, but what fan of Celtic music could fail to go ga-ga over such a great source of fiddling and weirdo acoustic artists? In recent years, there's been a huge resurgence in traditional and experimental acoustic music in the Viking lands, particularly in Sweden, where the bulk of the Northside artists hail from. Dedicated to making the music of the best new Scandanavian artists available to folks here in the States, Northside is one of the most dynamic, challenging world music labels around... particularly recommended for fans of fiddling -- these Swedes have all kinds of exotic, spooky-sounding multi-stringed fiddles, and all kinds of ways to play them. Here are some recommendations!






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Recommended Records
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Various Artists "Nordic Roots" (Northside, 1998) ( = available on Amazon)
Various Artists "Nordic Roots v.2" (Northside, 1999)
These collections are definitely your single best bet if yo want to check out what Northside has to offer. When the folks at the label bill these two samplers as "cheaper than food", they mean it! At two bucks a pop, either disc is sure to give you more sustenance than your average falafel or burger joint, plus you'll get a chance to hear all this wild, weird Swedish stuff. These feature many of Scandanavia's best new artists, including Hedingarna, JPP, Vasen and others... Both CDs are highly recommended!



Aly Bain/Ale Moller "Fully Rigged" (Northside, 2001)
Lovely fiddle music featuring Aly Bain (of Boys Of The Lough) along with Nordic mandola whiz, Ale Moller, of the band Frifot. The two are obviously very much in synch with other, and this is a very dreamy, pleasant album. Interesting blend of the Celtic lilt and the Nordic lurch... Recommended!



Anon Egeland "Anon" (Northside, 1999)
Of the Northside releases I've heard, I'd have to say this is my favorite. Not only is there greater stylistic variety - Egeland switches between bouncy, surging fiddle tunes to moodier, guitar-led pieces with equal ease -- but the album also has a sort of brooding soulfulness and magical quality that I find rther appealling. Highly recommended!



Fiamma Fumana "1.0" (Northside, 2001)
As the numeric title suggest, this is a high-tech pop crossover, featuring the plaintive vocals of Ms. Fiamma Fumana laced over a rather house-y musical backdrop. While her voice is lovely, its the last part -- the "house" bit -- that sinks this one for me. I'm just not into the glitzy electronic music, although many others may enjoy this more than me...



Garmarna "Garmarna" (Northside, 1993)
The groundbreaking first album by this revered Swedish folk group. On the opening track, this inventive quartet runs a bit close to the edge of elves-and-druid terrain, or even sub-Riverdance goofiness, what with the use of rousing drums and a twangy jew's harp. But things sober up quickly and on the whole this album is both creative and stately, full of odd melodic twists and playful musical challenges. Definitely worth checking out.



Groupa "Lavalek" (Northside, 1999)
Singer Sofia Karlsson has a lovely voice, in the same evocative mode we've grown used to from Celtic artists such as Dolores Keane and Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh, but the new-fangled, crossover oriented arrangements are a bit on the goofy side... for my tastes at least. Again, fans of more experimental, modernized acoustic music may really enjoy these folks...



Hedingarna "Hedingarna" (Northside, 1987) (NSD-6057)
Hedingarna "Hippjokk" (Northside) (NSD-6003)
Hedingarna "Kaksi!" (Northside) (NSD-6007)
Hedingarna "Tra" (Northside) (NSD-6008)
Hedingarna "Karelia Visa" (Northside, 1999) (NSD-6025)
One of the most intriguing (and popular) of the bands in the Northside stable, Hedingarna focus their musical energies on the obscure Finnish region of Karelia, half of which was swiped by the Russians in 1945. Hedingarna's stylistic breadth is considerable, including Slavic and Middle-Eastern influences which may bring to mind Balkan groups such as Kitka, The Mysterious Voices of Bulgaria, and the like. Singers Anita Lehtola and Sanna Kurki-Suonio both have absolutely lovely voices; the bouncy arrangements may be a little goofy -- or even grating, depending on your temperament and tastes -- but this ensemble is undeniably adventuresome and challenging, and well worth checking out. The all-instrumental Hedingarna album is one of their simplest and best.



Maria Kalaniemi/Sven Ahlback "Airbow" (Northside, 2001)
A moody, beautiful set of fiddle and accordion pieces, very close in temprament to Irish fiddler Martin Haye's best work. This is a lovely record to have on when you're in a quiet, but slightly offkilter mood. Lovely; highly recommended.



Anders Norudde "Himself" (Northside, 2000)
Hedingarna's piper and fiddle player Norudde goes out solo on a striking instrumental album that highlights his affinity for Middle Eastern and Celtic melodies. The keening of bagpipes and the flutter of flutes dance throughout, as does his proficiency on a wide variety of styles. Pretty cool.



Nyckelharpa Orchestra "Byss-Calle" (Northside, 2000) (NSD-6051)
A six-piece group specializing in the multi-stringed nyckelharpa keyed fiddles. As it turns out, there are several types of nyckelharpa - altnyckelharpa, tenornyckelharpa, the plain old nyckelharpa nyckelharpa, and one called a kontrabasharpa. All are on display here, as this Stockholm ensemble pays tribute to 19th Century composer Carl Ersson Bossa - who went by the nickname of "Byss-Calle". As ever, the sound is striking and impactful, though for my personal taste it lacks the lilting touches and stylistic variation that makes many other Northside releases seem so magical.



Ranarim "Till The Light Of Day" (Northside, 2000)
A youthful band with a somewhat bouncy sound, specializing in the multi-stringed, keyed nyckelharpa fiddle, Ranarim also have a keening vocal style which may be off-putting to some, but enthralling, say, to fans of Eastern European groups such as Kitka or the Mysterious Voices of Bulgaria. Great stuff, but perhaps best in small doses.



Sorten Muld "III" (Northside, 2001)
Danish folk mixed with electronic dance music... I'm not a big fan of these sort of folk-techno fusion albums, but this is actually a bit more listenable than most. The main problem is that there's not enough of the traditional stuff on here -- several tracks are mainly instrumental, and to be honest its the vocals that are distinctive here, not the dance programming. Still, if you're into world beat-fusion along the lines of the Anohka project, et al, you might find this disc to be kinda fun...



Swap "[sic]" (Northside, 2000)
The second all-instrumental album by this Celtic/Norse crossover band, whose repertoire is primarily Scandanavian, but with a distinctive Celtic lilt. Swooping, surging jigs, reels and scottisches with a cheerfully warm guitar-fiddle-accordion mix. This is one of the Northside releases that I would most readily recommend to fans of Celtic music.



Karen Tweed/Timo Alakotila "May Monday" (Northside, 2001)
Swap's Karen Tweed continues her fascinating career as a Celtic/world crossover artists with this richly understated set of accordion-based instrumentals. Teamed up with the pianist of JPP and Troka, Tweed spins out melodic yet moody ballads and airs. The Celtic influence is undeniable, but moderated with a wealth of other styles, including just a hint of Astor Piazolla-influenced tango. Only a couple of tunes become cloying (note to Tweed: drop the flugelhorn), on the whole, though, this is a masterful album, and something quite nice to have on for a quiet moment at home. Recommended!



Varttina "Ilmatar" (Northside, 2001)
One of Northside's most popular groups, Varttinna feature a tight, keening female chorus similar to Slavic-folkloric groups such as Kitka or the Mysterious Bulgarian voices. On this album, they bend their unusual sound into a darker form, mixing now-familiar harmonies in with brooding, artsy pop. A few times the blend falls flat, as when they give free rein to some sort of mad Scandanavian free-verse poetry, but when the gals are singing, it certainly gets your attention.



Vasen "Gront" (Northside, 1999)
As one of the better-known and most celebrated of the new Swedish acoustic bands, Vasen take a lot of the same musical chances and near-pratfalls as their more fusion-oriented Celtic brethren... This disc is full of experimental arrangements and unusual, if somewhat bouncy instrumentation, all in support of their uniformly solid fiddle playing... For my particular tastes, I prefer them on their moodier numbers, as opposed to when they indulge in perky poppishness. This kind of genre-bending is always a delicate balance, but I guess for the most part I prefer when folks play it straight -- having heard plenty of similar efforts coming out of Ireland and the UK, I guess I'd have to say I'm more of an Altan fan than a Clannad listener. Still, if you like modern Celtic crossover trad, then this may be your cup of tea as well.



Vasen "Live At The Nordic Roots Festival" (Northside, 2000)
Deft Nordic fiddling and Middle Eastern fiddling mark this excellent live recording. Some of the modernizing touches are a little distracting, but not much. Overall, this is a pretty nice testament to the skill of the band -- if only evey band could sound this tight live! Vasen fans will be happy as clams, and this is also a nice document of the remarkable Nordic Roots Festival, hosted in Minneapolis by the folks at Northside.




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Links
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Northside Records website includes information on their many artists, as well as ordering information on their releases, information about the music and instruments, as well as information about the massive music festivals and artist tours they help promote in the United States and elsewhere. Tell 'em Joe sent you!

Shanachie Records -- you might also want to check out the excellent Scandanavian fiddle collections that Shanachie put out in the early 1990s, which was the first dose of this style that most folks got, here in the States.

Mabel's Music Shop is an independent store with a nice page devoted to some early Northside releases,




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Main Celtic/Brit Index
Main World Music Index
Slipcue Main Page





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Gjallarhorn, Ranarop -- Call of the Sea Witch (Warner Finlandia, 1997)
Hedningarna, Hippjokk (Northside, 1997)
Hedningarna, Tra (Northside, 1997)
Kalabra, Kalabra (Caprice, 1997)
Myllarit, Eta Pravada (Warner Finlandia, 1997)
Phonix, Live (GO Danish Music Distrubution, 1999)
Phonix, Udbrud (GO Danish Music Distrubution, 1999)
Sirmakka, Tsihi Tsihi (Warner Finlandia, 1997)Swap, Swap (Amigo, 1997)Swap, (Sic) (Amigo, 1999)
Various Artists, Folk (Amigo Musik, 1999)
Vasen, Whirled (Northside, 1997)


I had the good luck to tour with me band in the Nordic countries last winter, so I'll be writing up reviews of some of the groups we heard there. Despite not speaking a word of any Nordic language other than skal, which seems to mean "drink up now," I had a great time -- though I woke with a wicked headache on more than one afternoon, after an all-night session of music making and drinking! Your best source in North America for the best in Nordic folk music is Northside Records, but I'll be covering mostly groups that have not been released in North America. There is a tremendous number of groups in the Nordic region doing interesting work right now, so I've picked groups that cover a range of styles.

First up is Gjallarhorn. This group is a foursome from Ostrobothnia, the Swedish speaking area of Finland. They are tightly bound to both folk music traditions, and ancient mythology. Musically, the band is a mixture of fiddle, mandola, didgeridoo, and percussion, with vocals provided by Jenny Wilhelms. Ranarop is an amazing album, with a singular sound which makes the band appear to be larger than it is. The songs deal with magical events, witches, gods, and the not always kind forces of the sea. The old ballads and waltzes of the region that straddles Sweden and Swedish speaking Finland is given a fresh turn by this band. The drone of the didgeridoo is used as their bass sound on most of the songs. Wilhelms' voice is cool and crisp, but with the usual rolling sound that Nordic women singers seem to be born with. The four members of Gjallarhorn are Finnish by nationality, but they sing in their native language of Swedish, and their music is Swedish in character. The members of Gjallarhorn are Finlands-Svenskar; that is, they're Swedes of Finland. Gjallarhorn's songs include a fire-charming song, a Norwegian stev (improvised, short verse), and the striking high-pitched Swedish kulning (originally, literally cow calls), but the majority are Finnish-Swedish ballads, primarily those concerning the twins of natural and magical forces rather than the more traditional bloody heroic tales. Don't worry about not understanding Swedish -- Warner Finlandia has done a smashing job of providing comprehensive liner notes that are in English and Swedish!

(Kristen Haaland, on her Web site, complicates the nationality question a bit more: "If one compares Sweden and Norway, one will find that the vocal Swedish folk music tradition in many cases is younger than the Norwegian. One may also find that some of the tunes exist in both countries. One example of this is "Jeg gikk meg ut i lunden gronn," which the Norwegian singer Kirsten Braten Berg describes as "a rather young song with strong Swedish influence," and the Swedish singer Eva Tjornebo calls a genuine Norwegian song, that described the typical Norse way of being. For once, with one foot planted firmly in both camps, I must admit that it is nearly impossible to tell. Even the lyrics are impossible to define as either Norwegian or
Swedish.")

If Gjallarhorn is cool and crisp like a late winter day, Hedningarna is a winter day when the storm is raging. Dirty Linen said of them: "Only a few bands really seem to define their own genre, but Hedningarna is definitely one of them." This is not your grannie's folk music -- this is folk music filtered through a rock sensibility, and blended with the feel of a rave. As the Northside Web site notes: "Setting their sights toward the heart of music they lay bare their musical roots. With Hippjokk the connections between traditional music sessions and raves become apparent -- at both there's music, dancing and revelry far into the night. Everything moves to the same beat, and afterwards, there are pleasant memories without anyone remembering exactly what happened" This is not concert music, this is dance music. Hedningarna is a group that plays astonishing modern pagan music from Sweden and Finland. They play electrically amplified music on self-made medieval acoustic instruments. Think Blowzabella with more of a rock edge.

About ten years ago, Hedningarna was formed by Hallbus Totte Mattson, Anders Stake and Bjorn Tollin, who made their first album, Hedningarna, in 1990. They added the two Finnish singers Sanna Kurki-Suonio and Tellu Paulasto, so that on the Kaksi (1992) and Tra (1994) albums, there are five members. On the album Hippjokk (1997), Hedningarna was a trio again with the founding members, plus session musicians, including the always amazing Lapp jojker Wimme Saari. (Saami folk music is called jojk and is a singing style where melody and verse are of equal weight. Jojk is often improvised while singing and can express feelings of deep sorrow, heart-felt hate or deep love. To sing jojk means deeply identifying yourself with someone or something important to you.) The most recent release, Karelia Visa, has the trio back playing with Ulf Ivarsson and the two wonderful Finnish singers again (with Tellu being replaced by Anita Lehtola).

The unofficial Hedningarna Web site notes that "Hedningarna's sound is suggestive and heavy, and is marked by drone stringdrums with dark sounds and instruments such as the fiddle, bagpipe, hurdy-gurdy, bowed harp, keyed fiddles, and synthesisers. The instruments which create the melody, are, among others, the bagpipe, willow flutes, kantele, fiddle, lute and electric guitar. Many songs are built around a heavy rock-like drum beat, which are played live on "pads" which control a sampler programmed with drum sounds. In addition to this come other sounds, as in the Tra album where samples of a jojk, wind, running water and a motor saw can also be heard." I was serious when I said they sounded like Blowzabella with a rockier edge to them -- this is folk music on acid. If you like your music very electrified, you'll like this group. Hippjokk and Tra are more or less the same in the way that sound. It wasn't 'til Karelia Visa that they broaden out their sound to include the Finno-Russian sound of the Karelian region.

Kalabra's self-titled album is one of the most upbeat albums I've ever heard. This new sextet plays a form of a jazz-folk fusion. It's a really interesting mix of vocals, flute, bass, percussion, saxophones, bouzouki, jews-harp, harmonica, and nyckelharpa. The Swedish press I saw when in Stockholm said that this is "modern Swedish folk music peppered with improvisation." This is a fair assessment, as Kalabra play and sing a combination of folk music, rock and jazz with vigorous rhythmic drive. Waltzes, polkas, schottisches, and even a ballad or two are part of the repertoire. Kalabra play and sing a combination of folk music, rock and jazz with vigorous rhythmic drive. Indeed, the rhythmic drive is the strongest element of their unique sounds, with the bright, breezy vocals of Ulrika Boden (who also plays flute) creating a jazzy feel to their music.

What amazes me as a musician about Kalabra and the rest of the Nordic groups fusing traditional material with a modern approach, is how much their approach feels like it has come out of the seminal Irish groups, The Moving Hearts. Fintan Valley's Companion to Irish Traditional Music noted that they mixed "traditional music with rock, jazz, and contemporary songs..." but more importantly was the mix of instruments which had not been done before: fiddles and bagpipes were fused with saxophones and drum kits. Kalabra -- and most of the new Nordic groups -- fuse the traditional sound of fiddles onto a mix of saxophones and rock-style percussion. It's a heady mix that would indeed, as the contradance say, make you shut up and dance!

Our next group is a bit different. According to their press kit, "Myllarit is a brisk vocal and instrumental group from Petrozavodsk, the Republic of Karelia, NW Russia. The Finnish Uusi Kansanmusiikki ( The New Folk Musik ) has characterized them as a phenomenon of the new wave Karelian folk music. Myllarit make music based on traditional songs and tunes. They unearth their material in folk songs collections and recordings made by folk performers. The group strives to unite the multilingual musical traditions of the Republic of Karelia in their original show. Thus, Myllarit perform Karelian songs and melodies of the White Sea, Olonets and Ladoga regions, and also Russian songs of the Trans-Onega region, fitting them to suit their more modern style. Besides, the group performs songs of the Ingria ( St.-Petersburg region ) in the local Ingric dialect of the Finnish language." I used to think that the border between England and Scotland was a bit vauge, but the Karelian region literally lies in both Finland and Russia!

The mix of instruments is not that unusual for this type of group: Aleksandr Bykadorov (guitar, scythe, vocals), Arto Rinne (vocals, mandoline, bouzouki, harmonica), Sergei Zobnev (piano accordion, 2-row Russian button accordion, vocals), Tatyana Umnyakova (fiddle and vocals), Dmitri Dyomin (clarinet, flutes, bagpipe, saxophone, and vocals), Andrey Lukin (drums), Leo Sevets (guitar, jouhikko -- a bowed lyre--, 5-and 10 string kantele -- Finnish-karelian harp --, lead and backing vocals). What is different is the sheer size of the group, as most of these groups are foursomes or smaller. Myllarit creates a "wall of sound" And it's an entertaining sound as well. Nils Inkila, correspondent for the Canadian Uutiset, a Finnish newspaper, noted, "...one must say that if there's a group that performs Finnish-style folk music better, it must be from another world:.. It's worth remembering this name and to go see and listen to them. It will be the best musical investment of your vacation." The other radical difference between this group and most of the other Nordic/Russian groups is this group has male, not female, vocals. Indeed, Aleksandr Bykadorov looks like a Russian version of Tempest's Leif Sorbye!

Myllarit means The Millers, and this is the rowdy music that a group of slightly drunk -- or perhaps really soused -- working class blokes would make, complete with shouting and raffish laughter, while singing in their favorite tavern. Tales of cooking cats (not them, but the blokes in the next village), flash girls, a love song about their native city Petroski, love lost and found, life on the Russian collective farms, and the Holy Night itself. Warner Finlandia has done a nice job of providing bilingual liner notes. I highly recommend this album to all fans of Nordic music!

Phonix hails from Denmark, land of Hans Christian Anderson, pickled fish, and buxom maidens. Their recording company Web site describes them as "Energy, intensity, progressivity. This is obtained by the mean of new original compositions, traditional Danish tunes and a unique instrumentation, merged with Nordic, African, Latin America, rock and Jazz music. The result is a very original play style and sound, that sends the Danish folk music way ahead into the next millennium." This fivesome of Kristine Heeboll on fiddle, Jesper Falch on percussion, Jesper Vinther Petersen on accordion, Anja Pr?st Mikkelsen on bass clarinet and clarinet, and Katja Mikkelsen on recorders, fiddle and bagpipe, is an all-instrumental undertaking with not a vocal to be heard anywhere.

Nor is this jazzy like Kalabra. Rather, this is music for celebrations: light, bouncy, and quite danceable. As Soren Chr. Kirkegaard, writing in Jyllandsposten, noted: "Everyone in the group, that has created its complete personal style and sound, does it well. The sound is highly coloured by Anja Pr?st?s forceful playing on the bass clarinet, Jesper Vinther Petersen contributes to the warm keynote with his melodic accordion playing and Jesper Falch is brilliant with his rhythmical playing on the congas. There is a great drive in Kristine Heebolls dynamical violin playing and Katja Mikkelsen adds to the music neat and lyrical facets with her beautiful playing on the recorder. Phonix seem to be on a steady course after having risen from the ashes" The closest North American group in terms of the sound is a Minneapolis-based instrumental group called the Seven Thieves. Like the Seven Thieves, violins are the root sound of the group. The overall sound is almost, but not quite, medieval in feel. Buy both Udbrud and Live as there's little overlap between them. Live has the added element of crowd sounds, as it was indeed done in a small venue. I really can't say it added to my enjoyment of the album.

Sirmakka's Tsihi Tsihi is similar to Phonix in sound and nature. Sirmakka is a Finnish folk music ensemble consisting of young musicians from Raakkyla in North Karelia. (Yes, another Karelian group!) It was founded in 1986 with 18 members (!), but its present lineup includes six members. Sirmakka is considered to be one of the most interesting and most popular folk music ensembles in Finland. This recording has but five members on it: Sari Kaasinen on vocals, kantele, two-row accordion, and tin whistle; Jussi Kaasinen on mandoline; Tero Pakarinen on bass; Mikko Soininen on on guitar and vocals; and Taina Vayrynen on five-row accordion. Sari Kaasinen is also known as the former leader of the more famous Finnish folk group Varttina. Varttina began life as a children's and adolescents' band in North Karelia in the mid-1980s. It specialized in Karelian music, and it gained popularity in its 20-member form. In the 1990s, Varttina merged Finno-Ugric tradition and rock music. In addition to the wild and energetic drive created by the constant roar of fiddles and accordions, it featured highly skilled women singers.

Sirmakka, to my ear, sounds a lot like Myllarit, which once again demonstrates how transparent the Russo-Finnish border is! Fronted by the vocals of Sari Kaasinen, who rolls her R's almost as well as Emma Hardelin of Garmarna, this band has the feel of being very comfortable with the ancient ballads collected in the Finnish Kalevela. This isn't surprising as Sari Kaasinen has been involved with folk music from a very early age. Her mother, Pirkko Kaasinen, was deeply interested in folklore, and passed her enthusiasm onto her children through poems, songs and children's rhymes. Sari and her sister Mari performed with the Tsupukat band from an early age, both at local venues and in Helsinki. At the relatively late age of eleven, Sari took up the kantele and decided on her future profession: a kantele teacher, a composer and a musician.

The songs are of love lost, hard times during the long winters, death, the danger of drink, and nonsensical rhymes. This is lively stuff suitable for dancing and drinking long into the cold, windy night!

Swap, our next band, is unique. As the Northside Web site puts it "Two Swedes and two Brits; two men and two women; two blondes and two brunettes; two Scandinavian folk fiddlers and two traditional Celtic musicians. This is Swap -- the inevitable confluence of two distinct but related musical cultures by a quartet of gifted players. As they move from Swedish polska to Celtic jig, from Scandinavian "vals" to British waltz, it's easy to marvel that this musical exchange has not been presented so directly before."

(Yes, folk fiddlers, not folk violinists. The Green Man Review Style guide notes that "the historical differences between the two instruments were always slight and have vanished with time. Some critics -- including a few fiddlers -- who simply don't know better will insist that the distinction between them now is the style of play: a fiddler being one who plays folk music while a violinist plays classical music. This simply is not true as there are too many shades of gray to assume this. For example, many folk musicians in Scandinavia more often than not play violins and therefore are most often called violinists. Even English folk musicians are often violinists, i.e., Dave Shepherd of Blowzabella -- a band who plays Anglo-French trad music --plays a violin. Always check the liner notes to see which term the musician prefers!")

Swap is a quartet consisting of Karen Tweedon on accordian and Ian Carr on guitar, both who played in Kathryn Tickell's band, and fiddlers Ola Backstrom and Carina Normansson, both prominent in what Northside calls the new Swedish roots music scene. Or is it that they are active in the Anglo-Celtic music scene? The answer is that this is one of the few true examples of Nordic and Celtic music being fused into something where the whole is greater than the parts that make it up. The U.K. folk magazine Living Tradition said of them: "Sensitivity and felling in the slower numbers, plenty of drive and joy in the faster ones...a well-crafted and enjoyable selection." What I notice is that the music Swap does is much more formal than that of the other groups discussed here. That feel comes directly out of the background of the Anglo-Celtic traditional music scene.

What you have in Swap is a pair of outstanding Swedish fiddlers and two equally proficient Brits on accordion and guitar and an interesting blending of musical genres. As noted previously, Ian Carr and Karen Tweed have been making names for themselves both with their individual careers and together in the Kathryn Tickell Band. (See our review of Kathryn Tickell and Friends' The Northumberland Collection). Ola Backstrom has been a fiddler with many Swedish bands, most consistently as part of Den Fule. The other fiddler, Carina Normansson, is a member of Spelmanslag, the Fiddler Company of Falun, Sweden. (Their Web site says "Falu Spelmanslag is a folkmusic club open to anybody who due to his love and passion for folk music wants to improve his playing under generous learning and performance forms. We are just now around 100 players under the conductors and company leaders, the bewitched Carina Normansson and Carina Nygren. ...We are a fiddling company for dance purposes with ambition to play the old tunes so tenderly and "sweaty" that the dancing audience feels a pronounced joy of life and dancing through our performance of the power and beauty of the old tunes." Swap uses material that has roots in both the Celtic and Nordic cultures, but is unquestionably unique to them. The mixing of Celtic music, particularly that of the Anglo-Scottish border region, with a brooding Swedish fiddle drone, is quite magical in nature, and they do it with a more than competent demeanor and a quiet grace. Swap works their magic in a quiet way that will grow on you with time.

Folk from Amigo Musik is a sampler album, but what a sampler it is! Swap, Mats Edem, Groupa, and many, many more performers are represented on this album. All I'll say is that if you are at all interested in Nordic fiddle-based folk music, go get this album!

Vasen's Whirled reminds me of the seminal soundscape group Shadowfax: deep, brooding rhythms played on mainly on stringed instruments with added percussion. Comprised of Mikael Marin on viola and violin; Roger Tallroth on guitar and bouzouki; Andre Ferrari on percussion; and Olov Johansson on nyckelharpa and kontrabasharpa, Vasen is a Swedish band whose music is grounded in the traditional folk music and instruments of Sweden. They make exhilarating new arrangements of centuries-old tunes, and Olov Johansson, one of the band members, plays the nyckelharpa, an ancient instrument of Sweden. (The nyckelharpa is a keyed fiddle that can either be played with a bow or plucked.) As I noted before, their music is based on traditional Swedish folk music, blended with dollops of material from the jazz and rock genres, and bound together into the Vasen sound by their unique instrumental talent. "Playing should be fun," the band has said many times -- and this album is certainly fun to listen to!

So don't just sit there: go out and find some of this great music!



[Jack B. Merry]

















Шведский фолк

VASEN

"Gront"

(c) & (p) 1999 Xource Records

12 композиций

Общее время: 57 минут

Лучший на сегодняшний день образец музыки, основанной на скандинавском фолке из всех, что я слышал. Инструментальная шведская группа Vasen - это Olov Johansson - nickelharpa (то же, что и белорусская лира), Mikael Martin - скрипка, Roger Tallroth - гитара, мандолина и шведские бузуки, Andre Ferrari - барабаны и перкуссия. Мощные танцевальные ритмы и мелодии этого полностью акустического квартета по подаче и структуре напоминают экстатические ирландские танцевальные мелодии reels, не дающие усидеть на месте - это один из самых энергетических, зажигательных видов музыки. В то же время виртуозная музыка Vasen не лишена то условно арт-роковых, то джазовых, то психоделических интеллектуальных решений и инноваций - это целостное художественное произведение, сюита, напоминающая вторжение викингов на территорию какого-нибудь (не очень большого) королевства, а не какой-то там сборник псевдо-фолковых мелодий! В прохладной музыке Vasen видятся заснеженные фьорды, вздымающиеся в белесое небо зубцы белых оледенелых скал, бесшумный полет арктических сов, слышится вой снежной пурги... Но и не только - это и танцы взявшихся за руки юношей и девушек в жарко натопленной избе, и языческие ритуалы, и пасущиеся на зеленых лугах коровы и бог знает что еще! Звук инструментов нарочито грубоват, но исполнение отнюдь не лишено своеобразного изящества. Короче, оригинальность, остроумие и виртуозная мощь этого альбома изрядно встряхивают и в голове еще долго крутятся его мелодии.

It's best в своей категории - и этим все сказано!




Bask
Bask
Vasen
Gront

Both titles:
Northside - US
Xource - Sweden
There's a seemingly endless supply of new music from Sweden just pouring out this month and the creative factor does not seem to be suffering from the excess supply. In fact, if anything, the competition and cooperation among these musicians is generating excellent new music at every turn.

Bask is something of a super group for Sweden's new folk scene. This trio featuring Jonas Simonson on flutes, Sten Kallman on saxes and percussion, and Hans Kennemark on fiddle have collectively been in the vanguard of this current wave of innovation, working with bands like Filarfolket, Den Fule, and Groupa and in collaborations with artists like Ale Moller and Niss Kerstin.


"Vals fra Munkedal"
This is a very straightforward set of tunes, both traditional and original, presented pretty much live and acoustic. Each musician has the chance to explore not only the rhythm and melody of their instruments, but also the essential sound of them as they interact. There is a spaciousness to this recording that allows each stroke of the string, each channel of breath, each strike of hand on skin to stand out and matter.

Vasen take a much more assertive approach on Gront, their second album as a quartet. While they too present a primarily acoustic sound, they are looking for a larger bang, and do not hesitate to bring in jazz, rock and whatever else suits their need. It's never overt, but these elements are often present in their newly composed folk songs. Yet the final effect is one of ancient songs reborn.
"Grontman"
(O.Johansson)
The skill of these musicians is legend in Sweden, and all of them are in demand by many other performers for outside projects, but it is the instinctive relationship they have developed over years of working together that makes them so exciting.
"Carrowkeel"
excerpt
(M.Marin)
Whether it's a folky reel for dancing like "Carrowkeel" or a rough and raw-boned monster like "The Grontman," they seem to find strange and sometimes disorienting alliances in the instruments. The production is full, with plenty of studio effects and overdubbing that rely on the musicians own ideas rather than cheap tricks and pop cliches. - CF



Vasen


Never before has Swedish folk music swung with such intensity. Traditional music with a modern attitude. Tremendous individual musicians taking ensemble playing to new heights. Acoustic instruments with power and emotion. This is Vдsen.

Vasen are:

Olov Johansson, nyckelharpa
Mikael Marin, viola
Roger Tallroth, guitar
Andre Ferrari, percussion

Press:

"The absurdly broad term 'world music is rendered useless in the face of these four musicians who play with such genuine passion and glee that everything on the globe seems to disappear except their hometown fires." -David Greenberger, National Public Radio's "All Things Considered"


"The sound may be traditional, but the attitude is completely modern, mixing up the ideas of folk, the virtuosity of prog, and the humor of the insane asylum into a cuisinart of acoustic bliss. Visualize whirled music." -Chris Nickson, Wired


"...the band's anciently original compositions can be immensely brooding, stately, fitfully spry or dramatically expansive." - Richard Harrington, The Washington Post





Gront

by
Vasen $16.00












The highly-anticipated 1999 release from the leaders of the Viking invasion. Following their critically-acclaimed Whirled (1997), Vasen heralds the new millennium with a powerful new release: Gront is dark and brooding yet suffused with unforgettable melodies and surprising arrangements.

Vasen (VEH-sen), NorthSide's best-selling band, are a unique ensemble who transcend barriers and delight listeners with their music and personality.

Four great Swedish musicians: Olov Johansson on the nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden), Mikael Marin on viola, Roger Tallroth on guitar, and Andre Ferrari on an array of exotic percussion. The quartet's music has a telepathic intensity. Together they create more electricity on their acoustic instruments than most rock bands can generate with their amps turned all the way up to "11." More than one rock critic has proclaimed them "the best band in the world" (but it's safer just to say they are the tallest, and leave it at that.)

Traditional music with a modern attitude. Tremendous individual musicians taking ensemble playing to new heights. Acoustic instruments with power and emotion. This is Vasen.



"With string arrangements as crisp and jolting as a Swedish winter morning, Vasen treads an enchanted territory between classical, folk and pop." -- Utne Reader, Jan./Feb. 2000


"Invoking both serene panoramic vistas and sharp blazing melodies, the music has found fans far beyond the borders of the band's native Sweden, and for good reason." -- CMJ Music Monthly


"The skill of these musicians is legend...but it is the instinctive relationship they have developed over years of working together that makes them so exciting." -- Cliff Furnald, rootsworld.com




1 Ploska 5:01
2 M. Nykanen 2:44
3 Stappen (The Steppe) 4:03
4 Goskarlen (The Pikeman) 5:25
5 JTT 6:03
6 Reel Carrowkeel 4:22
7 Trana (Crane) 1:49
8 Svampmannen (The Mushroomman) 6:32
9 Ekorrn (Squirrel) 4:23
10 Grontmannen (The Grontman) 3:23
11 Vantans Vals (Waiting Waltz) 4:29
12 Nacken 8:35