Scandinavia
Transcription
Scandinavia
MUSICROUGHGUIDES THE ROUGH GUIDE to the music of Scandinavia Scandinavia has a long tradition of musical innovation. From the dulcimer players and folk fiddlers of yore to the band of nineteenth-century classical composers (Nielsen, Sibelius, Rosenberg, Grieg) who consistently pushed the envelope, the Nordic region has always bristled with creativity. Nowadays contemporary musicians are fearless innovators unshackled by the politics of genre. Quite why Scandinavia has always been a hub of experimentalism is a stiff question for any sociologist. Perhaps it is due to a legacy of exploration left over by the fearsome Norse warriors of the late eighth to eleventh centuries. Perhaps it owes something to the long history of political and cultural collaboration between the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Perhaps it is to do with Scandinavia’s positioning as a key point of trade and exchange. Whatever the academic explanation, the music of the Nordic countries as explored on this Rough Guide is typically light, bright and forwardthinking. The Scandinavian scene has drawn admiration from fans across the world, yet at the same time remains curiously underrepresented in the European and American music industries. Those who have discovered the music are quickly converted; the compiler of this collection, Phillip Page, relocated to Finland from Texas in the mid1980s because of his fascination with Finnish music going back to 1971. He is well versed on things Scandinavian and has carefully sculpted this compilation to showcase some of the most adventurous artists from the deepest corners of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Sápmi. The album opens with the tinkling sounds of ‘Lóri’ by Icelandic ensemble Amiina. Other Icelandic contributions come from Valgeir Sigurðsson and múm. Iceland has a rich history of folk music that dates back to the fourteenth century. Although the indie scene is now strong and popular across the island nation, Iceland’s isolated geographical position, some 603 miles from mainland Europe, meant that until the nineteenth century the country was relatively free from foreign influence. There is an aesthetic of quiet minimalism instilled in each of the three Icelandic tracks included on this album, which befits the country’s remoteness well. Gently looping electronic riffs, blurred layers of fuzz and the slow-burning development of simple thematic ideas can be heard on each. ‘Guilty Rocks’ by múm is the most upbeat of the three by far, yet still takes the format of understated almost ethereal electronica. Heading east to Norway, the music of Arild Andersen, Benedicte Maurseth and Annbjørg Lien takes on a distinctly jazz-inflected tone. Jazz first arrived in Norway during the early twentieth century, when foreign bands like Feldman’s Jazz Band and Jack Harris’ Premier Syncopated Five began touring hotels and clubs. Soon Norwegian jazz bands sprung up, playing popular dance tunes on violins, banjos, clarinet, piano and drums. In 1923 the saxophone arrived and Norwegian jazz really began to gather pace. During the late 1930s Norway explored the swing craze and trademarked its own fiddle-based version of the style nicknamed ‘string-swing’. Then came the five-year-long occupation of Norway by the German Nazis (1940–1945). Despite the occupation, the Norwegian jazz tradition survived, re-emerged during the latter half of the same decade and became a red-hot scene once more. With the dawn of the 1960s experimentalism and modernism took centre stage and the likes of Jan Garbarek, Karin Krog and Svein Finnerud rose to prominence. The artists on this Rough Guide are each indubitably influenced by the jazz history of Norway. Arild Andersen, one of Europe’s leading bass players, began his career as a member of the Jan Garbarek Quartet (1967–1973), worked with Karin Korg and played for visiting musicians including Sonny Rollins and Chick Corea. Benedicte Maurseth and Annbijørg Lien both play the hardanger fiddle and have shaped their careers around exploring the intersection of folk, Baroque and improvised jazz fiddle music. Frigg fuse Nordic forms with American bluegrass producing their quirky mix – ‘Nordgrass’. Denmark is another country with a strong jazz tradition and deep folk history. The members of Valravn have Danish, Swiss, Ecuadorian and Faroese roots. Their sound explores old ballads from the Faroe Islands accompanied by traditional and electronic instruments. Their name translates as ‘raven of the slain’ and refers to the idea of a supernatural raven that had eaten part of the body of a knight or nobleman killed in battle. The name sums up the band’s music well: they ingest the traditions of old and re-produce new magical music that is both rooted in the past yet still relentlessly forward-looking. Sorten Muld are a Danish folktronica band who mix traditional lyrics with techno soundscapes. Sweden is well-known as a musical exporter of pop acts such as Abba and Neneh Cherry, yet has also long been an epicentre for Scandinavian folk. During the 1960s a roots revival took hold and young musicians regularly performed at folk meetings called spelmanslags – popular trends edged towards jazz and rockoriented folk. Nowadays, bands like Katzen Kapell draw on influences as broad as Nino Rota, Astor Piazzolla and Frank Zappa, all mixed in with Arabic and Eastern European flavours. Johan Hedin and Gunnar Idenstam excitedly explore the matching of organ and nyckelharpa. The late and legendary keys player Lars Hollmer fused folk and progressive rock to produce ecstatic creative music whether he was playing solo, as a member of the Accordion Tribe, or with a band of Japanese jazz players. Finnish musicians also make a sizeable and significant contribution to the track list of this Rough Guide. Musicians like Maria Kalaniemi and Timo Alakotila, Värttinä and Milla Viljamaa fuse flavours of Karelian, classical and electronic musics together into a tasty mix. One of the most striking tracks on the album is contributed by an ensemble of Finnish-American collaborators. Accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen, sampling master Samuli Kosminen and renowned string quartet Kronos Quartet create a farout panoramic soundscape on ‘Särmä’, an infectious track that encapsulates Scandinavia’s insatiable thirst for weird and wonderful innovation. exploration of the best music straight from the source. The Sami are Arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, an area encompassing the far northern regions of Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. Their cultural identity is closely tied to that of an improvised musical practice called joiking. Wimme Saari is one of the best-known joikers from Finland and features on the glorious techno-ambient track ‘Texas’. True to Scandinavian form, Wimme is no stranger to collaboration and has worked with artists including the French composer Hector Zazou and the Dutch band Nits. Les sociologues ont du mal à déterminer pourquoi la Scandinavie est, depuis toujours, un lieu d’expérimentation. L’héritage des redoutables guerriers vikings, qui ont conduit l’exploration de ces terres du VIIIème au XIème siècle, peut être invoqué. Ou la longue collaboration politique et culturelle des royaumes du Danemark, de Norvège et de Suède, voire la position de la Scandinavie, point nodal du commerce et des échanges. Quelle que soit l’explication fournie par les scientifiques, la musique des pays nordiques, comme l’illustre ce Rough Guide, est légère, brillante et avant-gardiste. The Rough Guide To Scandinavia is an encyclopedic volume that really penetrates the Scandinavian space. Enjoy an in-depth La Scandinavie est une région de longue tradition musicale, où l’innovation est reine. Des joueurs de dulcimers et violoneux d’antan aux compositeurs classiques qui repoussèrent les limites musicales du XIXème siècle (Nielsen, Sibelius, Rosenberg, Grieg), les habitants des pays nordiques ont toujours brillé par leur créativité. Quant aux musiciens contemporains, ils sont des innovateurs aventureux, jamais entravés par les codes des genres musicaux. La scène scandinave a conquis des admirateurs dans le monde entier, tout en restant relativement sous-représentée dans les industries musicales européenne et américaine. Elle a rapidement converti ceux qui l’ont découverte: Phillip Page, l’auteur de cette compilation, a par exemple quitté le Texas pour la Finlande au milieu des années 1980 après avoir découvert la musique finlandaise en 1971. Féru de musiques scandinaves, il a soigneusement sélectionné les morceaux de cet album pour mettre en valeur quelques uns des artistes les plus aventureux de ces contrées reculées - Finlande, Suède, Norvège, Danemark, Islande et Sápmi. L’album s’ouvre sur les notes cliquetantes de ‘Lóri’, interprété par l’ensemble islandais Amiina; les Islandais Valgeir Sigurðsson et Múm contribuent également à la compilation. La riche histoire musicale de l’Islande remonte au XIVème siècle. Bien que la scène alternative soit aujourd’hui présente et populaire sur toute l’île, l’isolement géographique du pays –1 000 kilomètres le séparent de l’Europe continentale -, a maintenu celui-ci relativement éloigné des influences étrangères jusqu’au XIXème siècle. Avec leurs traits électroniques tout en souplesse, leurs sons duveteux et leurs thèmes simples, les trois titres islandais choisis révèlent une esthétique minimaliste et tranquille, semblable à celle du pays. Des trois, ‘Guilty Rocks’, par Múm, est de loin le plus gai; il revêt pourtant toujours une forme électronique minimale, presqu’éthérée. Plus à l’est, en Norvège, la musique d’Arild Andersen, de Benedicte Maurseth et d’Annbjørg Lien s’infléchit distinctement vers le jazz. Ce style a gagné la Norvège au début du XXème siècle, avec les tournées de groupes comme le Feldman’s Jazz Band ou les Jack Harris’ Premier Syncopated Five. Des ensembles norvégiens de jazz se sont bientôt constitués, qui jouaient des airs de danse populaires sur des violons, banjos, clarinettes, pianos et percussions. En 1923, l’arrivée du saxophone a accru l’influence du jazz. Puis, à la fin des années 1930, la Norvège a exploré le swing, créant un nouveau style, basé sur le violon, surnommé le string swing ou «swing à cordes». Malgré l’occupation nazie, entre 1940 et 1945, la tradition du jazz norvégien a survécu et a émergé de nouveau dans la seconde moitié des années 1950. Au début de la décennie suivante, pourtant, l’expérimentalisme et le modernisme ont pris le pas sur le jazz, avec des musiciens comme Jan Garbarek, Karin Krog et Svein Finnerud. Les artistes choisis dans cette compilation sont indubitablement influencés par l’histoire de la Norvège en matière de jazz. Arild Andersen, un des plus grands bassistes européens, a débuté dans le Jan Garbarek Quartet (1967-1973), travaillé avec Karin Korg et collaboré avec Sonny Rollins et Chick Corea. Benedicte Maurseth et Annbijørg Lien jouent toutes deux du hardanger fiddle, le violon norvégien, et ont construit leur carrière dans l’exploration et l’improvisation, à l’intersection de la musique folk, baroque et jazz pour violon. Quant au groupe Frigg, il fusionne les formes nordiques avec le bluegrass américain, produisant ce mix étrange, le nordgrass. Le Danemark hérite lui aussi d’une riche tradition de jazz et de musique populaire. Les membres du groupe Valravn, originaires du Danemark, de Suisse, d’Equateur et des îles Féroé, explorent de vieilles ballades de ces îles en s’accompagnant d’instruments traditionnels et électroniques. Leur nom, qui signifie «corbeau des défunts», fait référence à un corbeau surnaturel ayant dévoré pour partie le corps d’un chevalier tué dans une bataille. Il résume bien leur œuvre: ce groupe assimile les traditions anciennes et invente une musique magique, à la fois héritière du passé et résolument nouvelle. Quant au groupe danois de folktronica, Sorten Muld, il mixe chants traditionnels et environnements techno. La Suède est connue pour avoir exporté des stars pop comme Abba et Neneh Cherry, mais elle est également depuis longtemps l’épicentre du folk scandinave. Les années 1960 y ont été marquées par une renaissance de ce courant: de jeunes musiciens ont régulièrement joué dans les spelmanslags un folk tendant vers le jazz et le rock. De nos jours, des groupes comme Katzen Kappel tirent leur inspiration d’artistes aussi divers que Nino Rota, Astor Piazzolla et Frank Zappa, assaisonnés de sons arabes ou d’Europe de l’est. Johan Hedin et Gunnar Idenstam ont exploré avec talent l’alliance de l’orgue et de la nyckelharpa. Le légendaire Lars Hollmer a opéré aux claviers la fusion du folk et du rock progressif en une musique créative et extatique, aussi bien en solo, au sein d’Accordion Tribe ou avec un groupe de jazz japonais. Les musiciens finnois apportent une contribution de taille à cette compilation. Des artistes comme Maria Kalaniemi et Timo Alakotila, Värttinä et Milla Viljamaa, fusionnent les musiques de la Carélie, du classique et de l’électronique en un savoureux mélange. Un des titres les plus étonnants de l’album est fourni par un ensemble de musiciens finno-américains: l’accordéoniste Kimmo Pohjonen, le maître du sampling Samuli Kosminen et le célèbre quatuor à cordes Kronos Quartet inventent les sonorités panoramiques de ‘Särmä’, un morceau contagieux qui traduit la soif insatiable de la Scandinavie pour l’innovation, l’étrange et le merveilleux. Les Samis sont un peuple indigène arctique de Sápmi, une région qui englobe les territoires septentrionaux de la Suède, la Norvège, la Finlande, la presqu’île russe de Kola et la région frontalière entre Suède et Norvège. Leur identité culturelle est étroitement liée à la pratique musicale du joiking. Wimme Saari, un des meilleurs joikers de Finlande, interprète ici le glorieux ‘Texas’, à l’ambiance techno. Fidèle à la forme scandinave, Wimme collabore également avec des artistes comme le compositeur français Hector Zazou et le groupe néerlandais Nits. Their edgy folktronica has earned them performances at festivals across Europe. Le Rough Guide To Scandinavia, volume encyclopédique qui pénètre tout l’espace scandinave, vous invite à une exploration en profondeur de la meilleure musique de cette région. KATZEN KAPELL – Swedish sextet Katzen Kapell perform a unique combination of tango, classical, jazz and rock music. Their music leaps into unexpected territory: as one reporter put it, ‘Their music fits in everywhere and nowhere.’ On the track ‘Bellatores’, the music is embued with emotional depth via the work of composer Magnus Andersson Lagerqvist. AMIINA – Amiina stepped into the limelight in 2007 with the release of their debut album, Kurr. Never afraid to experiment, they employ a jumble of instruments: musical saws, kalimbas, music boxes and more. ‘Lóri’ is a distinctive opener – minimal and laid-back, with a charming homemade flavour to the sound. ARILD ANDERSEN – Arild Andersen’s CV reads like a Who’s Who of Norwegian music. He has recorded seventeen albums in his own name for ECM. ‘Sjugur Og Trollbrura’ is an arrangement of a traditional Norwegian song about Sjugur and his troll bride. The vocalist is the well-known folk singer Kirsten Bråten Berg. VALRAVN – Valravn’s combination of raw energy, electronics and Nordic folk roots has earned them three nominations for Danish Music Awards. The charismatic singer Anna Katrin Egilstrøð is from the Faroe Islands, an island group situated roughly halfway between the coast of Scotland and Iceland. MILLA VILJAMAA – Mainly known for her work as a pianist and harmonium player with the Finnish accordionist Johanna Juhola, Milla has also produced a great range of solo work featuring adventurous compositions for harmonium and ensemble. ‘Ansa/The Trap’ is taken from her second solo album, Minne (2011), which was honoured with a Finnish EMMA nomination in 2012. VALGEIR SIGURÐSSON – Valgeir has long been in demand as a producer for international artists – he has collaborated with the likes of Björk, Feist, CocoRosie and múm, to name but a few. He also is a composer and musician and has recorded two solo albums. The delicate evocative sounds of ‘After Four’ are taken from his debut, Ekvílibríum (2007). MARIA KALANIEMI & TIMO ALAKOTILA – Maria is known as the premier folk accordionist of Finland. Timo is the well- respected and much-in-demand pianist, harmonium player, composer, arranger and producer whose work spans folk, jazz, classical music and more. Maria’s distinctive and personal style involves intuitive and sensitive use of the accordion bellows. Timo’s compositions and arrangements are melody-based expressions that are always emotionally moving. MÚM – múm was formed in 1997 by original members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason. Electronics, trumpet, cello, ukulele, guitars, percussion by Finn Samuli Kosminen, plus vocals and odd melodic pop music with head-scratching lyrics, make for a brilliantly conceived, unique style. KIMMO POHJONEN, SAMULI KOSMINEN AND KRONOS QUARTET – The album Uniko is the result of a fantastically successful collaboration between Finnish accordion explorer Kimmo Pohjonen, electronic percussionist/sampler Samuli Kosminen and the Kronos Quartet. Electronic and acoustic accordion and string sounds are sampled by Kosminen and reproduced via his machinery, then mixed live with the sounds of the whole group. ‘Särmä’ is like an Arctic winter dream with a wide seascape of otherworldly voices and sounds. ANNBJØRG LIEN – Annbjørg is the wellrespected and internationally popular player of the Norwegian hardanger fiddle. Her music is mostly self-composed while being tradition-based and influenced by other cultures she experienced in her travels around the world. ‘Gode Gut’ is a delicate and melodious instrumental piece dominated by Annbjørg’s earthy fiddle tone. JOHAN HEDIN & GUNNAR IDENSTAM – The nyckelharpa is a traditional Swedish chordophone, played here by Johan. Gunnar is the internationally known concert organist, composer and arranger, winner of the Grand Prix de Chartres improvisation competition. Together, their vision is one of Gothic shadows, Baroque elegance, fiery furnaces and frozen summits, tunes of old and the dance of the day. FRIGG – Frigg’s music has been coined ‘Nordgrass’, a term which neatly condenses their two central influences – Nordic folk and bluegrass. The core of the group features Antti, Esko and Alina Järvelä on fiddles, double bass and more. Add even more fiddles, dobro, guitar, mandolins and one Norwegian and you get a powerful concoction that takes Nordic fiddle-based music to exciting new heights. Frigg infuse their live shows with a healthy dollop of humour, heaps of energy and, of course, a bucketload of skills. VÄRTTINÄ – Värttinä’s frontline powerhouse of female singers Mari Kaasinen, Susan Aho and Johanna Virtanen is supported by a sturdy and versatile instrumental ensemble. Earlier in this decade they released their album Miero and co-wrote the music for the Lord of the Rings musical in collaboration with A. R. Rahman. ‘Ruhverikko’ (‘Dark Girl’) is the infectious opening track, from their new album, Utu. BENEDICTE MAURSETH – Benedicte began to play the hardanger fiddle when she was 7 years old and has ever since continued to explore the music of the Hardanger region. She performs as both a string player and a traditional vocalist. ‘Mellomspel’ is a haunting track taken from her album Alde and was originally composed as part of a score she produced for a theatre production of Andvake, based on a novel by Jon Fosse. SORTEN MULD – Sorten Muld or ‘Black Soil’ are a Danish band that are often described as ‘folk-tronica’. Their music is elegant yet dynamic electrified folk featuring heavy electronics and the whispery lead voice of Ulla Bendiexen. Their last recording, 2002, was a limited edition soundtrack that was released only in Denmark and is now quite a rarity. ‘Gylden Gloed’ is hypnotic piece featuring atmospheric muted trumpet. LARS HOLLMER – If there is an unsung genius of Scandinavian music, it is surely Lars Hollmer (1948–2008), a prolific and uncompromisingly adventurous musician who produced his own unique music for nearly forty years. Folk music was a major influence on Lars’ output and, combined with his electric alt-rock side, the result was a brilliant fusion. ‘Snabb’ is a typically Hollmer-esque odd-beat rhythmic braintwister taken from his last album, Viandra (2007). WIMME – Wimme Saari is the most wellknown Sami joiker from Finnish Samiland. He fuses shamanistic chant with modern techno-electro-trance soundscapes. Joiking is a vocal practice unique to the Sami people and is said to have overlaps with Native American chant. ‘Texas’ is perhaps Wimme’s most recognized and classic song. 06 VALGEIR SIGURÐSSON After Four 01 AMIINA Lóri from the album KURR (EVER11CD) (Amiina) pub Ever Records. Licensed from Ever Records/!K7 Label Group. 02 ARILD ANDERSEN Sjugur Og Trollbrura from the album ARV (FXCD133) (trad, arr M. B. Landstad) pub Kirkelig Kulturverksted AS. Licensed from Kirkelig Kulturverksted AS. from the album KODER PÅ SNOR (CD87180) (Valravn) pub Westpark Publishing. Licensed from Westpark Music. 04 KATZEN KAPELL Bellatores from the album MAXIMALISM (RR002) (Magnus Andersson Lagerqvist) pub STIM/NCB. Licensed from Ragadang Records. 14 BENEDICTE MAURSETH Mellomspel from the album KHOOM LOY (HCD7250) Bedroom Community. AS. Licensed from Grappa Musikkforlag AS. (Valgeir Sigurðsson) pub Pollination Music. Licensed from 07 MARIA KALANIEMI & TIMO ALAKOTILA Yötuulet from the album AKERO (AKEROCD011) (Maria Kalaniemi/Timo Alakotila) pub Maria Kalaniemi/ Timo Alakotila. Licensed from Akero Records. 03 VALRAVN Kelling 10 ANNBJØRG LIEN Gode Gut from the album EKVÍLIBRÍUM (HVALUR3) 08 MÚM Guilty Rocks from the album GO GO SMEAR THE POISON IVY (FATCD46) (Gunnar Örn Tynes/Örvar Smárason) pub Warner Chappell Music Publishing Limited. Licensed from FatCat Records. 09 KIMMO POHJONEN, SAMULI KOSMINEN AND KRONOS QUARTET Särmä from the album ALDE (HCD7259) (Annbjørg Lien/Bjørn Ole Rasch) pub Grappa Musikkforlag 11 JOHAN HEDIN & GUNNAR IDENSTAM Halling IV (Benedicte Maurseth) pub Grappa Musikkforlag AS. Licensed from Grappa Musikkforlag AS. 15 SORTEN MULD Gylden Gloed (Golden Spark) from the album JORD, LUFT, ILD, VAND (THE FOUR ELEMENTS) (SMCD1) from the album LÅTAR II (CAP21807) (Gunnar Idenstam) pub Johan Hedin/Gunnar Idenstam. (Ulla Bendixen/Henrik Munch/Martin Ottosen) pub Sorten Licensed from Caprice Records. Muld. Licensed from Sphagnum. 12 FRIGG RajRajRaj from the album GRANNEN (FRIGG00007) 16 LARS HOLLMER Snabb from the album VIANDRA (RUNE271) (Esko Järvelä) pub Manus. Licensed from Frigg. (Lars Hollmer) pub STIM. Licensed from Cuneiform 13 VÄRTTINÄ Ruhverikko (Dark Girl) from the album UTU (ZENCD2141) Records. (music Matti Kallio, words Mari Kaasinen, arr Värttinä) pub Zen Master Publishing Oy. Licensed from Zen Master 17 WIMME Texas Records Oy/Rockadillo Records. 05 MILLA VILJAMAA Ansa/The Trap (Kimmo Pohjonen/Samuli Kosminen) pub Hoedown Arts from the album MINNE (MVCD001) (Milla Viljamaa) pub Milla Viljamaa. Licensed from from the album TEXAS (ZENCD1039) (music J. Kokkonen/T. Rinne/M. Wallenius/W. Saari, words W. Saari) pub Zen Master Publishing Oy. Licensed from Zen Master Records Oy/Rockadillo Records. from the album UNIKO (ODE1185-2) Oy. Licensed from Ondine Oy. Festium. Annbjørg Lien Frigg Katzen Kapell Milla Viljamaa Benedicte Maurseth Visit www.worldmusic.net/scandinavia for music information, video clips and free tracks. Johan Hedin & Gunnar Idenstam MUSICROUGHGUIDES RGNET1282CD For more information contact WORLD MUSIC NETWORK 6 Abbeville Mews 88 Clapham Park Road London SW4 7BX, UK T 020 7498 5252 F 020 7498 5353 E [email protected] Listen to sound samples at www.worldmusic.net and subscribe to our free email newsletter!