The Hardanger fiddle is one of those instruments that seem to evoke their place of origin and here Anne Hytta has chosen to tackle various forms of traditional Norwegian music including rammeslatt and springar in a trio that includes bassist Jo Skaansar and percussionist Ulrik Ibsen Thorsrud. There is an elemental sound to the Hardanger that very much inhabits forests and unspoiled, unpopulated places; but here Anne attempts to draw the instrument into the light a little, the mellow sound of the bass and the simple yet vibrant percussion facilitating that perfectly.
There is a dark energy to this music and it does inhabit lonely forsaken places, but the repetitive motifs and simple beats speak of unity among a small group. These are campfire songs, turning around themselves as folk sit by a fire, united by their proximity and their love of tradition. The fiddle lines are shadowy and hypnotic, the insistence of simple repeated refrains gradually working their way into the psyche as the bass drum intones and the double bass warmly ushers.
The structured pieces are all progressive and you notice the gradual changes as they move along, with the percussive elements also deviating; so that although the basics are simple, the sound is engaging in a relentlessly entrancing way. In places the bass may lead and its warmth helps to alleviate some of the harshness of the Hardanger. So pieces like “Don”, which are slow and solemn, are helped by the gravity and richness of the bass tone — whereas “Veime” is more defiant and takes a bolder stance, with the fiddle closer to the bass in tone. In other pieces, it is the disparity between the bass and fiddle that draws the ear, and between them the percussive variety helps to bridge the gap.Some of the pieces are tied together by less-structured, almost wraith-like abstractions that emerge curling from the mist. Here the players are showing what the instruments can do when taken from a formal setting, and the use of steel reinforcing rods, plastic bathroom pipes and the bowing of a foil-covered glockenspiel help to encourage diversity and adventure in what could be recognised as a staid form.
They wish to bring these classic folk forms into the twenty-first century and although there is still something ancient in the tone, there is enough modern inspiration and desire for deconstruction to make Vindespel resonate with today’s listener.-Mr Olivetti-
