Two-thirds Hedningarna (percussionist Bjorn Tollin and lute player Halbus Totte Mattsson) and one-third Swap (guitarist and fiddler Ola Backstrom), Boot is 100% original. Their first collaborative effort, Virvla, isn’t so much just a collection of tunes on a CD as an overall work meant to be viewed live, where they are joined by three dancers (two women, one man) who are as much a part of the experience as any note played by the threesome. Indeed, “virvla” means “whirl” in Swedish, and as two videos on this enhanced CD attest, the dancers, replete with luxuriant dresses and robes, do just that to the stunning array of tunes Boot provides.
The eleven tunes presented here are primarily traditional dance tunes (almost exclusively polskas, for that matter) arranged by the band. A few originals, such as “Ebbas Brudpolska / Ebba’s Wedding Polska” and “Gralpolskan” sneak their way in, fitting seamlessly beside their traditional counterparts. There is an amazingly wide variety of music on this CD, given the limited format (again, polska) and the presence of just the three musicians. There are the intricate, percussion-driven tunes, such as “Lillavackra / A Little Beauty” and “Kung Karls Halling + Vildhonung / King Karl’s Halling + Wild Honey.” And then there are the sweet, gentle tunes, built simply around Backstrom’s acoustic guitar or fiddle, such as “Morasystern / The Mora Sister” or “Ebbas Brudpolska.” The latter, despite its name, is so perfectly lilting and elegant as to clearly evoke an image of a waltzing couple. There is a hypnotic quality to both “Lehmankello” and “Storflummarn / Kol Erkers Polska,” but how different the two tunes are! The former is darker, more Middle-Eastern in feel; the latter begins darkly but quickly yields to Backstrom’s joyous fiddling early on.
Tollin, Mattsson and Backstrom are simply marvelous at taking a handful of instruments and making a surprisingly full, lush sound. Two tunes, “Storflummarn” and “Peppe,” are on this CD twice, once as recorded in the studiod and once as enhanced tracks, videos of the band performing with the aforementioned dancers. The effect is marvelous and leaves no doubt that these tunes were made for dancing, and how perfectly the one art form can complement the other.
If you are a fan of either Hedningarna or Swap, or if you simply delight in beautiful dance music, Virvla is worth repeated listenings.
(Northside, 1999)
