Tag Archives: Nordic music

Mojna’s Mareld

Nordic contemporary folk trio Mojna has followed up their critically acclaimed second album, 2024’s Väntenätter, with yet another deep dive into the space where composed contrapuntal music meets purposeful improvisation. Once again the music on Mareld treats boundaries as nonexistent, … Continue reading

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John Taylor’s Tramonto, and Liv Andrea Hauge Trio’s Døgnville

Some days I’d be happy listening to nothing but piano trios. Here are two recent releases that satisfy that urge. From the ECM vaults comes this splendid live recording by the late UK pianist John Taylor’s trio with Americans Marc … Continue reading

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Benedicte Maurseth’s Mirra

I’ve been a big fan of the Hardanger fiddle for many years now, and Benedicte Maurseth, who grew up in Norway’s mountainous Hardanger region, has become one of my favorite practitioners. Her previous recording Harr was one of my favorites … Continue reading

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Geir Sundstøl’s Sakte Film

Geir Sundstøl’s recordings have always had a cinematic quality about them. His 2025 offering Sakte Film (Slow Motion Film) pushes that envelope even further, as explicitly stated in the title. The Norwegian musician and composer here stretches his already multicolored … Continue reading

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Øyonn Groven Myhren and Marit Karlberg’s Tostemt, and Kvedarkvintetten’s Tagal

Here are a couple of new albums by Norwegian women’s vocal groups singing in different folk traditions. Øyonn Groven Myhren and Marit Karlberg first recorded together as members of the vocal group Dvergmål, which released albums in 1996 and 2004. … Continue reading

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Haugaard & Høirup’s Rejsedage/Travelling

This year marked a milestone for the Danish folk duo Haugaard & Høirup. It’s 10 years since they first collaborated. In those years, they’ve won seven Danish Music Awards, played more than 850 concerts and traveled the world. They’ve released … Continue reading

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Haugaard and Hoirup’s Gaestebud/Feast

Danish musicians Harald Haugaard and Morten Alfred Hoirup continue to make beautiful music together on Gaestebud/Feast, their fifth release. This time, they’ve invited a bunch of friends along, and truly created a feast of Nordic (and related) acoustic folk music. … Continue reading

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Dreamers’ Circus’s Handed On

During the enforced downtime of the Covid pandemic, the members of Denmark’s roots music trio Dreamers’ Circus composed a bunch of tunes, which they published as a book called Handed On. Now that they’re able to tour and record again, … Continue reading

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Erlend Apneseth’s Song Over Støv

This album is a deep, complex and engaging exploration of the borderlands where Norwegian traditional music meets chamber folk, art song, and avant garde minimalism. We’re in good hands with Hardanger fiddler and composer Erlend Apneseth at the helm. The … Continue reading

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Mojna’s Väntenätter

Somehow I totally slept on this when it was released in the summer of 2024, but I recently fished it out of the digital folder where it was languishing and have been listening to it a lot. Väntenätter is the … Continue reading

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