"Many of the releases by Hubro are left with our jazz/impro specialist mister Mulder, but I always
check out new releases before sending them onwards, as I know Hubro can also release something
that is very much up my alley. Something like Slagr for instance, a trio of Anna Hytta on hardanger
fiddle, Amund Sjølie Sveen on vibraphone and tuned glasses and Katrine Schiøtt on cello. I never
heard of them, either as Slagr, or as solo artists. Their music is firmly rooted in the traditional music
of Norway, but also sounds like something very modern. This trio plays some beautifully eerie music.
It is centred on the repeated playing of notes, very minimal, with singing overtones. The glasses
sound like a Theremin, like sine waves and like wine glasses. It is ringing and singing, but the music
is kept very small. It is not abundant with massive tones or big movements, but Slagr likes to keep
their music reduced to a few notes, which they explore through length of a piece, which can be
somewhere three and seven minutes. This is all very gentle music, maybe even at times a bit close
to the world of new age, especially when the sound is very quiet and folky. The fact that this was
recorded in church, with its natural reverb may also be responsible for a sort of medieval atmosphere
that one can also hear in a few pieces. And yet there is always something very ‘now’ about the music;
the minimalist moves, the higher pitched sounds and the role of silence. Quite a remarkable album,
which could go down well in these Easter days, should you be looking for such a thing or be bored
with Bach. (FdW)"
http://www.vitalweekly.net/
check out new releases before sending them onwards, as I know Hubro can also release something
that is very much up my alley. Something like Slagr for instance, a trio of Anna Hytta on hardanger
fiddle, Amund Sjølie Sveen on vibraphone and tuned glasses and Katrine Schiøtt on cello. I never
heard of them, either as Slagr, or as solo artists. Their music is firmly rooted in the traditional music
of Norway, but also sounds like something very modern. This trio plays some beautifully eerie music.
It is centred on the repeated playing of notes, very minimal, with singing overtones. The glasses
sound like a Theremin, like sine waves and like wine glasses. It is ringing and singing, but the music
is kept very small. It is not abundant with massive tones or big movements, but Slagr likes to keep
their music reduced to a few notes, which they explore through length of a piece, which can be
somewhere three and seven minutes. This is all very gentle music, maybe even at times a bit close
to the world of new age, especially when the sound is very quiet and folky. The fact that this was
recorded in church, with its natural reverb may also be responsible for a sort of medieval atmosphere
that one can also hear in a few pieces. And yet there is always something very ‘now’ about the music;
the minimalist moves, the higher pitched sounds and the role of silence. Quite a remarkable album,
which could go down well in these Easter days, should you be looking for such a thing or be bored
with Bach. (FdW)"
http://www.vitalweekly.net/