Hard on the heels of his critically-lauded - and distortion-saturated - collaboration with rock players in 'Lumen Drones' comes the next fine album from Norway's Hardanger fiddle master. Nils �kland's band makes quieter musical proposal, but a richly creative one, with intensities of its own.
All the musicians are well-known in diverse contexts across the idioms. Mats Eilertsen's elegant bass has been heard on ECM recordings with Tord Gustavsen, Trygve Seim, Wolfert Brederode and Jacob Young. H�kon Stene is a Norwegian contemporary classical percussionist of distinction. Harmonium player Sigbj�rn Apeland collaborated with �kland previously on 'Lys�en - Hommage � Ole Bull' (2740246). And new music saxophonist Rolf-Erik Nylstr�m has played extensively with Frode Haltli in the trio Poing. On 'Kj�lvatn' most of the music is from �kland's pen but each band member contributes his unique perspective to the arrangements.
As Nils says: Over the years I have moved between a wide range of genres from classical violin to Balkan folk, rock, jazz, free improvisation and Norwegian folk music. I've always composed my own material inspired by all these expressions. In early baroque music - another musical style I let myself be inspired by - it was common to have sketches as the basis for making new music. In this band we work with methods influenced by this.
'Kj�lvatn' was recorded at the �stre Toten stone church outside Lena, in Norway's Oppland county. The church has long been noted for its excellent acoustics, also factored into the music-making here. The space's natural resonance helps to bring out the details and subtleties of the writing and improvising and is responsive both to the floating, drone-based pieces and those with edgier dynamics.
Personnel: Nils �kland (viola d'amore, hardanger fiddle, violin), Rolf-Erik Nylstr�m (saxophone), Sigbj�rn Apeland (harmonium), H�kon M�rch Stene (percussion, vibraphone), Mats Eilertsen (double bass)
