North South East West

Norwegian folk and Arabic maqam engage in an understated courtship on this debut record by violinist Inger Hannisdal. Bass, drums and sax suggest contemporary jazz roots, but the addition of accordion, percussion and her own violin allow the ensemble to slip these moorings.

Powered by uneven time signatures and non-standard instrumentation the album processes through maudlin waltzes and lively jigs like a carnival float with oblong wheels. But this is no jolly parade. This is Wicker Man stuff, conveying menace and mystery. The uneasiness comes largely from the quarter-tonal melody and harmony that Hannisdal uses to bridge the folk of her homeland with Arabic maqam. This is accessibly managed in the quicker pieces like ‘Steg – Steps’. Slower numbers linger on apparent ‘dissonances’ and ‘impure’ tunings, as if provoking the Western ear. North South East West melts the storytelling simplicity of Northern European folk into the hazier idiom of maqam. The resulting alloy's expression on this album has some of the formality and stiffness of two lovers' early exchanges, but undoubtedly opens up new depths of expression and adventure to come.