Stråk

In the mid-17th century, the copper mining industry began in the Norwegian town of Røros. The mines needed coal and so, in the rural communities of Nord-Østerdalen and Trondelag, men would make the long hard journeys transporting coal. Bendik Smedåsgjelten Qvam and Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen (Plassen is also a member of much-lauded group Hekate) have immersed themselves in the music of their own heritage for years, and are now sharing it with compelling beauty and intimacy. Plassen’s voice embodies so sensitively the characters she sings about: stories of relationships that faded or flourished, dance tunes or fragments of ballads painting a picture of cold, dark journeys. There’s melancholy and magic from the opening coal-driver’s song, ‘Kjølkjørarvise’, and ‘Agneta’ explores a mystical life under the sea. ‘Hjerkinnsvisa’ rounds the album out with a final heartbreaking tale of unrequited love. An outstanding example of a new take on Norwegian traditional music from an exquisite duo.