“Was it unforeseen that the genre “traditional Norwegian microtonal electronic dance music” would appear right now? For followers of new interpretations of Norwegian folk music in recent years, the answer is probably no. The tradition is very much alive and never have there been so many practitioners of it as today. And with such a rich musical tradition, it is inevitable that the genre will be the subject of experimentation and further exploration. But, had someone who lived in the folk music scene in the 1920s or 1820s made a time travel and ended up at a hi-fi system here in the 2020s with Naaljos Ljom playing loud, the person in question would probably have shown interest. For the tones and rhythms are largely the same.

The album Anders S. Hana and Morten Joh have screwed together consists of six tracks – five tunes and one song. They are all traditional, taken from the rich folk music archives we have in Norway. Anders Hana has made a great effort in learning both langeleik (droned zither) and mouth harp. He also plays modified electric guitar with microfrets. Morten Joh, with his analog synths, plays both melodies and grooves, and he also seeks to express the magic, that is everything in between the beats, the tones and the phrases. We also need to mention the two brilliant guest musicians, Olav Christer “Laffen” Rossebø on fiddle and Kenneth Lien on vocals.” (Motvind)

“Vannstand, commisioned by nyMusikk, started in 2015 and was in the years that followed set up as sound installations in different versions in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, Harstad and Bodø. This album is a mix of 8 excerpts from those installations. Ratkje has been an outspoken voice on environmental issues for years. Vannstand is a continuation of this commitment where she unites new music and the inheritors of our planet. She uses local sea level measurements to create scores, which in turn are interpreted musically by children. She has done a tremendous job editing their contributions into a multidimensional piece that balances tension, clearity, beauty and playfulness.

One would imagine a piece regarding such enormous concepts as tidal waves (generated by the Moon’s gravitational pulls) and changes in sea levels (affected by weather systems and climate changes) being a rather loud and harsh affair. Maybe this insinuation is connected to the impressive body of work she has done with noise music. Vannstand is in any case filled with subtle and precise fragments of grand dramas and sweet melodies. Over eight movements, the music is growing with close interplay and sudden shifts. The sound mix, based on the 8 channel sound installations, is exquisite, obviously done by the composer. The life-giving sea has been the basis for growth and development, and now human influence is changing the seemingly eternal cycle along the Norwegian coast.” (Motvind)

Foto © Ellen Lande Gossner

@ Ratkje.no & Motvind Records

Maja S. K. Ratkje – Vannstand i Bergen from Ny Musikk Bergen on Vimeo.