Monday, February 19, 2018
Playlist: Middle Earth Music
By Tim Woodall
A Songlines playlist for Apple Music exploring Scandinavian folk music that evokes the world of JRR Tolkien by Emilia Amper, Rydvall Mjelva, Slow Moving Clouds, and many more
This is Scandinavian folk music played on two instruments straight out of Tolkien: the Swedish nyckelharpa, part fiddle, part hurdy-gurdy; and the Hardanger fiddle, the ornate hobbit-like violin of Norway. Both instruments create a unique other-worldly sound that transports listeners to far-off Nordic lands, here represented by both traditional-style dances such as the Swedish polka but also contemporary music that has used these extraordinary instruments to create interesting sound palettes.
