Melliken

The legendary group Väsen is like a golden thread running through Sweden's folk music, connecting past traditions and players, illuminating the blossoming of the Swedish folk scene over the last forty years, and continuing to thrive on a thirst and vision which has characterised their playing for over four decades.

Fiddles and bass, guitar and the ever-present nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle) in quartets, trios and now a duo have brought to life old tunes and new compositions in playful counterpoint, in magical combinations. Olov Johansson is the beguiling nyckelharpa player while Mikael Marin plays the irresistibly dark bass viola and the violoncello da spalla (a smaller cello usually held against the chest).

Melliken occupies another new world (of course). The title is the nickname of fiddler Per Persson Menlös (1833-1916) whose musical life was connected to others along the Dal River (Dalälven), the region which Väsen invites us into.

With a Bach-like impudence throughout, the instruments engage in exquisite interplay, breathtaking bowing, deep and earth-like from Marin, feather-light silver from Johansson, teasing the listener with quirky harmonic turns and offering a couple of wedding tunes whose rhythms would ensure no bride would make it up the aisle in one piece!