Tidens Ekko

Vingefang are a duo comprising Lene Høst and Miriam Ariana, who are both former students of Scandinavian folk music at the Danish National Academy of Music. Tidens Ekko is their latest album, and it begins with a track called ‘Medmennesket’. The familiarly Nordic sound of female trall singing (lilting), which has gained new recognition in recent years due to vocal groups such as Kraja and Åkervinda.

Vingefang are just as likely to jump outside the Scandinavian box, however, as they are to explore its contents. What really makes Høst and Ariana tick as a duo is their shared passion for different sounds from around the globe. It's therefore unsurprising that the next track on the album, ‘Njia Yangu/Njia Jig’, is based around a Swahili song written by a Tanzanian musician called Edwardi Ntemi. The tasteful incorporation of their own jig alongside Ntemi's composition gives the piece a beautifully hybrid Scandinavian feel. A similar trick is repeated on the track ‘Vendedor de Caranguejo/Reel of the Crabs’, which is based around a popular Brazilian forró.

It's hard not to be impressed by the artistry of the arrangements throughout Tidens Ekko. Overall, it's a superbly crafted and creative selection of songs, that somehow remains unmistakably Nordic.