Customer Reviews

Mark II

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Has to be heard to believed. This is usually classified as world music, but some of it is very techno--samples of bagpipe music burst into the rhythm, and yes, you can dance to it; some of it is mysterious and moody--the sad lyrics are printed in English. Try something different.

This CD is a very valuable work from Denmark. You can hear traditional songs with a very modern "make up". Some peple say that the danish language is too hard, by listening to these songs you'll find out it's not true. The music is definately one of the bests I have heard

The idea is very simple: take some thousand year-old ballads, rewrite them in modern Danish and add modern techno beats to the traditional instruments. The result? One of the most interesting and original albums ever.

Sorten Muld (which means "The Black Soil" by the way) creates a unique fusion of the ancient and the modern which will have you dancing and wondering at the same time. The old melodies and lyrics (which may sound even more strange and mystical to non-Danes) get beneath your skin. Ulla Bendixen's voice is perfect for this, and all the music is played by very good musicians. Apart from the techno, violins and guitar, there are other intruments rarely heard in modern music, the bagpipe, the bodhrán and a diversity of ancient Nordic instruments.

Most Danish music has English lyrics these days because people say the Danish language is a bit too awkward and cumbersome for song lyrics. That is one of the stupidest myths I've ever heard. And Sorten Muld proves me right. Mark II is all Danish and it flows smoothly.

Absolutely brilliant!

If you're like me, you probably ended up on this amazon page by following the bread crumbs leads from your favorite CD pages..."people who bought this CD also bought..." Well, this is your lucky day, this CD is a find and a half...a pristine, gentle Danish electronic world music surprise. With a warm, lace blanket of a voice, reminiscent of Loreena McKennitt (and in some songs Frida from Abba) singer Ulla Bendixen (she needs to change it to just: "Ulla" for real superstardom) breathes exotic sensuality into "The Man and Elf-girl"(honest!) and "Kirstin". She sings in Danish but with a universal sensibility that needs no translation and touches the soul with more understanding than ears could ever provide...it could be Esperanto for all I know. But you say...you like to dance? "The Raven"and "Mylardatter" provide that opportunity with driving, contained electronica, a la AfroCelt Sound System but with silk shawls laid over the drum rhythms. There are brilliant moments of electronic whales ("Perils of the Sea"), Scottish bagpipes ("As stars up high") and middle eastern exotica that add to the soup (or should I say elixir?)and make this CD shine. Is "world ethereal" a music category? Come on Amazon...move this CD out of the International-Nordic basement to some page where there's more traffic and it could just become the "Eva Cassidy" discovery of 2001. And I see by the "people who bought this CD breadcrumb" that there is a more recent CD by this group ...later...gotta check it out.

This CD is such a joy to listen to. Sorten Muld successfully merge the ancient ballads and traditional instruments into modern electronic music. In addition to the music, Ulla Bendixen is amazing vocally. Though the lyrics are in Danish, she sings them with the smoothness and seduction of French and a hint of Middle-Eastern or Indian exoticness. Fans of Garmarna and Bel Canto will enjoy this recording very much. The first 3 tracks are all perfect. Other outstanding tracks are The Raven, Kirstin, and Mylardatter. It is nice to have the lyrics translated in English in the book but I do wish they would also include the Danish so we could try to follow along. Thanks go out to North Side who put them on their Nordic Roots 2 sampler.

I bought this CD in Denmark in February 1998 on the recommendation of a friend who is buddies with someone in the band. I was a little reluctant because I thought he was just trying to help his friend sell CDs.

Nothing of the sort. This recording is phenomenal in so many ways. It's put together in such a thoughtful way, mixing the old with delicious electronics, proving that pop music does not have to be "lowbrow" entertainment.

This is one of a handful of CDs in my collection of 500+ that I listen to every week, even now, 2 years after purchase. I can't say enough good things about it.

The Danish band Sorten Muld offers a decidedly modern take on the ancient ballads of Denmark. Spooky, funky, energetic and unusual, the trio's strength is their ability to tie the brooding, driving power of electronica and programmed beats to the dark mood of their country's legends. Menace, murder, treachery and even cannibalism figure in the stories retold here. The traditional lyrics, along with the mysterious, whispery voice of singer Ulla Bendixen and occasional use of accoustic instruments such as fiddle, nyckelharpa, bagpipe and bodhran, keep the music anchored in tradition, while the synthesizers and programmed beats make it suitable for the modern club scene. In fact, the other two core members of the group, Henrik Esben and Martin Dossing Ottosen, are actually listed in the credits as "sound designer" and "architect". Occasionally the repetitive, pre-set rhythms can get boring or annoying, but the ever-developing structure and soundscape of most of the selections more than makes up for it. Unfortunately for people trying to listen to samples on sparing websites, the strength of this album lies primarily in its second half. The standout track is the distinctively dark but funky "2 Sisters", which has been featured on several Nordic compilation albums. Other very cool selections include the long and almost cinematically-varied rock ballad "Kirsten"; the beat-driven, danceable "Raven"; "Venelite", with its engaging and memorable refrain; and "As Stars Up High", which has an Afro-Celt feel to it. Compared to other Nordic musicians who are reviving their countries' folk songs, Sorten Muld's intense, electronics-laden sound is certainly at the modern end of the spectrum, but if you are intrigued by their work you may want to check out some of the other groups as well. Try Garmarna, Hedningarna, Gjallarhorn or Vasen.

After exploring the varied sounds of The Rough Guide to Scandinavia, I found myself attracted to one song in particular. "2 Sostre" by Sorten Muld kept calling my attention, and so I found the NorthSide website (noside.com!) and listened to more clips. I was interested by their unique sound; fiddles, violins, pipes, flutes, whale calls, an ethereal voice lifting and soaring above it all. Wow! After a bunch of reviews that I found, I went with my gut feeling and ordered the cd. Let me tell you for any skeptics...It's fantastic, and worth the import cost!! You'll listen to it over and over, enough to even sing along with the fluid and mellifluous lyrics (all Danish, but it all sounds more romantic that way). Pick it up as soon as you can.

Denmark's Sorten Muld take Danish Folk music into the world of electronic trip-hop. The melodies are haunting. The beats are infectious. The instrumentation is superb. "Two Sisters" is an absolutely marvelous track and a personal favourite. Swedish bagpipes, distorted guitar and pulsing beats swirl in a pool of violence and gentle beauty like the song's narrative. The marriage of traditional song and modern electronics doesn't always work (see New Age-y Celtic cd of choice...Loreena McKennit?). Sorten Muld blend the modern and the traditional as well as anyone out there. It does here and in beautiful and wonderful ways. There is real passion and emotion here. Melodic, accessible, innovative and absolutely brilliant. What more could you want?

The other reviewers said it all already. This really is a chalenging, highly revarding record. Even if you don't like techno beats (as I don't), you should give it a try - the blend is excellent.