Customer Reviews

Virvla

5 star:		(4)
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A friend turned me on to Hedningarna and Garmarna, but Amazon turned me on to Boot and Sorten Muld, -- not to mention many others in this amazing Nordic Invasion! Some of it sounds influenced by Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound System, especially Hedningarna with it's heavy African Head Charge sounding rhythms, and Sorten Muld's delirious mixes, but Boot stands out for having these intense complicated arrangements that never lose their eerie dancible folkiness. I heartily recommend everything from Scandinavia you can get your hands on and there's plenty!!! Remember to check out Varttina as well - in fact, if you're new to your Nordic Roots, I recommend the Nordic Roots and Nordic Roots 2 samplers - a great bargain! Thanks Amazon, for keeping it fresh.

Like the northern lights, this album gets your attention and keeps it until it unexpectedly ends. Grounded in the essence of dance, imbued with the moody beauty of Northern music, flowing and turning. The ancient in a modern setting.

The cover implies a connection with the turning Sufi mystics; and it's true - beautiful haunting melodies and a beat that invites the feet to move... Get this one, and a partner, and dance!

I've started listening to this disc again, after wandering further into Swedish music. This is a gem. It has a lightness that's not common in Scandinavian trad, and without sacrificing quality.

The musicianship is superb. Fans of Irish, Scottish, Breton and Galician trad will probably take to this one readily. An excellent place to start for those new to the tradition and a delightful change of pace for experienced ears.

Boot's Virvla is exemplary material for why Folk music is in resurgence. Virvla's got dominant Nordic folk roots, with varied instrumentation, but not with the overkill that makes it culturally unidentifiable. And it doesn't use extremes (either by utilizing technology or in its variety) that some artists can apply to folk music, which often tends to strip the soul out of it by removing the sensitivity of the folk element. The melodies are strong and clever, and the percussive accompaniment is well thought out to provide pulse and building -- all in service of the music as a whole.

The Enhanced CD has two lovely but short videos on it if the performance of 2 of the works, with traditional dancing.

Though I collect folk music & traditional music from all around the world, this was the first Nordic album that really grabbed me. I would highly recommend this for people that like or play Greek, Cretan, Irish, or Balkan folk music.