Norwegian violinist Hans Pålsen Kjorstad composes microtonal music, informed by Norwegian traditional music and experimental improvised music. He is interested in exploring increased sensitivity to the sensual potential in subtle tonality changes and how different tonalities influence what we see when we hear sound. He plays in Frode Haltli Avant Folk, Andreas Røysum Ensemble, Sanskriti Shrestha Avata, Marthe Lea Band, and Billy Meier.
Dålågjel presents Kjorstad leading an ensemble of five fiddlers – Rasmus Kjorstad, Helga Myhr, Kenneth Lien, and Astrid Garmo, playing a cycle of fifteen short pieces, based on archival footage of traditional folk fiddle dances, songs, and hymns from the Gudbrandsdal, Østerdalen, Halligdal, Valdres, Setesdal, and Telemark regions of Norway.
Kjorstad’s ensemble keeps the tonality and rhythm of the distinct traditions, but expands their tonalities with clever arrangements and production wizardry. The ensemble enriches the familiar sonic palettes of these pieces with the 36-string Indian zither-like swarmandal, tanpura, and harmonium to explore subtle resonances and microtonal possibilities. Kjorstad’s ensemble takes these traditional tunes, songs, and hymns on a playful walk outside their comfort zones, giving them fresh, new life.
The album offers the source information for each piece. It was released as a cassette, as it fits the album’s historical material, and as a digital album.
Eyal Hareuveni
Hans P. Kjorstad (fiddle, octave fiddle, harmonium, swarmandal, percussion, vocals), Rasmus Kjorstad (fiddle, octave fiddle, langeleik, vocals), Helga Myhr (hardanger fiddle, vocals), Kenneth Lien (fiddle, mouth harp, lyre, vocals), Astrid Garmo (fiddle, hardanger fiddle, tanpura, vocals)
