Stefan Brisland-Ferner: Hurdy Gurdy, Programming
Totte Mattsson: Hurdy Gurdy, Programming
Sounds Like
Really. This is not bragging.. but seriously there is no other band that has even tried to go in this direction. Of course there is input from ourselves and the other bands we've played with but apart from that? No. No competition.
This is what All Music Guide has to say:
"The idea of an album using two hurdy-gurdys -- the ancient cranked fiddles that were called the medieval synthesizers -- seems straightforward enough. But in the hands of Garmarna's Stefan Brisland-Ferner and Hedningarna's Totte Mattsson, it becomes a whole different ball game. They've been performing live together for a few years, but in the studio they decided to make an electronic album that was just hurdy-gurdy -- meaning every single sound and note came from the instrument. They put it all on computer and began to slice and dice. The result is something that truly combines the ancient and modern, from the urgent rhythms that propel "Delirium" to the mournful melodies of each piece. Most of the material is traditional, but you'd be hard-pressed to tell in this setting. It's a masterpiece of the imagination to even conceive of this, let alone execute it so perfectly. It might be out of left field, but it's curiously mainstream. Together, they reinvent the hurdy-gurdy for a new age. This isn't a prototype at all; it's the finished article."
In 1990, I saw a picture of Totte's hurdy gurdy in a magazine portrait of Hedningarna. We had just started our own band, Garmarna, and were digging deep to find something sexier than the line-up of fiddle, guitar and banjo we were using. For a 16 year old with a new-found Folk Fetish going on, the sheer sight of this instrument was mind boggling. Had to have one! It took me a year of research and waiting for it to be built, but when it finally arrived everything clicked. The core focus in the music I wanted to do was found. To me, the appeal of the Swedish hurdy gurdy that we use lies within its incompleteness. It's raw and unfinished. It wants to do everything but isn't quite fit to do so. The beauty of the music comes from how fragile it sounds when something so raw wants to sing something beautiful. I've never been very interested in the history of the instrument, just fascinated by its possibilites in music today. Nothing can replace it, nothing can sound so mysterious or powerful. Its attempt to do everything has earned it a reputation of being a "medieval synthesizer" and that's where this record takes its starting point. For years, Totte and I have been busy trying to make this stubborn instrument work in places it doesn't naturally belong. Putting mics on the hurdy gurdy - without knowing how to do so in the first place - has produced a lot of sounds never heard before, sounds that causes laughs in the rehearsing rooms: "The insect is awake!" Since this is our reality, we've grown to love this second nature of the instrument. It's hidden and new and we've explored it to the maximum on this disc. The idea of the medieval synthesizer is slightly updated to the idea of our own homebrewed idea of a synthesizer, recording hours of natural and not so natural sounds from our instruments and chopping it up in our Macs. Everything audible here is original Hurdy Gurdy sounds, that's a guarantee! This represents the end of a search for us but it's also a start. We now have the tools and the idea clear in our minds. Our world of wood, gut strings, cranks and lap-tops might seem pretty small but we are proud of it and you are very, very welcome to join!
He Of The House's very first (of many) compilation. Nineteen tracks from twenty artists, the end result of which is possibly one of the most diverse compilations I've ever heard. From soft spoken acoustic folk to raving, churning dirge tunes; from a noisy, industrial cover of a Sonic Youth song to oldschool punk from when it was still raw, fast, and unforgiving. Powerviolence peppers the grounds where spooked whispers whinny along, and the caustic words of a madman festering in his own mind play out over perpetually plucked guitar strings. A true honour it is to work with these amazing artists, and I do hope we can keep them coming back for years.
Featuring: Zombie Battle Axe, xHaroldShitmanx, Kro & Jason "EVIL" Covelli, Nemesism, Ginny Greenteeth, Don't Move, Spiral Vertigo, Chachi On Acid, Mike Bruno, Autopia, Dead Kid Harvester, Jason "EVIL" Covelli, Karmakumulator, Chelsea Wolfe, RedSK vs. teh soup rebellion, Torturing Nurse, Sleepers, Flea McGruff
Housed in handmade & handpainted paper jackets with individually original black tissue cutouts, enclosed with a button. Featuring full page insert artwork by Jason "EVIL" Covelli and a blurb about each band/artist from myself. Limited to 45 handnumbered copies.
For more information, tracklisting, artwork, and information on future compilations, as well as a wealth of other fun tidbits, visit heofthehouse.com heofthehouse.com/compilation
To order this compilation for only $8 (prices vary for out of country shipping), visit heofthehouse.com/recordshoppe
STØTTEKONSERT FOR GASSOFRENE I BHOPAL -25 ÅR ETTER UNION CARBIDE ULYKKEN SØNDAG 18. OKTOBER 2009 KL. 19.00 KULTURBÅTEN MS INNVIK, OSLO INNGANG KR 150,-
Bellona Kjartan Fløgstad Rune Eraker Seven Winds med: -Unni Løvlid (Norge) -Rolf-Erik Nystrøm (Norge) -Becaye Aw (Mauritania/Norge) Abdulrahman Surezehi (Baluchistan) Alex Gunia (Tyskland) Amir Mirzai (Iran) Celio de Carvalho (Brasil) Gustavo Tavares (Brasil) Harald Eraker (Norge) Harpreet Bansal (India) Kouame Sereba (Elfenbenskysten) Lidia Pinheiro (Brasil) Raymond Sereba (Elfenbenskysten) Wan Yuan (Kina)
I samarbeid med Du-Store-Verden og Nordic Black Theatre. Alle stiller gratis, og alle inntekter går til sykehuset i Bhopal.
Pakopolen que harrar dançar peu darrèr cop lo 6 d'agost à 8 oras deu ser a l'abadia d'Arthous. Qu'evs balheram navèras pro viste enta d'autes aventuras.
Pakopolenek abuztuaren 6an arratsaldeko 8etan Arthouseko Abadian bere azkeneko dantzaldia eskainiko du. Laster beste abentura batzuetan elkar ikustea espero dugu.
Pakopolen jouera le 6 à l'abbaye d'Arthous à 20h et ce sera son dernier bal. RDV bientôt pour d'autres aventures
Pakopolen ofrecerá su último baile el 6 de agosto a las 20h en la Abadía de Arthous. Esperamos volver a encontrarnos pronto embarcados en otras aventuras.
Our debut CD entitled Big, Loud Drums is now available.
http://www.cafepress.com/roncollins.398338954
Tampa Taiko is a professional drumming duo that has performed their unique style for a vast array of audiences, performing at festivals, concert halls, schools, workshops, summer camps, corporate and VIP events. Using a collection of taiko drums made by themselves from discarded wine barrels, Tampa Taiko has developed a dynamic fusion of old and new styles of drumming, bringing a contemporary vibrance to an ancient martial artform.
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Hey thanks for accepting our request, we hope you like our music. See you on a Gwydion show! Our merchandise is available for sale, to order send mail: shop@gwydion.org or do it in our myspace.
