Håkon Thelin - Slåtter på kontrabass (LP)

Håkon Thelin is a generation-defining double bassist whose exuberant musicality and high-level technique have been heard in a wide array of album releases and concert performances over the past 25 years. Known both as an interpreter of contemporary music, where the notes resemble mathematical equations with both 8 and 9 unknowns, the musically omnivorous three-headed troll POING with Frode Haltli and Rolf-Erik Nystrøm, and as a composer of both solo and ensemble works, it is as a folk musician, or should we say fiddler, that he makes his mark here.

But of course, he lets his own musicality have a hand in the game, as he has often combined his own original compositions with folk transcriptions.

Thelin says: Folk music is an endless source of inspiration. For many years I have arranged and transcribed folk tunes for double bass, using harmonics, sound imitation, as well as rhythmic and melodic material as the basis for my own works. On this album, I have collected some of my favorite arrangements in addition to a selection of my own pieces: 'Bukkehornspolsen' is a kind of fantasy on the traditional tune, 'Kveldshymne' is a prelude to the hymn that I have played a lot with Unni Løvlid, and in 'Maltsteinen' I play a stylized version of the rhythm as it is noted in the transcription of Eilev Smedal’s interpretation.

The connection between my own music and folk music is contextualized on this album. When the folk tunes are placed in conjunction with my own works, which are built on similar material, it clarifies mutual influences and artistic choices. I also try to show how folk tunes can be played on the double bass and how harmonic techniques and other playing methods on the instrument are related to and can imitate melodies and sounds from folk music.

This album is a continuation and further deepening of a project that started on his previous solo releases, “Light” (2011) and “Folk” (2015), where he reflects on a musical language he calls “the folk music of the double bass.” The special effects and techniques that make up this sound sphere are particularly connected to harmonics and their interaction with the regular notes on the bass. Once again, it’s about the interplay between the light and the dark.

The double bass is called “the big fiddle” in certain folk music communities, and rarely has this enlarged fiddle sounded so much like an ordinary fiddle as in the hands of Håkon Thelin. Although his music is based on an exploration of sounds that resonate particularly well through the double bass, there is something about his technical prowess, and especially his refined bowing technique, that makes him on par with fiddle players (who admittedly have a somewhat easier job considering the physiological prerequisites).

And we mustn’t forget the left-hand work either – Thelin plays with a pinpoint intonation, varied sound treatment, and a speed (his fingers dance over the fingerboard in rather advanced patterns) that makes us smile. His use of harmonics – those overtones that ring so clearly on the bass – allows for a completely different sound world that both contrasts and connects with the fundamental components of the sound – the dark frequencies that are the core of the bass.

Here is music from various traditions, inspired by various performers. Susanne Lundeng, Knut Kjøk, Hans W. Brimi, Geir Egil Larsen, Eilev Smedal, Unni Løvlid, Thorvald Trondsgård, and Vidar Lande are mentioned as sources. The coherence here is provided by Håkon Thelin himself, whose creativity and technical prowess shine as a unifying light throughout the album. We love solo albums and are incredibly pleased that Håkon Thelin has agreed to release something so personal and well-crafted in our series, Perspective on Norwegian Folk Music.

Perspective on Norwegian Folk Music is a series on Motvind Records that explores various traditional lines characterized by giving us a sense that they evoke an atmosphere that sheds light on a certain significance of the essence of Norwegian folk music. The purpose of the series is to provide people who want to listen more to Norwegian folk music with a broad selection of different expressions that hopefully inspire further listening and reflection. “Slåtter på kontrabass” is the fifth edition in the series, following Helga Myhr's album “Natten veller seg ut,” Thov G. Wetterhus's album “Stålslått,” Naaljos Ljom's self-titled debut album, and “Kjenslevarulv” by Dei Kjenslevare. With the combination of unique music and elegant design, we hope that this will become a sought-after collectible among those who know that the physical format is still the most delightful format.

Catalogue number: MOT28LP
Release date: November 8th 2024

TRACKLIST
A1: Musikus, trad. after Knut Kjøk (05:27), A2: Gammel Masurka, trad. after Susanne Lundeng (03:08), A3: Den Blå Slåtten, by Hans W. Brimi (05:59), A4: Bukkehornspolsen by Håkon Thelin/trad. after Geir Egil Larsen (07:35), B1: Maltsteinen by Håkon Thelin/trad. after Eilev Smedal (04:03), B2: Brurmarsj fra Lødingen, trad. after Susanne Lundeng (03:19), B3: Kveldshymne - Dagen viger og gaar bort, by Håkon Thelin/trad. after Unni Løvlid (06:55), B4: Kristiania, by Håkon Thelin - Springar after Thorvald Trondsgård, trad. after Vidar Lande (08:21). Bonus track on digital release: Brurmarsj fra Sørfold, trad. etter Susanne Lundeng (01:54).

DETAILS
Håkon Thelin, double bass.

Recorded by Håkon Thelin at Lille Eikefilharmoni, Nesodden.
Track 3 on side A live from Dokkhuset, Trondheim 2016, recorded by Tor Breivik.
Track 4 on side B live from Oslo Militære Samfund 2015, recorded by Cato Langnes.
Edited by Håkon Thelin.
Mixed by Håkon Thelin and Cato Langnes.
Mastered by Cato Langnes.
Produced by Håkon Thelin.

Photography by Jenny Rydhagen.
Graphic design by JAHJAH Studio.
Rose decoration by Knut Buen.

Played on a double bass by Giovanni Battista Ceruti (Cremona, 1800) except track 1 on side B, played on a double bass by Peter Elias (1999).
Supported by Sparebankstiftelsen DNB and Dextra Musica.