VASSVIK

With his band V A S S V I K the circumpolar soundpoet Torgeir Vassvik provides you with a fresh kick from the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Whether you listen to him in Norway, Canada, Japan or Malaysia, you get mesmerized by his new vision of animistic Joik, the vocal art of the Sami indigenous people of Northern Europe.

With magical energy the Nordic vocalist, musician and composer Torgeir Vassvik takes a unique approach to the archaic, trancelike Joik of his people, the Coastal Sami. The Oslo based soundscape artist stems from Gamvik in the Northernmost tip of the European mainland. His voice, like a mirror of the landscape, is a rare, raw jewel with facets full of beauty. Joik has inspired the Sami musician since childhood. But he also grew up with the mandolin music of his father and played in several Indie Rock groups. Undertaking cool sound experiments he updates animistic vocal tradition and percussion rituals for the 21st century.

As a great live performer and one of the most innovative Sami musicians these days Torgeir Vassvik allies with congenial colleagues like the Kjorstad Brothers, young Norwegian violinists from Gudbrandsdalen. Together they open their hearts for different genres – Jazz, Folk, Classical and New Music included – and spread a fresh Arctic sound experience at festivals and venues around the world.

Torgeir Vassvik – voice, guitar, frame drum
Rasmus Kjorstad – violin
Hans Kjorstad – violin
Audun Strype – sound design

REOLÔ

Inspired by the strange characteristics of folk fiddlers – who seemingly have a close relationship with both nature and the subterranean –  Hans and Rasmus Kjorstad, Anders Røine and Hans Hulbækmo have created Reolô. Originally commissioned by the great folk music festival Jørn Hilme-stemnet, the band invites you into an odd universe of enigmatic stories, hypnotic grooves, crooked rhythms and skew tonality.

Folk music has often gone wandering across wide open spaces before, and Reolô rolls across West Africa and India on its journey through the valleys of the homeland. This well known quartet come at the music from a wide variety of musical directions in folk, jazz and contemporary music.

Anders Erik Røine – guitar, mouth harp, langeleik, willlow flute, lur, violin, vocal
Hans Kjorstad – violin, harmonium, willow flute, vocal
Rasmus Kjorstad – violin, vocal
Hans Hulbækmo – percussion, mouth harp, synth, vocal
Audun Strype – sound design