FRÄNDER "II" (Nordic Notes)
Add Date: 10/17/2023
Release Date: 10/20/2023
FCC: Clean
Focus Tracks: Evigt regn, Svarta sparvens sorg
Formats: World, NACC Top 200, Folk, Non-Comm AAA
RIYL: Dungen, Fairport Convention, Garmarna, Hedningarna
Modern Heavy Acoustic Music Ushers European Folk Traditions into a Bold Future
New FRÄNDER Album Due October 20, 2023 on Nordic Notes
Brothers Gabbi and Daniel Dluzewski and sister Natasja Dluzewska grew up in the village of Håga, one of Scandinavia's great Viking strongholds during the Bronze Age. The area, near the city of Uppsala, was once a rich archeological trove of gold artifacts from the 9th century tomb of King Björn before looters robbed it of that distinction, but treasures of a different sort still remain: the enduring riches of Nordic oral and musical traditions. From those deep roots, from the musicians' various intensive musicological studies, and from their shared passion for popular music (including hard rock), the inspiration for a new modern acoustic music began to take shape, and in 2015 FRÄNDER was born.
The group’s second album, FRÄNDER II, is like nothing else heard on the folk or world music scene, pushing stylistic boundaries and proving FRÄNDER to be among today’s most trendsetting Scandinavian bands. Their Nordic folk fusion is hauntingly evocative, with subtle echoes of Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull and even the Beatles blending seamlessly with sounds from both Swedish and Estonian traditional music. While their compositions are original, their interpretation of traditional music in a rock idiom calls to mind the brilliant work of Fairport Convention vis a vis English folk music. Sometimes dubbed “heavy folk,” despite the fact that they’re playing acoustic instruments, Fränder's music rocks!
"We don’t like to be stuck in any one genre. For us that also means not to mix genres heedlessly. Instead it's important for us to unnoticeably blend them together - like a soup or a stew. That’s why we chose to work with people who are experienced in other musical fields - but not necessarily tied to the doctrines of traditional Swedish music," says Gabbi.
To this end, flautist Säde Tatar continues, "We composed and recorded FRÄNDER II throughout the pandemic, selecting Daniel Bergstrand as engineer and co producer -- maybe Sweden's most-hired producer for metal. We were the first band to record in 33, a completely new and high-end-extra-everything studio in Stockholm, built by guitarist Fredrik Thorndendal of the legendary metal band Meshuggah.”
On the summer evening when the Dluzewski siblings heard Säde play and sing the traditional music of her Estonian homeland, they were inspired to create a bridge between the sacred lands of Håga and Estonia. As part of the first generation born free in post-Soviet Estonia, Säde grew up equally excited about exploring her country’s ancestral roots and experiencing other cultures; she studied traditional music in Estonia and subsequently also in Sweden, adeptly steeping herself in both. Eventually she and Gabbi married, drawing the band’s family circle even more tightly together.
Another bridge the group built for the new album was generational, as they enlisted veteran percussionist Björn Tollin, a founding member of Sweden's Hedningarna who had revolutionized the Nordic folk scene in the 90s with his drums. He hadn't recorded recently, but upon hearing FRÄNDER he said, "I have never heard anything like this!" -- and came enthusiastically onboard.
With Gabbi on Swedish mandola, Daniel on double bass, Natasja on violin and lead vocals, Sâde on flute, and Björn joining on drums and percussion, FRÄNDER's music is commanding and intensely spirited but at the same time nuanced and mystical, its melodies and rhythms strongly evoking the magical beauty of their northern woodlands and their deep cultural roots. And – it really rocks!
FRÄNDER II will be available on all platforms 20 October through Germany's Nordic Notes label in tandem with Six Degrees Label Services in North America.