Vasen Live In Japan CD

Väsen have been around for well over a decade, refining their sound and producing a series of delightful albums, first for their Swedish home market and then finding a global audience. Just how far they reach now is evident from the fact they recorded this live disc in Japan. The humor in their sound is more evident live, but the delightful interplay between nyckelharpa, fiddle, and guitar is apparent throughout, right from the opener, "Björkbergspolskan." The material largely draws from their last two discs, which is fine -- those albums were two of the best of their lengthy career. There's a playful spirit behind the music on tracks like "Flippen," and the melodies weave beautifully in and out with an almost telepathic communication between the musicians. Add in a DVD of interviews, videos, and performance clips and you have an excellent package that's far more than a live souvenir, but an illustration of what a band can achieve in performance. ~ Chris Nickson

Väsen have been around for well over a decade, refining their sound and producing a series of delightful albums, first for their Swedish home market and then for a global audience. Just how far they reach now is evident from the fact they recorded this live disc in Japan. The humor in their sound is more evident live, but the delightful interplay between nyckelharpa, fiddle, and guitar is apparent throughout, right from the opener, "Björkbergspolskan." The material largely draws from their last two discs, which is fine -- those albums were two of the best of their lengthy career. There's a playful spirit behind the music on tracks like "Flippen," and the melodies weave beautifully in and out with an almost telepathic communication between the musicians. Add in a DVD of interviews, videos, and performance clips and you have an excellent package that's far more than a live souvenir, it's an illustration of what a band can achieve in performance. [The CD/DVD edition features a five-part band documentary.] ~ Chris Nickson

Recording information: Minami Aoyama Mandala, Tokyo, Japan (01/28/2005-01/30/2005).

Arranger: Mikael Marin.

Personnel: Roger Tallroth (12-string guitar); Mikael Marin (fiddle, viola).

Audio Mixers: Olov Johansson; Roger Tallroth.

Dirty Linen (p.49) - "[V]iolist-fiddler Mikael Marin and nyckel-harpa player Olov Johannson raise a baroque din throughout....The resonating strings beneath the bowed ones create a rich, harmonically dense fabric through which Johannson and Marin's melodic lines dart."