Hedingarna – Hippjokk – Review

Hedingara

Hippjokk (Silence/Northside)
by Clarendon Lavorich

Strangely enough, there is a similarity between old folk music and techno – actually there’s no difference at all, because techno is the folk music of the late 20th century. Both musics were made by the common people (i.e. those who had no formal training), both were made in the spirit of celebration, and both were made so people could dance. So why not combine some old Scandinavian folk tunes with the new vehicle/medium of electronica? I know, easy answer: Because almost no one understands both elements. But hey, it happened with the Irish and Africans for the Afro-Celt Sound System (on the Real World label), so why not Hedingara? Honest to god unpronounceable instruments are played (it turns out that a “Sami Jojkker” is someone who chants. Who knew? I though it was an epileptic who did Sammy Davis Jr. impersonations), as well as fiddles and didgeridoos. It all adds up to some soulful vibes that you can dance along to. It’s a heavy cross between the old world and the new school. All those interested in juxtapositions, check this out – it strikes a deep chord, takes hold, and doesn’t let go. Dammit, it’s a century-old culture, fer crissakes. Yeah, it’s got new trappings, but don’t let that fool ya. It’s old, and it sticks in deep.
(www.noside.com, www.silence.se)