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Symbio - Rising (2018 Sweden) @320

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This is the second album from a Swedish duo of accordion (LarsEmil Öjeberget) and hurdy-gurdy (Johannes Geworkian Hellman). Symbio is a nice short name, and Rising is actually a nice short CD which nevertheless provides a good introduction to this rather unusual brand of contemporary folk music. Symbio play traditional instruments, and their material certainly draws on folk styles from Scandinavia and further afield, but they approach composition in an almost classical way. Each track is centred around one or more motifs, instead of tunes, and the skill is in the arrangement and the layering of sounds, rather than the appeal of the melodies or the skill of the players. Both members of Symbio are very skilful indeed, and their melodies can be beautiful - listen to the virtuosic Hundred Years of Joy and Sorrow, or the evocative Secrets of the Sea - but that doesn't seem to be Symbio's goal. Each of these tracks develops into a twisting, reflective interplay of two instruments, circling each other, hypnotic or explosive in their intensity. There's a strong element of electronica and sequencing, an obviously engineered sound on several tracks, and yet the overall impression is of a sparse and minimalist recording. This minimalism is also evident in the beautifully designed almost-monochrome artwork on the CD cover and sleevenotes. The title track approaches mainstream folk from anywhere in Northern Europe, and shows the world class musicianship of this pair, while the final Together We Fly is closer to jazz rock and has that experimental edge which glints enticingly but can also cut the unwary. Rising is something extraordinary, and may be right outside your comfort zone, but if you find the right mood it's an extremely rewarding album.
© Alex Monaghan

 Tracklist:
1. Heraith
2. The Last Summer
3. Secrets of the Sea
4. A Hundred Years of Joy and Sorrow
5. Prelude
6. After the Fire
7. Rising
8. You and Me - Together We Fly

Johannes Geworkian-Hellman: Hurdy-Gurdy
LarsEmil Öjeberget: Accordion, Kickbox




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