Piper On The Roof is the recent release by Norway's Elisabeth Vatn, a bagpiper who specializes in the Swedish bagpipes. Even though I had listened to some of the tracks on her website prior to getting the album, Piper still caught me quite by surprise.
While some of the pieces may be based on traditional or classical works, they've been turned inside out and given a totally contemporary treatment. It's jazz, new age, blues, and electronica all rolled into an avant-garde package. This is an album that needs to be listened to more than once to hear all of the layers. There are a few pieces, such as Fanfare, Bagging, and Pipes of Peace, where Vatn's piping is the focal point. However, there are just as many other numbers (Springlek After Troskari Erik, Noor/Bjørka, and the 7-minute space odyssey Reed Poetics) where the pipes weave in and out and become part of the sonic fabric. Piper features three fully vocal tracks, the most startling of which is Danny Du (the well-known "Danny Boy" sung in Norwegian). Even though it's given the same modern treatment as the other pieces, it still seems out of place.
My favorite pieces on this album are Bagging, with it's Bolero-esque riffs, and the trance-inducing chanting of Noor/Bjørka, though I also enjoy the vocals on Visa Från Utanmyra-Dusse Oktii. Piper On The Roof is a rather seductive walk on the wild side and one I enjoy taking more and more often.
No comments:
Post a Comment