Sofia Nystrand, aka Vargkvint, is becoming one of the more distinctive voices for the Piano & Coffee label, one of those independents that have focused their release concept on that nether ground between modern classical, ambient jazz and folk genres.
In that respect, Nystrand seems to have been covering exactly that ground with her albums so far, and that trademark remains intact for Jorden Kallar (The Earth Beckons), her latest, made in collaboration with kindred musical soul Jakob Lindhagen. The duo went again into Nils Frahm’s Funkhaus studio and were also aided by Swedish all-female folk choir LYN and Grammy-winning engineer Antonio Pulli.
Nature is again the main theme of Nystrand’s work here, its condition and what we as humans are doing to it, trying to convey its beauty, and at the same time, how we are, consciously and subconsciously, ruining it along the way.
While not being the first artists to take up that concept, Nystrand & Lindhagen escape that often kitchy new age approach, a trap many other artists fall into when they try to portray natural elements. At the same time, on Jorden Keller, there is a sense of compositional maturity in Nystrand’s work, with an excellent sense of using both the notes and the sonic space between them to work to the music’s advantage.
“I wanted to explore my own thoughts on grief and the worry I feel for the times we are living in, where conflict and ecological decline are a part of everyday life. It took me a long time to figure out that I’m not alone in this, and that there can be a strong collective power in grief. But we also need hope, and for me to explore nature and to look at all the wonder and weirdness that still exists, is what gives me joy and hope”, says Nystrand about her approach to this album.
Vargkvint might have put a tough goal in front of herself for this album, but she comes through this task with flying colours.
