Hardanger fiddle player Erlend Apneseth, with his distinctive playing style, a long list of critically acclaimed Hubro releases, and explorative musical collaborations, has achieved the rare feat of becoming a favorite among audiences and critics in the worlds of folk music, jazz, and contemporary music. His latest album, Song over Støv, will be released on Hubro on April 4th, and the band he has assembled for the occasion can only be described as a supergroup made up of some of the most influential musicians on today’s Norwegian music scene.
The project originated as a commissioned work for Oslo World and Riksscenen in 2023. As a composer, Apneseth has spent recent years working with orchestras and larger ensembles, and after being a member of Frode Haltli’s Avant Folkfor several years, he was inspired to write for a large band himself. For this project, he brought together 11 fantastic musicians, creating an immense musical playground. The commissioned work matured over time before Apneseth took the ensemble into Amper Tone studio in August 2024, with Bård Ingebrigtsen at the controls. Ingebrigtsen also mixed the album, which was produced by Anja Lauvdal and Apneseth himself.
In addition to Apneseth on the Hardanger fiddle, the stellar ensemble consists of Mats Eilertsen (double bass), Hans Hulbækmo (drums/percussion), Veslemøy Narvesen (drums/percussion), Selma French Bolstad (Hardanger fiddle and vocals), Helga Myhr (Hardanger fiddle and vocals), Rasmus Kjorstad (Hardanger fiddle, octave fiddle, fiddle, vocals), Henriette Eilertsen (flutes), Anja Lauvdal (keys, synth, reed organ), Rolf-Erik Nystrøm (saxophones), and Frode Haltli (accordion). Apneseth explains:
“What’s important to me is that the musicians feel a sense of ownership over the music, that they feel integrated into it and are able to express themselves in their own way. So, I tend to compose more for musical personalities than for instruments in a traditional sense—people who I believe will discover something in the music I bring to them.”
One of his ideas was to write for a larger group of fiddles, creating a kind of core to the music. He continues:
“Fiddles tend to get a bit drowned out in larger ensembles, so it was really refreshing to have three more on “my” team. With a quartet of Hardanger fiddles in the band, I’ve also felt more comfortable including more specific elements from tradition than before —like ornamentation and various springar rhythms— because I know they’ll come through clearly. I really enjoy unison playing and allowing things to repeat over time, which might stem from my own background.”
The album can be seen as a continuation of Nattsongar from 2017, where associations with music from around the world strongly influenced the expression. Apneseth drew inspiration from his own childhood both during the creative process and as the album took shape. As a child, his family took several long journeys, including to places that are now inaccessible due to various conflicts. He describes powerful sensory experiences on these trips, experiences that continue to inspire him:
“Those experiences were so elevated, vivid, and pure back then, and in a way, I’m trying to reconnect with that. I also grew up in and around the Førde Festival, surrounded by music from all over the world, and I think I absorbed a lot of influences there—an energy, perhaps a sense of musical language. It’s quite abstract, but it still resonates deeply within me. The title Song over Støv (Song over Dust) draws inspiration from this—the idea that we are, consciously or unconsciously, always relating to what came before, whether it’s childhood or various traditions.”
The release concert for Song over Støv will take place at Vossajazz 2025, and Apneseth concludes:
“We’re launching the album at Vossajazz a week after it’s released, and I’m really looking forward to it! We’re also planning a tour in fall 2025 and beyond. I hope we get to perform this music a lot because it evolves every time we play it, and being part of this particular band is something special.”
