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Reviews

Various Artists — Nordic Roots
(NorthSide NSD6016, 1998, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 1999-01-01

Nordic Roots Cover art

A sticker on the front of this 78-minute sampler of NorthSide artists proudly trumpets “Cheaper Than Food.” Indeed, if the recommended $2.99 price tag is heeded by store owners, there’s absolutely no reason why every person on the planet with a CD player shouldn’t own this. This disc is worth five times that price! The whole NorthSide roster appears, even a few artists that haven’t released anything yet (although all should have releases out by the end of ‘98). The label superstars are here in multiples: Väsen is here three times, same with Hedningarna, while Wimme appears twice. You can hear Olov Johansson and his nyckelharpa, or Tapani Varis and his Jews Harp. All the other artists are represented at least once, a total of twenty tracks in all. The whole object of a release like this is to familiarize the potential listener with examples of what the label has to offer at a reduced price, in hopes that this music will find a more widespread audience. On that level this release is a complete success: it covers a lot of musical territory while retaining its Scandinavian folk-based focus, representing the NorthSide label well, and it's enjoyable from beginning to end — at the summer reunion the whole family loved it.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 16, 1998 releases

Related artist(s): Hoven Droven, Swåp, Garmarna, Hedningarna, Olov Johansson, Various Artists, Triakel, Väsen

 

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