Violinist Nils Okland may hail from Norway, but the sounds and moods he emits on this recording could make you think that at times you’re in Gaellic country or even the Western Sahara. Hints of Irish folk and the Sahel coincide as Okland leads a team of Rolf-Erik Nylstrom/sax, Sigbjorn Apeland/harm, Mats Eilertsen/b and Hakon Morch Stene/perc-vib through a National Geographic of originals.
Okland’s exotic violin sounds deliver earthy desert and spacious sounds on “Mali” , while moody harmonium and vibes get misty on “Undergrunn.” Irish soundscapes with percussion get pastoral on “Skugge” and “Drev,” with even the sounds of bagpipes emitting from Okland’s bow on the slowly undulating and pastoral “Kjolvatn” that has the strings long in waiting. Some jagged sawing gets relentless and builds up drama on “Fivreld” while the album closes in a dream nocturne on “Amstel.” Hazy hues, either from the dust of the desert or the mist of the village glen.
ECM Records