Wikipedia tells us that the Rule of 3 is “a writing principle which suggests that a trio of events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers.” With the three master musicians of Väsen (pronounced “vessen”), the first obvious Rule of 3 is the trio itself, a solid foundation for musical exploration. The virtuosic, vertically-unchallenged band seem also to be ruled by three-beat rhythms, especially the Swedish polska. And now we can also say that they’ve ruled the Swedish folk world for fully three decades.
It's been 30 years since the fateful day at a music gathering in Røros, Norway when Roger Tallroth declined Olov Johansson’s invitation to try playing guitar and nyckelharpa together, in favor of taking a shower. Fortunately for all of us, the shower was occupied, resulting in a prolonged jam session that continued deep into the night and proved life-changing for the two young musicians from Uppland, Sweden.
When they met up again to record, this time joined by Mikael Marin on viola, something amazing took shape, an energy all its own emerging from the magic of their chemistry, greater than the sum of its three distinct parts -- and it’s still going strong these 30 years later. It's an auspicious time indeed for their latest album, a milestone in what continues to be a compelling and enduring musical conversation. The word "väsen" has many meanings in Swedish: spirit, noise, a living being, an essence.
Rule of 3 is available on April 19 from Minneapolis-based NorthSide, Väsen's long-time American label home. The collection of 15 new original compositions celebrates the trio's rich history together; as is common with traditional Swedish folk tunes, some of the new songs are dedicated to specific people in the band members' lives. "Hållfastmarschen" is a wedding march composed for the nuptuals of violist Mikael Marin's son. "Typhoon Nozaki" is meant for a friend and tireless advocate for the band in Japan; another, "Miss Hell," is for a loyal U.S. colleague who has been key to establishing Väsen in North America.
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It's been 30 years since the fateful day at a music gathering in Røros, Norway when Roger Tallroth declined Olov Johansson’s invitation to try playing guitar and nyckelharpa together, in favor of taking a shower. Fortunately for all of us, the shower was occupied, resulting in a prolonged jam session that continued deep into the night and proved life-changing for the two young musicians from Uppland, Sweden.
When they met up again to record, this time joined by Mikael Marin on viola, something amazing took shape, an energy all its own emerging from the magic of their chemistry, greater than the sum of its three distinct parts -- and it’s still going strong these 30 years later. It's an auspicious time indeed for their latest album, a milestone in what continues to be a compelling and enduring musical conversation. The word "väsen" has many meanings in Swedish: spirit, noise, a living being, an essence.
Rule of 3 is available on April 19 from Minneapolis-based NorthSide, Väsen's long-time American label home. The collection of 15 new original compositions celebrates the trio's rich history together; as is common with traditional Swedish folk tunes, some of the new songs are dedicated to specific people in the band members' lives. "Hållfastmarschen" is a wedding march composed for the nuptuals of violist Mikael Marin's son. "Typhoon Nozaki" is meant for a friend and tireless advocate for the band in Japan; another, "Miss Hell," is for a loyal U.S. colleague who has been key to establishing Väsen in North America.
Wikipedia tells us that the Rule of 3 is “a writing principle which suggests that a trio of events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers.” With the three master musicians of Väsen (pronounced “vessen”), the first obvious Rule of 3 is the trio itself, a solid foundation for musical exploration. The virtuosic, vertically-unchallenged band seem also to be ruled by three-beat rhythms, especially the Swedish polska. And now we can also say that they’ve ruled the Swedish folk world for fully three decades.
It's been 30 years since the fateful day at a music gathering in Røros, Norway when Roger Tallroth declined Olov Johansson’s invitation to try playing guitar and nyckelharpa together, in favor of taking a shower. Fortunately for all of us, the shower was occupied, resulting in a prolonged jam session that continued deep into the night and proved life-changing for the two young musicians from Uppland, Sweden.
When they met up again to record, this time joined by Mikael Marin on viola, something amazing took shape, an energy all its own emerging from the magic of their chemistry, greater than the sum of its three distinct parts -- and it’s still going strong these 30 years later. It's an auspicious time indeed for their latest album, a milestone in what continues to be a compelling and enduring musical conversation. The word "väsen" has many meanings in Swedish: spirit, noise, a living being, an essence.
Rule of 3 is available on April 19 from Minneapolis-based NorthSide, Väsen's long-time American label home. The collection of 15 new original compositions celebrates the trio's rich history together; as is common with traditional Swedish folk tunes, some of the new songs are dedicated to specific people in the band members' lives. "Hållfastmarschen" is a wedding march composed for the nuptuals of violist Mikael Marin's son. "Typhoon Nozaki" is meant for a friend and tireless advocate for the band in Japan; another, "Miss Hell," is for a loyal U.S. colleague who has been key to establishing Väsen in North America.
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It's been 30 years since the fateful day at a music gathering in Røros, Norway when Roger Tallroth declined Olov Johansson’s invitation to try playing guitar and nyckelharpa together, in favor of taking a shower. Fortunately for all of us, the shower was occupied, resulting in a prolonged jam session that continued deep into the night and proved life-changing for the two young musicians from Uppland, Sweden.
When they met up again to record, this time joined by Mikael Marin on viola, something amazing took shape, an energy all its own emerging from the magic of their chemistry, greater than the sum of its three distinct parts -- and it’s still going strong these 30 years later. It's an auspicious time indeed for their latest album, a milestone in what continues to be a compelling and enduring musical conversation. The word "väsen" has many meanings in Swedish: spirit, noise, a living being, an essence.
Rule of 3 is available on April 19 from Minneapolis-based NorthSide, Väsen's long-time American label home. The collection of 15 new original compositions celebrates the trio's rich history together; as is common with traditional Swedish folk tunes, some of the new songs are dedicated to specific people in the band members' lives. "Hållfastmarschen" is a wedding march composed for the nuptuals of violist Mikael Marin's son. "Typhoon Nozaki" is meant for a friend and tireless advocate for the band in Japan; another, "Miss Hell," is for a loyal U.S. colleague who has been key to establishing Väsen in North America.
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