Bowing 9
Force Majeure
Dimma 011

www.dimmaswe.com
 

It really is a string orchestra. Take six violinists, two viola players, a cellist and a bassist, all playing material composed for the group by members and you have an original concept, although whether it is folk is a matter for debate. The nature of the beast means that some pieces will be more successful than others: “Över Isen,” for instance, makes full use of the possibilities in large sweeps of sound, while the title cut has a brooding darkness that’s ineffably Swedish. Others work less well, coming across as more tentative. There’s no shortage of talent within the band (Mikael Martin, by way of example, already has a glittering career with Väsen) although this is very much an ensemble with no stars, the strings really function as an orchestra, rather than soloists and backing. That can make for interesting textures, and when an instrument does offer some solo time, as on “Avdöparen,” it’s used as counterpoint to the Indian sound of the massed melody. There’s plenty of real beauty and invention to be found here, but this still feels more like a toe in the water than a full-blooded dive.

— Chris Nickson