The press release states that Kenneth Lien and the Center of the Universe are exploring whether electronic music and folk music can be combined without “kicking the burger” and even up as a parody of both genres. “Kick the burger” refers to a less saucy TV moment from 1992. In the live talk show “Løs på tråden”, presenter Ragnar Otnes will show the viewers an example of culture crash. He begins rapping caricaturally over a hip-hop beat while Mads Ousdal dances halling and is about to demonstrate a halling throw with a twist: The hat that is usually kicked off the stick is replaced with a burgar. There will be no culture crash, but rather an embarrassing and painful display that manages to mock both American and Norwegian culture. This is what Kenneth Lien and the Center of the Universe seek to avoid by “getting to the bottom of the matter and turning over every stone” to find out what electronics and folk music can have in common. It has resulted in a daring electrofolk album, full of tight drum loops and rough boggy behavior. But have they managed to turn over every stone? DYNAMIC DUO: Kenneth Lien (left) is a multi-instrumentalist with roots in black metal and improvised rock. Jørgen Skjulstad is a musician and DJ who is also known as Center of the Universe or DJ Sissyfus. Photo: Frøydis Bergheim Ruud Electronic hall Opningssporet is a hall by folk musician Eivind Groven. A bass beats a steady pulse while a brighter, metallic ringing is run through filter modulations and gives texture and movement to the beat. Then Kenneth Lien comes in on willow flute. The electronic meets the traditional. If you have a good sound system or headphones, you will hear air splitting and a finger hitting the end hole of the whistle. ELECTRONIC HALLING: Kivlemøyan is a halling composed by Eivind Groven. On the CD for Kenneth Lien and Center of the Universe, she gets new, cheeky rhythms. The physical sounds, the mouth blowing and the finger hitting, contrast the electronic drumming and create a somewhat unusual tension, but which actually grooves quite well. While the hallington is played on the willow flute, the drums try out different rhythms. The drums change continuously, change position in the soundscape, go from being in the background to ending up far to the front. The many changes help to illuminate the willow flute melody in effective ways, and give the traditional music different character and colour. The musicians play themselves out, and it is surprising to hear how well folk music tolerates being exposed to rude rhythms. Preserving the elastic Part of the most impressive thing about the album is that the musicians have managed to quantify the leap without losing drive. Often when a folk musician plays for dancing, the different beats will have different durations and swing somewhat throughout the melody. Sometimes the stroke can be a little longer, for example to hold an extra note. Other times the stroke can be shorter so that the melody shoots forward and keeps the drive up. Getting a drum machine to play in spring time is incredibly difficult, and it can quickly sound clumsy. This has been solved by Kenneth Lien and the Center of the Universe. In one way or another, they manage to maintain the intensity and sense that the unforeseeable can happen. Perhaps it is the constant reprogramming of the rhythms which in its own way simulates elasticity and keeps the music alive. In any case, I really feel like dancing, but I’m not sure if it’s in a community center or a nightclub that I want to go to. Maybe electro folk can open new doors by inviting folk dance into the nightclub? Library sound If there is something I miss on the album, it is the greater experimentation of the electronic sound. Many of the drum sounds sound like standard sounds that come with the synths. It makes me think that the musicians have only scratched the surface when it comes to the possibilities that exist at the intersection of electronica and folk music. Take it as an invitation: There are many more stones to turn over here. news reports Photo: Heilo Title: “Turn every stone” Artist: Kenneth Lien & Center of the Universe Instruments: Kenneth Lien: harding fiddle, fiddle, mouth harp, willow flute. Center of the universe: electronic artist / DJ, drum machine, synth, sampler, recording and mixing. Record company: Heilo Release date: 2 June 2023 Hi! I am a freelancer and folk music critic for news. Do you have any tips for something I should have heard, or feedback on something I’ve written? Feel free to send me an email!
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“Turn every stone” by Kenneth Lien and Center of the Universe – Reviews and recommendations
