Two powerful young bands combine musical forces, with an altogether unique outcome. The psychedelic power trio Kanaan and the neo-folk innovators Ævestaden are both among Norway’s busiest and most critically lauded bands.
With Langt, langt vekk (eng: far, far away) the two bands have created a singular album. Traditional Norwegian folk music and rock has been combined several times before, but nothing sounds like this. Kanaan contributes its members’ jazz/psych background, rooted in improvisation and jamming. Ævestaden’s modern folktronica utilizes several ancient traditional instruments, in addition to the incorporation of traditional Swedish folk music. The result is something truly groundbreaking, in where both bands’ identities shines through.
Langt, langt vekk serves up reworked old traditionals and psalms along with grand new compositions. It is courageous and both meditative and progressive. Furthermore, the album is impressively coherent, given the two band’s wildly different musical backgrounds. Fiddles, cow’s horn, kravik lyre, mouth harp, synths, harmonies, heavy guitars and a thundering rhythm section: Musically, it is impressively versatile, as well as consistently tasteful.
Kanaan has released four albums on Jansen Records since 2021, and the tally adds up to seven studio albums and one live album in total, since the band’s 2018 debut. The band came to prominence with psychedelic, jazz-inspired rock, but has gradually moved in a heavier direction, where their latest studio efforts have been labeled stoner rock. Kanaan consists of Eskild Myrvoll, Ask Vatn Strøm and Ingvald André Vassbø and in 2021 they won the Spellemann award (Norwegian Grammy) in the rock category.
Ævestaden is a neo-traditional folk trio, which combines ancient instruments and folk songs with electronic music in a cutting-edge and idiosyncratic sound. The band consists of Norwegian Eir Vatn Strøm (the sister of Kanaan’s Ask Vatn Strøm) and Kenneth Lien, along with Swedish Levina Storåkern. They have received several awards for the albums Jag är sen igjen (a collaboration with Benedikt) and Solen var bättre där.