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Garmarna plays a style of music sometimes called ‘Nordic roots music’ — bands inspired by the traditional music of Norway, Sweden and Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Nordic roots bands generally play traditional material, but in a contemporary setting and often with rock stylings.
The idea of fusing traditional music with contemporary genres has been particularly fruitful in northern Europe for a number of reasons: the natural darkness of some branches of Nordic traditional music find a good match with the heavier sounds of rock; the old music already had instruments (the nyckelharpa and hurdy gurdy) that sound a bit like distorted electric guitars; and Scandinavian musicians seem completely uninhibited by the boundaries between musical genres in the first place. So Nordic countries seem consistently capable of producing music that combines folk and rock without sounding contrived like many other brands of folk rock do.
Garmarna started playing fairly traditional-sounding music but have developed their arrangement ideas to create a unique sound, which borrows ideas from artists like Nine Inch Nails and David Bowie. Their instrumentation is a blend of modern technology (digital sampling and sequencing, electric guitars, advanced studio techniques) and traditional technology (hurdy gurdy, fiddles, lute guitars).
Jenny Wilhelms of Gjallarhorn
Other members of the Nordic roots movement include fellow Swedes Hedningarna who take this dichotomy even further by reviving the raw pagan sounds of Medieval Swedish instruments and combining them with the hard-edged sounds of industrial music (their song Min Skog even features a chainsaw!). Väsen, on the other hand, play a less dark, more acoustic, version of Swedish music, but with an energy and originality that's attracted listeners from beyond traditional music circles (apparently Led Zeppelin are big fans).
In Finland, bands such as Värttinä, and Gjallarhorn lead the way, while Sorten Muld blend traditional Danish songs with ambient electronica.
Norwegian roots music has a unique open airy sound, with lots of regional variations due to the physical remoteness of many rural communities and the difficulty of the terrain. Many Norwegian bands show a strong jazz influence, and jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek has been an influential figure in this regard. Annbjørg Lien is perhaps one of the best-known Norwegian roots musicians.
In the northern regions of Norway, Sweden and Finland, the Indigenous Sámi people add a tribal flavour that has resonance with Native American music. Wimme Saari combines Sámi yoiking with techno arrangements, and Mari Boine combines a rock sensibility with yoik-inspired vocals.
Out in the Atlantic, the Faroe Islands and Iceland have less of a distinct roots movement, but it is quite common for pop artists such as Björk, Sigur Rós and Eivør Pálsdóttir to collaborate with traditional musicians and perform traditional material.
A more traditional approach is still alive and well throughout the Nordic countries. Garmarna vocalist Emma Härdelin’s other band Triakel are a great example of this approach.
