TVÅ FISK OCH EN FLÄSK - REVIEWS

TVÅ FISK & EN FLÄSK (Non Stop Records 1998, NSM 33-30) Yummy… I hope this somewhat strange name for a group won't scare away potential listeners. That would really be a shame because this group is among the most vital and pleasurable things that have happened to Swedish folk music in a very long time. The seven members of the group play with an impressive ardour and frenzy that really is captivating with traditional folk music and medieval ballads played in a totally new and refreshing style.

The singer, Umer Mossige-Norheim's characteristic and piercing voice is the centre around which the eminent musicians weave highly suggestive, strongly rhythmical, webs of music. Lively, natural, and from time to time strongly urging you to dance.

The group's sound quite a bit resembles the 70s group Folk & Rackare, but more up to date and with all the energy and expression of rock'n'roll. A bit like Garmarna but with a distinctly stronger feeling of presence, go, attitude, and dynamics. A part from that there is a liberating lack of the kind of pretentious elements with which many folk music groups disarm the primal force of the genre. This is just the way, alive and imaginative, that the Swedish heritage of folk music should be held in trust.
Sune Liljevall, Arbetarbladet Gävle, 08.05.98

Never before have I heard of Två Fisk & En Fläsk. But I listen to the 14 songs on their album and I am absolutely captivated. It is electrified folk music and medieval music in roughly the same genre as Hedningarna. Umer Mossige-Norheim's high, pure voice is delicious. The tempo is intensified by Marcas Oreglia and Jan Liljekvist, violins, and the tensions of the rhythm are lead by Stebbe Grapenmark, 'cow drum', and Jie Zelf, percussion. The group mixes traditional Swedish and German music with present-day rock technique without boundaries. The result is exciting, fun, and beautiful. It will be interesting to see the group's further advancement.
Bosse Vikingson, Smålandsposten

Naked women wearing long black gloves and a feather boa might not be the first thing you think of when you hear folk music. But then again this doesn't sound at all traditional. The violins play with a vehemence resembling that of punk rock, and 'cow drum' and percussion rumble like in heavy metal. Above the passionate, ardent beat Umer Mossige-Norheim wields her icy, clear laser voice like a merciless sword. The Middle Ages suddenly feel uncomfortably close to the 1990s…
Christer Olsson, Veckorevyn, no 19, 1998

Compared to what other Swedish folk rock bands of the 90s have got to offer with Hedningarna's latest sterile, machine-like 'yoik' and their music-academy-castrated followers, this completely acoustic band with its strange name is in a class by itself. They have more of the Devil in their music. The medieval ballads sizzle and shiver, the violins jam, and the guitars rattle. Furthermore the singer Umer Mossige-Norheim sings like a woman - not like a chit of a girl, which otherwise seems to be the Swedish ideal way of singing. I have really longed for, sometimes even yearned for, a band like Två Fisk & En Fläsk. This their debut, so far from caution and tactfulness, is an ardent incantation in a world of folk rock characterized by neat rhymes.
Peter sjöblom, Magazine Groove, no 23

Rough and substantial plain food

The debut album with a gang, already known for good live performances. To be a good band live is not always synonymous to sounding good on record but this is quite alright.
The material is mainly medieval ballads with the somewhat unusual setting two violins, vocals, percussion, guitar, and 'cow drum'. To this is added a rock'n'roll feeling and arrangements that are both daring and interesting which makes this something rather out of the ordinary. The roughness of the arrangements and the dissonant tone is what really takes this record beyond Garmarna's pop-inspired music and to a more exciting level.

JUNGFRUBUREN (Non Stop Records 2000, NSM 33-32, Westpark Music 2000, WP 87077, Alula Records 2003)

One image of Nordic music invokes a witches' Sabbath of rhythmic brutality accelerated into a devilish tornado, while another calls forth a sedate, almost geometrically classical string ensemble. Swedish septet Två Fisk och en Fläsk (Two Fish and One Bacon) delivers on both conceptions, with a heavy emphasis on the former. The three-man percussion section imparts more thunderous drive to this acoustic ensemble than could a dozen distorted electric guitars. Dual, and occasionally dueling, fiddlers play with a raw abandon, never flinching from dissonance, alternately produced in distanced reverb or middle-of-the-scull immediacy, while a single guitar holds things together with suspicious ease. The vocals of Umer Mossige-Norheim, fragile and falsetto, lacking the direct power of Garmarna's Emma Härdelin, seem at first a poor fit for such a dynamic combo, but ultimately serve through contrast.

The opening track, "Saltarello IV," is a 'pre-prise' of themes from the final track, suspenseful guitar strum leading into fiddle strokes over a James Bond theme, before breaking into a crazed gallop featuring percussion and fiddles, the spy theme returning to usher in an even quicker gyring two-step version of the melody, expiring abruptly in exhaustion. Above the bouncy beat driven by thunderous drums and low fiddle duet of "Källarjonets Lilla Vän," Mossige-Norheim's vocal is teased by neighing fiddle effects, the instrumental break brutally dissonant, the cumulative effect unexpectedly joyous. In "Jungfrun i Buren," with its syncopated, almost Bo Diddley beat on hand percussion, Mossige-Norheim's multi-tracked vocal exults in a hospitable jazzy mode over occasional guitar chords, dual fiddles finally invading with a single demonically delivered rhythmic figure.

A demented drum roll and guitar strum introduce "Lussi Lilla," vocal alternately incanting a contrasting verse and joining the beat in redoubled intensity, with a wonderfully dizzy, almost Celtic central instrumental dance featuring whistle and fiddle. "Femton Gånger" begins with an erudite classical string ensemble (I knew they had it in them!), before sliding smoothly into a swinging common-time beat with sawing fiddles and hardy baritone voices carrying a marching song. Mossige-Norheim's vocal is at home with the melodic delicacy of "Herr Olof," fiddles and drums adding an addictive drive to choruses and breaks, descending dissonance at times waxing psychedelic. "Fortune Plango" features a calm, Indian tabla and drone intro, rattling Moroccan-inspired double-time percussion, and vocal dissonance experiments, a mixed world-beat fantasy from the Swedish caravan route.

If you enjoy Scandinavian music, especially the driven intensity of Hoven Droven, Garmarna, and early Hedningarna, don't deprive yourself of this carefully arranged yet wildly performed recording. - Jim Foley
fantasy from the Swedish caravan route.
If you enjoy Scandinavian music, especially the driven intensity of Hoven Droven, Garmarna, and early Hedningarna, don't deprive yourself of this carefully arranged yet wildly performed recording.
Jim Foley RootsWorld, the online magazine of the world's music
Box 1285, New Haven CT 06505 USA

Also TVÅ FISK & EN FLÄSK, just now celebrating their sixth anniversary, release the follow-up of their title-less debut album - and here too we have a splendid female singer among gentlemen only, UMER MOSSIGE-NORHEIM. With her wide range she characterizes to a large extent the new acoustic charge of the group. "JUNGFRUBUREN" (Nonstop Records/Border) actually exceeds an already impressing debut - partly because the original trio has become a full rhythm and violin based septet. Three percussionists make the record impulsive and dance-inspiring, and even more brazen. Apart from imaginative arrangements of medieval ballads there is also the well-written own material of the group. From time to time there seems to be a streak of a hotter latitude. It is obvious that the group has had impulses from other cultures (India, North Africa). Particularly captivating is the savage string section, that sometimes creates a dramatic suction which makes the entire sound crack! You can well see how this band has made festival visitors all over the country lose their breath - and that the liberal attitude appeals to a younger audience. Swedish folk rock doesn't get any better than this.
GERT-OVE FRIDLUND, HALLANDSPOSTEN

One singer, two violin players, one guitar player, and - notice! - three percussionists. In a Swedish folk music band? Most of the lyrics and tunes are traditional and medieval, but the performance couldn't be less traditional. UMER MOSSIGE-NORHEIM doesn't sing in a cool and storytelling way but throws herself emotionally into the lyrics like a pop singer. The acoustic guitar chops heavily in a punk rock manner. The combination of savage rhythms and rasping but sharp violins sawing away reminds me of a folk-musical version of Fläskkvartetten. The group TVÅ FISK & EN FLÄSK is on a curious and adventurous expedition in the forest of Swedish folk music.
BENGT ERIKSSON, GÖTEBORGSPOSTEN

This is the second album by the folk music group TVÅ FISK & EN FLÄSK, and here they have mixed traditional medieval ballads with their own material. Also, the group has increased the number of percussionists, now having three of them. The result is cheeky and stirring, where the violins play dramatically and with suction. Sometimes the music reminds you of Fläskkvartetten. The lyrics feel typically medieval, being about maidens, swains, and murdering swine who brutally kill and then happily tell us about it. A song worth mentioning is Källarhjonets Lilla Vän, which is a folk song but with playful traits of rock'n'roll. Jungfrun i Buren, Femton Gånger, and Barnarovet are also tracks worth listening to in particular. This is a record that makes you want to dance in the dew wet grass as night turns into day.
ANNETTE GRANDIN, VLT, 2 June 2000

Take some heavy metal, add a few drops of medieval ballads and Swedish/German folk music. Flavour with some baroque fugues and a James Bond riff. Voila: TVÅ FISK & EN FLÄSK, part 2.Their follow-up JUNGFRUBUREN is now on the record shop counters, virtually steaming with sensuality and humour.
The group has developed strongly since its debut two years ago. The live performance characteristics, evolved during the Medieval Weeks in Visby (Gotland), gigs at pubs and festivals, are still salient but the sound has become rougher as the group have added more percussion. It's skilful and captivating. And, naturally in the centre of it all, we have talented singer UMER MOSSIGE-NORHEIM, who with her voice can cast a spell over the most disrespectful and ancient poetry.
MAGNUS BÖRJESSON, NERIKES ALLEHANDA, 15 May 2000

LIVE REVIEWS

Having a good time to 800-year-old groove

The Medieval Days in Gävle were kicked off with a performance by Två Fisk & En Fläsk at Sjömanskyrkan, Friday night. The band's music is, as the members themselves say, music to "sing, dance, and have a good time to". And a good time we have, even though the music is close to 800 years old.

It all begins with guitar player Olof Öberg building an atmosphere with his acoustic guitar where the E string is pitched down to D and forms a powerful bass note. Soon he starts pumping in a Pete Townsend-manner, no cautious finger-play there. This kind of groove hasn't been heard in a twelve-string guitar since Roger McGuinn played with The Byrds.

Two violins tag along and the cool blond Umer comes up on stage and sings the group's Swedish, sometimes German, lyrics, which are sometimes hard to discern in the rattling sound mix.

One of the band's role-models is Folk & Rackare, and that makes Umer the equivalent to Karin Kjellman, albeit a sexier and more ardent version. The other half of Folk & Rackare, Ulf Gruvberg, would then be violin player Marcas Oreglia who sings a macabre song where the jester of the group, Janne Eriksson steps forward with a jew's harp adding suggestive roars after each murder. Otherwise he plays percussion, mainly the tambourine and the djembe (a type of bongo drum) from Mali which is said to have belonged to a real medicine man.

Janne keeps mostly in the background and clowns about in leather trousers and a hat, a true rocker who is also a member of legendary Dirty Old Men.
Två Fisk & En Fläsk are not musically as precise as Hedningarna, Anitas Livs among others, but they compensate this with one heck of a groove, even though they lack the force of an electric bass. They get along just fine with Stebbe Grapenmark's rumbling 'cow drum'.

This whole concert breathed rock'n'roll, in spite of the material, and you could only wish for a larger and more exhilarated audience.
This might be something for a City Party tent where you can have a beer in your hand.
Pär Widmark, Arbetarbladet Gävle, June –98

Två Fisk & En Fläsk: Live, The Arvika Festival, The Apollo Tent, 2000

The name "Two Fish & En Fläsk" (=Two Fish & One Pork) sounded too sissy to miss. So we went to the Apollo Tent, where we, much to our surprise, caught sight of a scantily clad lady dancing to folk music. The prospects for this to be a good concert looked bad at that time, little did we know that we were to have the time of our lives. The tempo was gradually intensified and the groove was so hot that we just had to get closer to the stage and feel the atmosphere, there was certainly no lack of that. Folk music mixed with punk has worked for groups like Dia Plasma and mixing folk music with rock is something which Hedningarna does well. Två Fisk & En Fläsk also does this extremely well. Two violins, one acoustic guitar, one percussionist, and one person playing a big bongo drum - all this together creates an amazingly groovy sound. During the songs in which a flute replaces the vocals there is simply no chance of keeping from dancing. After the concert I immediately bought the group's record, what better credits can the band get? The only thing you may want to criticize is the way that the vocals sometimes drown in the sound of the violins, but like I said this only happens occasionally, and the overall impression is still good.
DAVID MAGNUSSON

INTERVIEWS

The Middle Ages go rock'n'roll with Två Fisk & En Fläsk

At a sunlit table by the window at Snövit Restaurant two members of the group Två Fisk & En Fläsk are seated. It was also here that the band had their release party for their new cd last Saturday. A strange name for a band you might think, but then again you've got to have a name, say Jan Liljekvist and Marcas Oreglia, and this particular name seems to come from some internal joke within the band, and a great love for food.

Apart from Janne and Marcas, who both play the violin and were those who started the band in 1994, the group consists of four more members: Umer Mossige-Norheim, vocals, and Jan Erixon, percussion, a former member of Dirty Old Men, Zen, and Träd, Gräs & Stenar. From the group Astmakören came Stefan Grapenmark, percussion, and Olof Öberg, guitar.

Had there been such a concept you might well describe Två Fisk & En Fläsk's music as medieval rock'n'roll. Because even though the group gets its material from collections of 13th century music among other sources, they themselves use the term rock'n'roll to describe their music. It is probably no coincidence that this record was produced at Sunlight Studio by Thomas Skogsberg, a well-known heavy metal producer who has worked with Entombed, The Hellacopters, and Backyard Babies among others.

Much in the same way as the members of Två Fisk & En FLäsk seem to have a taste for food, they seem to have a taste for just about any kind of music. They have played in rock groups, participated in a performance of Carl Orff's choir music, played folk music, played with punk groups, and they have performed live to Tolkien-inspired roll-playing in the woods. Only young singer Umer Mossige-Norheim has a purely classical background, including opera and choir-singing.
-We consider ourselves a rock group rather than a folk music group. The concept of folk music feels a bit stale, as if you're trying to keep alive something that's been long dead, says Marcas Oreglia.
-I try to play the violin in the same way that I played the electric guitar with my rock groups. Technique must stand aside for aggressiveness and attack, Janne Liljekvist explains.

The band has a somewhat split attitude towards both medieval music and folk music, or rather towards other performers of medieval music and folk music. -The folk music Mafia criticizes Umer's singing technique. They think that this is not the way to sing this kind of music, and that you should sing like Lena Willemark for instance. You can't pay attention to that kind of critique. Umer is the star of this band and is very important both to our sound and our scenic appearance, Janne says.
We are not trying to play this music as it might have sounded in those days, but as if the material were written today. We do not play to bring out the medieval music. We sample songs and play rock'n'roll. Or, to cite Orup, we go through the musical historic archive and collect material here and there. But I think that is the way musicians have done things always, Janne explains.
Both Janne and Marcas believe that groups like Nordman and Hedningarna have made way for bands who play medieval-inspired music, even though none of them wants their music to be compared with that of commercialized Nordman.
We want to get away from all this medieval and folk music stuff. We're so tired of runes and things like that that people keep connecting our music with. We want to look sober and classy in contrast to everyday life and our music, Janne says laughing. Which would explain why the band is dressed in dark suits on the cover of the cd, and why Umer wears long black gloves and a feather boa on stage.

Their dreams, though, are the same as for most other bands. They have played mostly in Stockholm and its surroundings, and now they want to get out and play in the rest of the country, which they hope the new record will lead to.
-It also feels as if this type of music could make a hit abroad. We want to get out there and tour, Janne says with emphasis.
Ylva Wallin, Tidningen Södermalm, April 13 1998

Sometimes you just feel it at once. Like a trembling. Like a premonition of something big about to happen. Like when I found the debut album of Två Fisk & En Fläsk in my hand, staring at me saying: Play me! Play me!!! So I did and a dull vibration spread with increasing force through my body. What I heard was the salvation of Swedish folk music.

The salvation from all that I believe Swedish folk music to have become, a dainty folklore picnic with Sunday coffee on the grass. Två Fisk & En Fläsk is not dainty. They are obstreperously rugged. So much so that a record dealer in the folk music business left the band's release party after one song, because "it was too loud, smoky, and a menacing atmosphere”.

-They're probably not used to going to that kind of concerts. I think we play for a rock'n'roll audience rather than a folk music audience, Janne Liljekvist muses.

-We're trapped between the two main groups of preferences, Marcas Oreglia says, speaking about the record companies. Those who produce folk music didn't think that we sounded like a folk music band - for example they criticized Umer's singing: "She doesn't sound like Lena Willemark - you can't sing like that!" And the rock music companies didn't think that we sounded like a traditional rock band. -Only NonStop Records were interested, but they had no money so we had to pay for the recording of the record ourselves, Janne tells us.

Both Marcas and Janne play the violin and Umer's last name is Mossige-Norheim. Together with Olof Öberg, acoustic guitar, Stebbe Grapenmark, 'cow drum', and Jie Zelf, percussion, they create music that, in its energy, feels closer to old English folk rock groups than to e.g. Garmarna. But no one in the band has a background in traditional folk music. When the foundation of Två Fisk & En Fläsk was laid in 1994 Marcas had recently played with Rotlösa, a group that played mainly folk-inspired ballads. Umer had sung mostly classical music, and Janne had tried classical violin after a few years as a guitar player in the rock group Shoutless. Marcas and Janne met through their mutual engagement in a production of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with Dramatiska Ensemblen.

-It was only when I met Marcas I realized that you can play the violin in virtually the same way that you play the guitar. And now I can play after any number of beers! I couldn't do that when I played classical music, Janne recognizes.

Typical of Två Fisk & En Fläsk is that they give way for an almost ritual power in their music. It is as though something gets into the music and starts living a life of its own. -That sounds absolutely wonderful! Umer exclaims. ----Precisely that kind of condition, when the music has a life of its own, usually comes about when we have live jam sessions, Janne tells us. Jie is very hard to control, he won't stop playing. Then we have to do something. In Visby, Gotland, during the annual Medieval Week where we have played on several occasions, we sit down by the wall by the sea, and we have jam sessions, playing the drums. We play John Coltrane songs on the flute accompanied by percussion. Then when we get tired of that or crash out, Jie walkes along and continues by himself!

-Then there is this thing about the name, Två Fisk & En Fläsk (=Two Fish & One Pork) - where does it come from? - ----Have you read the Bible? Janne asks.

-Yeah, but wasn't it bread Jesus handed out - not pork, right? -In the common edition, yeah. In the Apocrypha he satiates the priests with two fish and one pork chop.

It may not sound like a delicacy. But it is. At least musically.
Peter Sjöblom, Magazine Groove, no 24