Winter Envy
Scandanavia is wonderful at reminding us that there is beauty in winter. There is a natural soundtrack to the architecture of icicles. There is a sound the sun makes when it splashes off a glacier. There is a beat to every falling snowflake. Norway's new Rune Grammofon is doing an excellent job capturing this. While we Americans are quick to bash the cold, brutal weather as an inconvenience at best, and a reason for moving at worst (believe me, I'm in this latter party)-- these Norwegians seem to feel it in their blood, as if these songs were part of their genetic coding. I hear music like this and I'm reminded of how winter is just something else we deal with, and that there's a lot to be said for the changing seasons.
Both of these tracks come from Runeology 2, Rune's latest label sampler. You can pick it up from our friends at Forced Exposure for $7.50. You get 10 songs and more than an hour's worth of music. It ranges from frenetic jazz to cold electronic beats to lush soundscapes. I've never heard anything like it, at least not all in the same place. It's also a great introduction to this wonderful new label.