Folkatron Sessions are fast becoming one of our favourites, pioneering sounds from scratch in a setting that encourages exploration and experimentation – musicians from folk, jazz and electronic backgrounds get to bounce ideas off each other and produce an album after seven days that is both unique and richly rewarding. While that all sounds good on paper, they also deliver, as their latest single testifies.
Today sees the release of their latest single ‘Slang‘ which leads with a weighty bass opener before Lauren Spiceley’s fiddle delivers with a gorgeous Swedish Slängpolska. The combination of fiddle, Martha Wiltshire on cello, Philippe Boudot on drums and Hannah Jacobs’ on synth and keys make this a pure uplifting delight from start to finish.
Watch them in session and read more about the tune and poject below.
About Slang (Slängpolska efter Axel Sjölander)
This track features a Swedish Slängpolska known as ‘Slängpolska efter Axel Sjölander’ which Lauren learnt from Anna Gustavsson, nyckelharpa player, in Croatia. The Slängpolska initially takes centre stage, paired with arpeggiated synths and a rhodes riff. Gradually the tune unravels into a chilled synth outro with double drum kit. The drums for this track were mic’d by using a hosepipe, a large stretch of tubing and a stairway reamp recording.
Order the single via Bandcamp: https://folkatron.bandcamp.com/track/slang-sl-ngpolska-efter-axel-sj-lander
About Folkatron Sessions
Folkatron is an Upcycled Sounds project getting folk, jazz and electronic musicians to hang out for a week and produce an experimental folk record from scratch. There have been 3 Folkatron residencies since 2017. A band, Folkatron Sessions, formed from the pilot residential and continue to release music together. Their new album, Skiver, was made in 2019 using the same residency format. An intense week was spent choosing trad tunes and songs, arranging, performing and recording them.The recording and production of each track was led by two musicians from the group . With 4 makeshift recording studios to work from, they created a total of 8 tracks and a live session.
The tunes and songs in Skiver were chosen from collaborations, travels and compositions of each musician. The album explores traditional music from Sweden to Estonia to Ireland, as well as contemporary numbers, some written by band members. As well as music, the group also exchanged techniques, with some learning production and recordings skills for the first time and others pushing their skills to experimental levels, such as using DIY hydrophone mics or recording drums through 50 metres of rubber tubing.
The result is an album with its own unique sound world, refracting trad folk through electronic, jazz, ambient, sound art and prog rock lenses.
Folkatron Sessions are
Rémi Allain – double bass and vocals. Normandie, France.
Philippe Boudot – drums and percussion. Normandie, France.
Hannah Jacobs – piano, synth and vocals. Suffolk, England.
Nicholas O’Brien – sound design and clarinet. Paris, France.
Jack Ó hAonghusa – flute, bodhrán and vocals. Ballymore, Ireland.
Lauren Spiceley – fiddle and vocals from Oxford, England.
Martha Wiltshire – cello and vocals from Oxford, England.
Joe Woods – guitar and vocals. Suffolk, England.
More here: http://upcycledsounds.co.uk/folkatron/
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