Väsen: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

March 23, 2018 | Bob Boilen --
There's an abundance of jubilation and glee in the strums, trills, double stops and drones from the Swedish instrumental band Väsen. The trio came to the Tiny Desk with just three instruments, but all together it was a 30-string sonic blast of 12-string guitar, viola and nyckelharpa (a fiddle with keys - think 15th century keytar).
Guitarist Roger Tallroth, violist Mikael Marin and nyckelharpist Olov Johansson have been a touring troupe for more than 25 years with 18 albums filled with adventure, amusement and virtuosity. They span the wide emotional range of Swedish folk music, equally haunting and celebratory. There are some similarities to Irish jigs, reels and waltzes that I'm more familiar with, but this music is more ear-bending, with more surprises than I'm used to in traditional string band folk music.
Hopefully these tunes, many from Väsen's recent album Brewed - songs steeped in the past with its ears on the future - become a gateway for new listeners.
Set List
"IPA-Gubben"
"Väsenvalsen"
"Sommarpolska"
MUSICIANS
Mikael Marin (5-string viola), Olov Johansson (Nyckelharpa), Roger Tallroth (12-string guitar)
CREDITS
Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Dani Lyman; Production Assistant: Joshua Bote; Photo: Jenna Sterner/NPR.

[@kolozsboronkay9783]

Nickelharpa and 5-string viola duetting together is a real treat: but the man on the 12-string guitar with his imaginative and offbeat harmonies is the true glue binding the group together

[@48956l]

kolozs boronkay you are so right especially that last song, the harmonies he played in the second iteration of the hook were so thoughtful

[@berserker3617]

It's Roger Tallroth.

[@hissyfit666]

And the mahogany has such a magically warm low end.

[@hagfelsh]

Roger's support is so, so clever. Following him through a tune is a surprising journey. That guy can count a measure without flaw!

[@viggen2252]

Sadly he left the band a few days ago😢

[@Ch0colatepuff]

I feel like sailing the seas and eating freshly baked bread. Wonderful.

[@EVELIENNUIJTEN]

literally haha

[@reallivebluescat]

I feel like a kid running thru the hot summer fields by my house, with butterflies bies and ladybugs buzzing all over....

[@lennart2089]

There is only pickled herring onboard.

[@48956l]

Hate to bake it to you but they did not have freshly baked anything on the seas*. You'll enjoy your hardtack. *During the age portrayed in popular media alongside music like this that I assume you're imagining

[@martinan22]

Väsen means both "an obnoxious sound" and "a supernatural presence" and "the serene and spiritual part of the personality of an especially gracious young woman/girl". It is a very strange word.

[@stemid85]

To be a bit nitpicky, väsen can mean both a noise and a negative noise. It's "oväsen" that's always a negative and obnoxious noise. Inte för att göra mycket väsen ifrån mig men det gör deras namn mycket roligare och mer öppet för tolkning. ;)

[@PeterMuskMusic]

@Martin Anderson... I'm getting Anima vibes there haha

[@larryadams458]

we'd be stomping to this at my Irish bar

[@christopherreily1895]

Punch Brothers brought me here...I was lucky enough to be part of a pre-concert Q&A and asked the the band "what is the last concert you paid to attend"? Noam answered Vasen ... wow what a find!

[@omgnuub]

Punch Brothers used to play a Väsen tune called Flippen, Chris Thile has even played together with Väsen live. What a dream concert.

[@axelgillam2676]

Ah! My childhood! I grew up listening to groups like Väsen, Hedningarna, Värttinä, Wimme, and Hoven Droven, to name a few

[@wurlybird9]

I heard all those groups on the Nordic Roots sampler! Music I never knew about! Perfect for an early spring morning.

[@Keronin]

@@wurlybird9 I loved the Nordic Roots CDs, they introduced me to so many neat bands. Glad to see someone else out there has heard of them.

[@photodennis76]

ååh hoven droven heavy folk hahah

[@jawshoowa]

@@Keronin Right there with you! I love those Nordic Roots compilations.

[@c.a.t.732]

I envy you. I only came upon Vasen and then the whole Nordic Roots Revival late in life, when it totally turned my head around musically. And I also, like others here, treasure those three Northside sampler CDs... they opened up a whole world of music for me I had never known existed.

[@NotRightMusic]

More music like this please!

[@southpawYT]

Not Right Music check out traditional swedish folk music. nyckelharpa is a good search term too.

[@PublicEnemy1337]

Swedish folk is awesome lol

[@agentxncc]

They played with Snarky Puppy and it was AMAZING

[@hammondB3_C3Tube1]

木が奏で、森が奏で、ここには電気的な音は全く無い。地球の、そして、自然からの響きと躍動感（beet）が伝わってくる。 I am grateful that I could hear this play by the Väsen(Swedish instrumental band). Thanks Väsen & NPR Music. __from After getting up on March 31st in the Far East.

[@soulance8342]

Such happiness from these guys, have a great day everyone!

[@omgnuub]

Most legit Swedish folk band out there, always a treat! /proud Swede

[@underwoodvoice9077]

Well, THAT was a revelation...and it's gonna be a hit to my wallet. Thanks for this one!

[@DarkPuzzle]

I LOOVE these songs! Not a single second is boring and I don't say that often

[@mcsquared6]

You should see them in concert! They are transcendent.

[@philbates7975]

Väsen is an awesome band on every level. I know of no other music like it, but the level of the musicianship of these guys is off the scale. Wonderful 😄😄☯️🙏

[@Thebluebridgetroll]

While not a similar sound exactly, Lau, out of Scotland/England have that similar level of extreme musicianship and infectious energy. And “Väsen” would be a good descriptor for them, as well. Their name “Lau” is Orcadian for “Light” but they create this impenetrable wall of sound that’s like nothing else

[@erikm8372]

Other Scandinavian groups are good too. Some are more traditional and some are more “experimental”, and some just tread that fine line between the two quite well. Besides Väsen, there’s Hedningarna, Gjallarhorn, and many more… the Norwegian fiddler Annbjørg Lien is amazing, she also plays nyckelharpa-very talented lady whose guitarist is the one from Väsen 😊

[@adotbeck]

Just watching this on an iPad with headphones and I still nearly applauded at the end. Wow.

[@TheOtherSun]

love the time changes and melodies. so fitting and harmonious!

[@martinhjelm4223]

last song. omg the pure joy of playing together.

[@SteveG123]

Very pleasing. The melodies are simple but there's a lot going on that adds to create the beautiful texture.

[@MaebyBaeby]

So much bounce and energy for just three dudes. Love it!

[@danbarclay9431]

The nyckelharpa is such a weird instrument. So good to see vasen on the tiny desk.

[@mshilko]

Awesome, these guys playing is tight!

[@hectorratt9586]

Thank you for raising the bar on Tiny Desk Concert! Väsen is a fantastic group. Now if we could talk you into bringing in Blå Bergens Borduner. :)

[@hin_hale]

Yees! Get some säckpipa in there!

[@kathleenhannan]

Wow! I just came upon this because I am a beginning fiddler, learning to play Josefin's Waltz, which was written by another member of this incredible band. I have played a lot of music in my life, for people to dance, and sing joyfully, but I'm not sure I've ever heard or seen such a concentration of pure joy in a band. So my question is.... do joyful musicians create joyful music, or does joyful music create joyful musicians? I think it works both ways. Thank you so much Vasen for your incredible dedication to creating this light filled, humor filled, rooted in a brilliant tradition genius music, and thank you Tiny Desk Concert for giving us this chance to hear it without microphones and stages.

[@co00okies]

Simply masterful. Wow.

[@a1v4]

bästa jag hört på länge!

[@lovemonkey228]

Det är alldeles fantastiskt.

[@Sam-sp9og]

I don't know Swedish

[@anderspersson7084]

@@Sam-sp9og But you know it was Swedish, thats a good start.

[@pattirogness9025]

Translation: "Best I've heard in a long time!"

[@spicerice8116]

Jag kan talar inte mycket svenska men jag can säga detta lol

[@theMad_Artist]

Traditional music is the best. So much soul and history contained in it. An amazing reminder of how connected we can be to the past of our civilizations and the universal appeal of music throughout human history.

[@FiddlerSteve]

Love these guys! We've seen them live a number of times and they never disappoint! Thanks for having them on TDC!

[@larsengenovese492]

Amazing guitar player!

[@KevinMerinoCreations]

Very enjoyable folk music! Great technical precision complimented by engaging melodic play! Just to have fun with it ... with two beards and non, I am going to remember them as the Swedish ZZ-Top! :-)

[@kieranleopold9115]

Love the floor boards creaking in this recording. Adds a folky sense of a pub concert.

[@george00719]

Amazing playing..very cool music Like the chords changes adds great depth

[@catsimmons790]

Ogh, I adore this! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@corianderwolfgangrainbeaux]

Truly gorgeous! I’ve listened to this album so many times but had never seen them play. Very beautiful and even more meaningful.

[@melodicdreamer72]

Well...These guys just plain rock! Uplifting and inspiring music.

[@estorm2000]

Love this so much!

[@kitchensinkdramasksd5569]

Beautiful melodies, great playing, brilliant soundscape....I'm smitten.

[@nickkoinismusic5643]

Fantastic! They look so happy.

[@Thebladeshit]

Just saw them live in Colombia and i loved it. It's a truly amazing experience watching them play

[@YarYarDaBar3111]

playing gwent in the tavern to this

[@hissyfit666]

... wind's howling

[@LynnColorado]

I saw these gentlemen live in Denver some years ago and I remember remarking, "it's God's music".

[@rogerkunkel1920]

Hadn't heard them before. Wonderful!

[@hokulealinda]

LOVE them !!!! ️💕❤️💕 XOxoxoxo thanks GLORIA !!!! ️💕❤️💕

[@oddcasual5006]

I saw these guys on Live From Here w/ Chris Thile about a month ago and they were great!

[@MedSou]

That's Why I Love NPR Music Tiny Desk ❤❤❤

[@gotland151]

I am Swedish but I never heard of them before. I was listening to Lena Jonsson (if interested in Swedish folk music listen to her) when this show came up. They are absolutely fantastic!

[@vegancomicnerd86]

This was very pleasant to watch and listen to.

[@bobleroe3859]

Keeping a 1-string guitar in tune is a never-ending task. Awesome music, it made my day.

[@chitacarlo]

Stunning! Väsenvalsen is very original!

[@JeffinBville]

That was *really* nice.

[@wurlybird9]

I first discovered this group through the excellent Nordic Roots sampler off of Northside label. Sadly, the music is so good, I can listen repeatedly! It took me a while to need a new fix! So dynamic and perfect cheer on a bright day as the snows begin to melt!

[@verityandstumclellan8585]

Absolutely sublime.

[@pepegah]

I love that Olov (nyckelharpa) says that "Väsenvalsen" is the first of its kind and that they now have a song in that style, he says this without clarifying that vals means waltz and assumes that either everyone will make the connection or that everyone speaks swedish.

[@berserker3617]

Pure virtuosity.

[@aahighknees]

he's aged quite a bit, but we finally found Waldo

[@jakescheirer3022]

Look at 'em go! Wow. Amazing!~

[@wvwinner1600]

Now I need a Mahogany 12 string...

[@MrMaumarq]

+1

[@EliansLife]

He tunes his guitar ADADAD

[@silentdecay]

Metal AF in the first minute!! Excellent....

[@adetoye]

Beautiful!

[@guitarsolos89]

The goosebumps around 10:22 , just WOW. So happy I stumbled across this performance!

[@JBergmansson]

Translated from Swedish, Väsen means "entity" if someone was curious.

[@CDeniseG]

i really enjoyed that

[@andricmr]

wow at first I thought there are 6,7 ppl playin. sounds so full. Am I the only one?

[@ZSYme]

it's a good mix. the thickness comes from the tom beat and neck-pickup guitar strumming i think. but i love that 12-string guitar riff at the end

[@reallivebluescat]

no the reasonatorstrings of the nyckelharpa is incredible too . you should hear it by itself. @@ZSYme

[@ghameleon]

Totally agree. This band always feel me that

[@chimpansi2]

Hallå, från Sverige. Ni är fantastiska!

[@julienYOYOYO]

OMG! This shit is banging 🙌

[@D4rKDr34M]

This is fucking awesome, dunno if being high af affects on my decision, but I'm fucking enjoying this.

[@mmmk1616]

Love it!

[@1969gib]

Prog folk!? Splendid! Nice one!

[@karolinaeleonora3064]

Saw them at a Viking burial place at Västerås 2008. This grows my native roots deeper. It really can't get more Swedish, raw & magick than this.

[@Tocy777isback0414]

HOLY SHIT this is perfection :O

[@hcnilsson]

Beautiful 👏❤

[@FG-zw5fs]

Tack!

[@Danielnrp]

that’s amazing ❤

[@GuillermoCarrasco]

Masters !

[@louisebeauchamp3211]

Guillermo Carrasco x.

[@HoodRatKing90]

THIS SOME GANGSTA SHIT BABBBBBBBBBBYYY

[@RayasNegroOvejas]

Always good to hear folk music and the like being played in other cultures, like you do here sometimes and like KEXP do; even though this happens to be from ”my” culture - which doesn’t make neccesarily make me more knowledgeable of it - it’s interesting to listen to it out of context, creating a new one, resulting in perhaps new perspectives - - or at the very least the music reach more ears!

[@Gusrikh1]

Lovely.....

[@leofonseca_]

real music flowing

[@windeamynlinsplayback]

Maravilhoso!!!

[@jrbowens]

the best band on earth. ever.

[@gardenvariety9957]

I agree.

[@jodidocioso]

Que soye ese instrumento Nyckelharpa y claro la música es deliciosa.

[@Zernebogus]

I just found out they are coming to Portland in 2020!

[@dsthorp]

Wow!

[@symstilo1]

Reminds of being in Ireland. ❤

[@najtrows]

They are also very nice people!

[@daisytheophilus3243]

“Where’s Waldø Stormborn” -keytar wizard/ hide and seek master, what can’t he do?

[@keithgreene79]

Daisy Theophilus Keytar wizard😂😂

[@southpawYT]

hahahaha

[@poweredbymoonlight9869]

It's a keyharp not a keytar!

[@dsthorp]

Tunes under covered heads, one way or another while my head becomes less covered.

[@gesussoto9073]

cool!!!

[@CleanfieldArvid]

Yes! Now get Dreamers Circus to follow this up!

[@user-we7xl3ft6c]

ウォーリー見つけたわ。 vasenまた来日して欲しい！パーカスも連れてきて✨✨

[@2daugust667]

Top 👏

[@feelinghealingfrequences7179]

11:04 hahaha great summer polska tune so melodic after the intro

[@omerhaber6790]

This is amazing! Question for a violion player - is the bowing technique of the the violion player common? the way he sort of swings it on its pivot?

[@davidsunderland8063]

💛

[@celesteluna6834]

No desapoiments when I come to this chanel ❤

[@ageng.raditya]

Snarky Puppy brought me here

[@mogglie]

Ageng Raditya väsen is a swedish band. And i happened to see snarkey puppy playing in Sweden. Michael league told us that he had a cd of väsen when he was younger. And loved it. Andre Ferrari who is he drummer of väsen, is a renowned drummer here in Sweden and he did a guest appearance at the show. Later the whole band vasen were featured on the snarkypuppy record “family dinner 2”. :). Väsen is an old word for a spirit or ghost. A mystical being that don’t really do any harm by just is present. Now you know.

[@internednegatip]

and dat lalah hathway too... hi from indonesia

[@Woodchuck799]

This is lowkey lit tho

[@theexistentialist.5530]

kaunis melodia

[@pepe-perez]

suficiente tiny desk por hoy, estos tipos se van al carajo y no quiero seguirlos escuchando porque me voy a obsesionar.

[@theondebray]

Wonderful!! (I wonder how long it takes to tune the Nykelharpa?!)