New Sinikka Langeland album in late September

Norwegian vocalist and kantele player Sinikka Langeland will release her new album "The land that is not" on September 23 via ECM.

Here's the playlist for this week's radio show:

01. The Bombettes - I wanna
02. TALK 1
03. Anna Järvinen - Helsinki
04. Leütenhaven - Still life (trompe l'oeil)
05. Pay TV - Fashion report
06. TALK 2
07. Timo Räisänen - My valentine
08. Jonna Lee - And your love
09. José González - Killing for love
10. The Bear Quartet - It only takes a flashlight to create a monster
11. TALK 3
12. Kristofer Åström - The dark
13. Munck//Johnson - The streets
14. Bertine Zetlitz - Draggin' me down
15. Dieter Schöön - Warm hearts
16. TALK 4
17. Superfamily - The radio has expressed concerns about what you did last night
18. Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words - Ashen like the sky
19. Kazakstan - Song to the past
20. TALK 5
21. Marvins Revolt - Bugs in time
22. Menfolk - Ghosts
23. Pelle Carlberg - I love you, you imbecile
24. TALK 6
25. Sambassadeur - Subtle changes
26. Stina Nordenstam - So Lee
27. Tobias Hellkvist - Abomination
28. TALK 7
29. Marybell Katastrophy - Slabiak
30. Sinikka Langeland - Høstnatt på Fjellskogen
31. David Åhlén - Wasted breaths
32. Printer - Minds out
33. TALK 8
34. Montys Loco - Wasteland
35. Lampshade - Fjäril
36. NEI - Trip to Luleå
37. Laakso - Hang me in the Christmas tree
38. TALK 9
39. Honey Is Cool - Drums and boys

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MP3: Sinikka Langeland - Høstnatt på fjellskogen

Time for some autumnal music - for those that passed on reading the interview (thanks again Mr. Porter!), Sinikka Langeland is a Norwegian/Finnish artist who mixes Nordic folk tradition with modern jazz, her instruments of choice being the kantele and voice. Opening track "Høstnatt på fjellskogen" ("Autumn night in the mountain woods") is evocative of exactly that, the shortening days and the slow recession into winter solitude/hibernation. It rushes in like the wind and then all becomes silent and still. Likewise, this piece moves slowly towards a center - notes are left hanging and unresolved, the strange chords creating a tension in the air. When it finally does drift into silence, there is peace.

Sinikka Langeland - Høstnatt på fjellskogen

The playlist for my radio show this week:

01. Mattias Bärjed - 99 pounds
02. TALK 1
03. Piroth - Waltz for prima ballerina
04. Hyacinth House - Swedish signs on Monkey Island
05. Aerial - Secret goddess
06. Icos - Fly away
07. TALK 2
08. Robyn - Konichiwa bitches (Trentemøller remix)
09. Folke Rabe - Argh!
10. Him Kerosene - Ladybugs
11. TALK 3
12. Audionom - In the streets
13. The Alpine - Trigger
14. Immanu El - Astral days
15. TALK 4
16. Nina Ramsby & Martin Hederos - Jag har en vän
17. Logh - Thieves in the palace
18. Galento - Gunnar Hardings paraply
19. TALK 5
20. Promise and the Monster - Antarkis
21. The Je Ne Sais Quoi - Heroica
22. Anchor - In the throes of passion
23. TALK 6
24. Repoman - Valley of snakes
25. Ulver - Shadows of the sun
26. Bobby Baby - Do not twist
27. TALK 7
28. Superfamily - Warszawa
29. The Fine Arts Showcase - Modern love
30. Sinikka Langeland - Sus i myrull
31. TALK 8
32. Graveyard - Thin line
33. Mai - Snowing downtown
34. KVLR - Abomination
35. TALK 9
36. Säkert! - Sanningsdan

Christopher Porter was kind enough to pass along his full, unedited interview with Norwegian artist Sinikka Langeland for your reading pleasure - check it out!
As you may or may not be aware, one of the things I like best about Scandinavian music is the way that folk traditions are kept alive in modern times. Whether it's acts like Hedningarna or Detektivbyrån playing folk tunes using home-built instruments and electronics, Enslaved exploring their viking roots, Amorphis using the Kalevala for lyrical inspiration or Jan Johansson borrowing folk melodies for jazz (much in the same way that Sinikka does), there's a vast, rich musical heritage that's constantly being reinvigorated in new and interesting ways.

Interview: Sinikka Langeland

The Washington Post Express talks to Finnish singer/kantele player and ECM recording artist Sinikka Langeland: http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2007/09/spirits_of_the_forest_sinikka_langeland.php

And that's not all that Arve Henriksen is up to in the near future - here's some more live dates he's doing coming up:

With Sinikka Langeland:
(Sinikka Langeland - vocals and kantele; Bjørn Kjellemyr - bass; Pål Thowsen - drums)
10/21 - Nøtterøy Kulturhus, Tønsberg (NOR)
10/22 - Musikkinstrument-akademiet, Sarpsborg (NOR)
10/23 - Asker kulturhus, Asker (NOR)
10/24 - Grenland Jazzklubb, Porsgrunn (NOR)

With Christian Wallumrød Quartet:
(Christian Walumrød - piano; Nils Økland - hardanger fiddle, and violin; Per Oddvar Johansen - drums, percussion)
10/23 - Hamar (NOR)
10/30 - Jazznojazz Festival, Zürich (SWI)