If you frequent Positive-Feedback, you may have noticed my lengthy interview with Ketil Vestrum Einarsen, who was recently described by Jacob Holm-Lupo as "prog's mad scientist." Well, he is back with a new project called +Ingelrii+, which includes long-time collaborator Gaute Storsve on guitar, bass, and percussion. Trond Gjellum plays drums. In addition to his usual flute, wind controller, and keys, Ketil is singing.
They've released a track, called Syrinx, which is now available for streaming and download from Bandcamp and, eventually, Spotify.
The music is expansive, ranging easily from a 70s feel-good groove pop sensibility to darker, more mysterious moods. There are even moments that evoke memories of French progressive band Magma. The arrangements feel simple at first, but belie the fact that the song is made of more than 100 individual tracks, featuring layers of vocals, guitars, and keys that slowly build in intensity. Discipline rules supreme, however, and there's never a feeling of excess but, rather, focus. Focus, too, is felt in the stellar solos played by Gaute and Ketil, whose parts weave and soar effortlessly amid the various sections. Trond's drumming feels light, tight, and keeps pulling the listener forward.
Ketil, Gaute, and Trond battle for supremacy in the Norwegian forest. Photo by Dag Thrane. Used with permission.
The lyrics, written by Gaute and Ketil, are sung in a dialect found in eastern Norway. Although this is Ketil's first foray into singing on record, he embodies the different characters perfectly.
The song feels like a mythological play, telling the story of a person who is lured into the woods, takes part in a ritual dance, which leads to his ultimate demise. It is not hard to imagine, though, that this is a metaphor for modernity's desire to pursue pleasure rather than do the hard work necessary for sustaining life on the planet.
Whatever interpretation you care to bring to the song, I encourage you to give it a listen. After all, it isn't every day you get to hear music sung in a rare Norwegian dialect. If you listen, please let me know what you think.
