Eplemøya Songlag

"A first encounter with Eplemøya Songlag isn’t easily forgotten. Seeing them in Oslo a few years ago left an indelible impression.

A trio, they used no instruments. The vocals were wordless. There were some subtle treatments of the voices: a touch of reverb. Rhythms came from the voice, but this wasn’t a tripled-up human beatbox. When the vocals – rounds, soaring passages, whispers – were punctuated, it was with sharp exhalations like hammer blows or bubbling. Arresting and powerful, yet tonally shaded, it was utterly memorable and unlike any other music." - Kieron Tyler Blogspot

(...)And it works brilliantly. I was captivated when I first saw them at the Førde Folk Music Festival some years ago; each member has a strong identity within the trio, yet their voices complement each other and give their sound a colour and energy, which makes for great storytelling and communication. This is Eplemøya Songlag´s second album (the title translates as "The Maiden and the Myth") and is a mixture of folk tales and strange ballades, with their trademark warm humour. They bring their own style to traditional Norwegian reportoire, never loosing sight of where it comes from yet marking out enough space to take it in a new direction." - Songlines March 2013

"Eplemøya Songlag is releasing a new album and all hearts rejoice already during the first song.(...) It is set for the second album of the nation's best vocal group regardless of genre.(...) They play together in a fearless mix of tradition, improvisation, humor and bisarrre stories."
                                                                                     Roald Helgheim - Dagsavisen 15.sept 2012

"Eplemøya Songlag stood behind one of the best Norwegian albums of 2010 with their self-titled debut. Let it be said at once, their second album "The Maiden and the Myth" does not disappoint. Eplemøya ´s cross-pollination of Norwegian traditional music and contemporary art music still stands out as highly modern and of international class."
                                                         
Jon Mikkel Broch Ålvik - Morgenbladet, sept 2012

"... Vocal imitations of the Hardanger fiddle is taken to a level hardly anyone has been near (...) Eplemøya song is world class, arrangements and melodies likewise."
                                                       Sindre Bremnes, Folkemusikk 05/12 - Folkemusikk

More consistently great are Eplemøya Songlag, a female a capella three-piece who adapt the traditional, unaccompanied song-style known as "kveding". Their place at by:Larm was secured after winning a competition on national radio station P2. Liv Ulvik, their most traditionally-inclined vocalist, confessed that "we were a little bit scared about how we would be welcomed. We wondered if we'd be loud enough amongst all these guitar bands." They sang, and silence fell. - MOJO The Music Magazine

A rare musical hour of love.

Wenche Losnegård and Anja Eline Skybakmoen both have their backgrounds in jazz, while Liv Ulvik has her roots in traditional music. Together they are the a cappella trio Eplemøya Songlag, and they have managed to create a landscape of sound where they take impulses from both worlds.
Already before their cd-debut the trio has attracted much attention. They came to the finale in the Rikskonsertene competition Intro-FOLK, and they won Debut09 – another competition arranged by Rikskonsertene, Oslo World Music Festival and Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation`s cultural radio channel P2.
After spending a couple hours with the girls, we do understand the great enthusiasm. It`s a virility or musical lasciviousness and joy of life in the trio that that is immediately catching. They have taken a bunch of traditional songs with entertaining lyrics that tell stories many artists can learn a lot from. They are responsible for all the arrangements and a couple of the melodies, and they goes forwards with a fearlessness and an urge and capability to communicate that inspires.
Some of the music is quiet and reflecting while other songs are of the more intense kind. The girls solve both styles in an excellent way. The lyrics are much about, yes exactly: girls – girls that both drink, smoke and … Here is much humor and pleasantry, which the trio communicates well.
The mix between the folk music style of expression and the improvisation angle is original, and the three voices suits each other in a beautiful way. Eplemøya Songlag really fits under the best and biggest label: Music, good music.
- http://www.side2.no/musikk/anmeldelser/article2865841.ece

Vocal playing with folk songs

Eplemøya Songlag scores high on every criteria that usually ensures artistic success. They stand out in the crowd, they have a clear profile in their music and they keep high quality. The (special trademark) (distinct stamp) consists of (an) a capella folk music infected with both jazz and modern choir singing. The project must be considered feministic, with lyrics about women who do as they like with both life, health and love, presented by three unusually individualistic voices that together build up and tear down myths about female vocalists. Folk singer Liv Ulvik and jazzsingers Wenche Losnegård and Anja Eline Skybakmoen create harmonies and disharmonies, improvise, accompanie, troll and create vocal collages in an impressive connected variation. It may be listened to as lively folk songs in original arrangements and as playful vocal noise kept in check by stev, herding calls and folk songs. The music is original and amusing.
- Bergens Tidende - 31.03.10

“When I come home /the table shall be set/and fifteen handsome men /shall serve me”.

There`s reason to believe that Eplemøya Songlag will have their drinking song wish fulfilled after signing for this debut album, that is a tender booze of a song treasure, produced and arranged with originality and love. Just listen to “Min pipa” that mixes playing with herding call and a capella in a way that reminds you of Eastern European women`s choir, Diamanda Galas and the richest and most powerful in Norwegian folk music. This dreamy song, or the tobacco`s version of “Draumkvedet” if you like, is the climax on an album that contains everything from unrestrained partying and strong-willed girls, to tender caresses and lush folkloristic eroticism.
Eplemøya Songlag has, whatever the subject, a power in the music and an unveiled will to break all frontiers. The trio format`s energetic composition here works to the perfect. The voices fulfill each other, and impulses from folk music and the three different musical personalities (Liv Ulvik, Wenche Losnegård, Anja Eline Skybakmoen) form the terms for both melancholy and intensity.
(…) The jazz, the improvisation and the open eye for the possibilities in the folk music and the kveding form the basis for variation and depth. An unafraid album made for thorough listening and unrestricted partying, and one of the year`s most successful regardless of genre.
- Dagsavisen – 23.03.10

(…) My God how they could sing. A wonderful mix of new and old songs arranged and performed as if “Huldra” herself was on stage.(…) If you ever get the chance to experience this group live, you should grab it regardless of what music you basically don`t like. This was huge!
- Swingnytt