Fränder – Fränder II (Nordic Notes, 2023)
Fränder is a youthful folk ensemble with members from Sweden and Estonia. In their sophomore album, Fränder II, the quintet, spearheaded by the Dluzewski siblings, purposefully takes on the challenge to surpass the conventional norms of traditional folk music, constructing a unique and captivating set of songs. Multi-instrumentalist Gabbi Dluzewski emphasizes, “This isn’t about tradition; it’s about us, about today.”
Following the paths of iconic acts such as Hedningarna, Garmarna, and Hoven Droven, Fränder injects fresh dimensions into Scandinavian folk music, drawing inspiration from rock and folk-rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull, and even the Beatles.
Notably, despite their exclusive use of acoustic instruments, the band succeeds in infusing the energy of rock into their music. Gabbi adds: “Even though the band plays exclusively on acoustic instruments, it rocks!” Indeed, Fränder delivers a fantastic, stellar set of masterfully songs with engaging vocals, scorching fiddles, evocative flutes, and a powerful rhythm section.
In order to achieve the desired rock energy sound, the production and sound engineering for Fränder II was turned over to Daniel Bergstrand, widely recognized as Sweden’s leading producer of heavy metal sounds. The album’s ten tracks were meticulously recorded in a state-of-the-art studio in Stockholm. Significantly, the drums on the album were played by the renowned Björn Tollin, a foundational member of the iconic band Hedningarna, who played a pivotal role in transforming the Nordic folk landscape during the 1990s with his groundbreaking drumming.
Turning to their history, Fränder was formed in 2015. The quintet released their debut album, Fränder I, in 2017. Despite their relative obscurity at the time, they embarked on a successful global tour, performing in Japan, Guatemala, Canada, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. Additionally, they curated their own festival in Sweden.
Delving into the roots of the Dluzewski siblings, Gabbi and Daniel along and their sister Natasja Dluzewska, grew up in Håga, a village with a rich history dating back to Scandinavia’s Viking era during the Bronze Age. Their childhood was marked by the presence of a 9th-century fortress ruin and the Viking king Björn’s burial mound. Håga, situated near Uppsala, was once Sweden’s primary gold-producing region before overexploitation and looting brought an end to that era.
Fränder’s musical influences span a broad spectrum of genres, encompassing rock, jazz, and Western classical music, discovered through their parents’ diverse record collection. Before forming Fränder, Gabbi and Daniel Dluzewski spent several years performing in their rock band. Gabbi holds a degree in traditional Swedish music from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Stockholm and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in traditional Nordic music at the prestigious Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Meanwhile, his wife, Säde Tatar, the flutist of Fränder, also studied in Stockholm and obtained a degree in traditional Estonian music from the Viljandimaa Academy of Culture at the University of Tartu in her native Estonia. Simultaneously, Daniel pursued jazz bass studies at Örebro University.
Musicians: Säde Tatar on flute, bagpipes, jaw harps; Natasja Dluzewska on vocals & fiddle; Gabbi Dluzewski on Swedish låtmandola, percussion & vocals; Daniel Dluzewski on bass and vocals; Björn Tollin on percussion; Andreas Berglund on additional percussion); and Valter Kinbom on darbuka and alludu.
Buy Fränder II.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.