Thomas Roth – Maskenball (MIG, 2026)
On Maskenball (Masquerade Ball), Thomas Roth steps into a candlelit hall of echoes. Roth, a German virtuoso on the nyckelharpa, (a Swedish instrument built for communal music-making) plays as if he’s carrying a map of the Baltic and the North Sea in his hands, tracing coastlines with every bow stroke.
What characterizes this album is its sense of cultural crossroads. Western classical influences appear then give way to lively pieces that flirt with modern, catchy beats, as if a village fiddle tune wandered into a contemporary club. On top of that, Roth introduces Celtic airs and progressive rock colors.
On Maskenball, Roth pursues new ideas for the instrument and expands his roster of collaborators. “On my journey with the nyckelharpa, I have broken new ground with my new album ‘Maskenball’. There are musical surprises and collaborations with extremely interesting guest musicians. For the visual accompaniment to the title track ‘Maskenball’, I produced a fantastic music video under the direction of Alex Krull, which wonderfully reflects the song and the mood of the music.”
The “Maskenball” video includes appearances by Zoe Marie Federoff and Donny Burbage of Cradle of Filth. Roth also enlisted vocalist Elina Siirala (Leaves’ Eyes, Atrocity) for the song “Jerusalem.”
Roth has built his career around placing the nyckelharpa in fresh settings and collaborations with artists representing diverse musical genres. “Basically, my work involves constantly placing the nyckelharpa, with its long tradition, in new musical contexts. The results are always totally exciting. As are the encounters with musicians from various musical genres whom I meet and work with.”
He helped found the German group Geyers, later known as Geyers Schwarzer Haufen from 1983. He is a pioneer in fusing rock with medieval music through instruments such as hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, and nyckelharpa. Geyers Schwarzer Haufen disbanded in 2014 after the accidental death of drummer Jost Pogrzeba. Roth later toured extensively with Blackmore’s Night, the project led by former Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and vocalist Candice Night, known for mixing rock and folk with Renaissance-era influences.
Musicians: Thomas Roth on nyckelharpa; Jonah Weingarten on orchestration; Mischa Marcks on bass; Joris Nijenhuis on drums, percussion; Milan Cimfe on arrangement, bass, drums; Deandre T. Jones on piano; Elina Siirala on guest vocals; Frank Tischer on piano, orchestration; Horst Hamovetz on guitar; Sigi Hoch on solo guitar; Arnd Fuchs on bass; Simon Protzer on drums; Steffen Burkhardt on keyboards; Florian Ewert on additional guitars; Geoff Cripps on guitars, bass; Linda Simmonds on bodhran, mandolin; Kate Strudwick on flute, recorders; Meriel Field on violin; Chris Jones on accordion, flute.
Track list:
- Le Grand Louis 04:37
- Maskenball 05:28
- Jerusalem 04:46
- Tanz 03:18
- Welsh Air 04:08
- Der Mann aus Halle 04:19
- Swedish Pictures 06:31
- Seasick Sailor 04:40
- Ingredients 06:38
Buy Maskenball.
Author: Madison Quinn
