When Ånon and Mikael tune their Hardanger fiddle and electric viola down an octave, the stage is set for the most extraordinary atmosphere, sustained by Ånon’s colourful, sensitive intonation and the no less sensitive and colourful landscapes that Mikael provides – in which the melodies live and breathe. The expression is dark, profoundly personal and original, and it is tempting to declare Ånon and Mikael founders of a new tradition: Trad noir. The musical raw material is drawn in part from living tradition and in part from old tune books. All the melodies are associated with lyrics dealing in strong feelings such as grief, godly reverence and (unhappy) love. It is easy to overplay things in such a landscape, steeped in sometimes inconceivably hopeless emotions. Ånon and Mikael content themselves with giving us a convincing insight into this universe, inspiring compassion rather than despair – and the strange realisation that such emotions can also result in expressive beauty.