Among the leaders in taking the new nordic music brand to a wider world audience, the Danish/Swedish roots trio, Dreamers’ Circus have been threatening an international breakthrough following extensive touring in the USA, Europe and Japan over recent times. Marking a ten-year anniversary with the release of their fourth album, Blue White Gold they continue champion their unique blend of music which strives to invoke a place of freedom and are well set to solidify a growing international reputation.
Released on 29th May through Vertical Records, Blue White Gold is an album of instrumental music that is almost genre defying. Elements of folk, of classical and of contemporary music are tinged with jazz-flavoured inflections but whatever the various bits that go into it, the end result is an eclectic and occasionally beautiful collection of tunes for our times- musical mercury. The first single from the album The World was Waiting is a jaunty optimistic ear-worm that could conceivably infect radio airwaves all summer, complete with a video which features a cast of fans from across six continents, who responded to the band’s call to ‘whistle for us for a better future’ during Covid-19 lockdown.
Titles like When All this is Over hint at better days to come. There is evidence of the band’s folk and traditional roots in their lyrical take on the Nordic folk song North of Trondheim and in their bold interpretation of the Faroese ballad Brestiskvaedi. A waltz on the record is dedicated to the Japanese animation director, Hayao Miyazaki, who ranks among the bands fanbase. Another is inspired by the Danish tradition of specially composed wedding tunes celebrates the recent marriage of a band member.
Dreamers’ Circus take their inspiration from all over. This is folk music for 2020 but it is other things also. Having emerged from a traditional music background and while retaining a deep respect for many aspects of tradition they have in their own way moved it onwards and developed a style of music making that refuses to be constrained or limited – instead they innovate and challenge, adding ideas from other genres and continue to evolve.
Band members, Nikolaj Busk (piano and accordion), Ale Carr (cittern) and Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen (fiddle) said:
Since we started playing together we’ve travelled widely with our music and it is sometimes when you travel farthest that you come to realise how much you value wherever it is that you call home. While travel opens up new vistas and ideas it also encourages reflection on where you come from. So here while we continue opening new ground in our music, we also give a nod to the familiar by including some traditional Nordic tunes, the music we are rooted in and the music that brought us together to begin this journey some ten years ago.
Clearly the journey goes on and Dreamers’ Circus continue to break new ground and explore musical boundaries with the release of this twelve-track album. The Blue White Gold colours referred to in the album title suggest the elements – air, water, fire, mineral. This is an album of music from Denmark that is at once elemental, essential and precious.