The north of Germany and southern Scandinavia have for centuries shared a common heritage based on extensive ties of trade, knowledge and culture. This cross-fertilisation reached its fullest flower in the late mediaeval era, at the time of the Hanseatic League (a confederation of trading cities in northern Europe). In that period Low German was the most important language of commerce in northern Europe. It had a strong influence on the Scandinavian languages: nearly fifty per cent of the words in modern Swedish have a Low German origin. There was also a strong cultural exchange between northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. Many lyrics and melodies, as well as other cultural products dating from the late Middle Ages, are similar in both regions.

This was the starting point for the project "Malbrook". Wolfgang Meyering (North-Germany) had already been playing songs and music from northern Germany as both a musician and a radio journalist for more than 25 years. He chose traditional and/or original music mostly from northern Germany - songs about murder, jealousy and death, odd children's songs in polka style and a suite of three 'Schotsken' (a dance that is called Schottis in Sweden and Norway). The tunes were recorded with musicians from Sweden and with musicians from northern Germany with Scandinavian experience using a wide variety of instruments - mandola, mandolin, hurdy gurdy, German and Swedish bagpipe, Bohemian/German harp, flutes, fiddles, percussion, loops, sound samples and more.

Nondas Kitsos in www.rootsworld.com:

Just start with the song titles. "Strange children's song goes polka." - "Ballad about jealousy and murder." "Late medieval ballad about rape." - "The avarice of the rich sister is bringing the poor sister's children the death."

Welcome to a most exciting recording. Wolfgang Meyering is not some demented psychopath but an emotional, caring singer and songwriter who has produced a record that is Scandinavian in sound and feel, Low German in
provenance, medieval in origin and contemporary in its overall effect. And, most of all, this record rocks in the way that I personally enjoy the most: using traditional instruments (preferably ones that have not been used for
the last few centuries) to deliver a contemporary, almost punk attitude.

It's in the hurdy gurdy used, in his wonderful baritone vocals, in the handclaps and the Swedish and German bagpipes. It's in the keyboards, the flügelhorn, the Jew's harp, the flute, the loops, the harp; in Helene Eggern's voice and the combination of Swedish and German musicians who help him out. There are songs on this record that sizzle and seem ready to burst out of the speakers, particularly tracks such as "Sven Sture," "Twee
Süsters" and mostly the stunning "Winterleed" (driving the winter out now).

This is certainly a labor of love for Meyering and his friends and you can feel that on every second of this record. Such dedication to a project cannot but sweep you along into the vortex of its delivery.

If you are interested in Northern European traditional music or disappearing cultures or powerful deliveries on traditional instruments you won't go wrong with this record. If you are not, it's still worth giving Wolfgang Meyering and his bag of eccentric tunes a try. You'll be swept along and feel once again that it's really in what is called "world music" that some of the most exciting sound of our times is produced.

Available in the US from cdRoots
http://www.cdroots.com/wp-malbrook.html