Album of the Year 2017 (Fiona Talkington, Late Junction, BBC Radio 3)
"a no holds barred collection of free improvisations...a fine album" (The Wire, Clive Bell)
"exquisite album" (Fiona Talkington, Late Junction, BBC Radio 3)
"astonishingly creative" (Northern Sky Magazine)
"ranging from avant garde classical music over eerie folk to harsh, intense outbursts of free jazz, all created by fiddle and viola. ... this is a unique album, something definitely worth checking out." (Merchants of Air)
Sarah-Jane has always loved the powerful, unbridled energy of the elements. VIRR sees this raw energy transformed into an album of purely improvised, solo viola and fiddle pieces. Both her strong traditional music roots and her experience of playing contemporary music are evident on this varied album.
"ranging from avant garde classical music over eerie folk to harsh, intense outbursts of free jazz, all created by fiddle and viola. ... this is a unique album, something definitely worth checking out." Merchants of Air
Track List:
1 TIRL
2 ONPLAST
3 VIRR
4 BOST
5 MIRR
6 AITRAN
7 VENDER
8 AISK
9 KATRISPER10 AFTAK
11 RISSEN12 UNBRAK
The titles are all extremely descriptive, colourful old Scots words which originate from Old Norse. VIRR means 1. vigour, energy, briskness, gusto, force, impetuosity; 2. the noise made by an object in swift motion, a whirr; 3. by force. The titles are so vivid you can feel them: KATRISPER, wind so sharp that it feels like cat-scratching, MIRR, the shimmering of the light on a hot day, TIRL, delighting in a short flurry of snow, UNBRAK, the relief of the start of the thaw.
The cover photo, taken by Sarah-Jane, is a reflection of her face and coat in ice, ice with methane bubbles trapped inside.