We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Wood Idol

by Torbjörn Ömalm

supported by
carl-anders
carl-anders thumbnail
jrrwss
jrrwss thumbnail
PalleSN
PalleSN thumbnail
/
1.
Suolarova 03:03
buy track
2.
Piilivaara 05:28
buy track
3.
Sáhkaguojkka 04:05
buy track
4.
Haltianiemi 06:58
buy track

about

Deep within the woods of Suolarova, a big cone-shaped rock lays on top of four smaller stones, a so called "liggande höna" in Swedish. This ancient constellation of possible ritualistic intentions is located a couple of kilometres from the village Torasjärvi. A local man recognised its significance and felt a need to build a protective fence around it during the mid 1900s. On my day of visit there were few noticeable sounds in the air. It was a cold, sunny and calm autumn day in October. The peculiar calmness felt almost close to being eerie. I laid down and closed my eyes a couple of hours next to the big rock, envisioning the people that carried and arranged these stones, perhaps thousands of years ago. I reflected upon the living conditions of that time period and what this place may have meant for them. I noticed money, older and newer coins, spread out between the large rock and the supporting stones. I paid my respect to it by offering my guitar plectrum, the only truly personal object I had in my pocket. On the studio recording one can mainly hear subtle sounds of my “crunchy” footsteps, distant bird singing and the wind occasionally making note in the beginning of the song. The main inspiration for this song was the impact of this big rock, the physical and spiritual weight of it, and the pleasant eeriness I felt on the occasion.

Piilivaara is a small forest mountain located in the south-east corner of Kiruna municipally. According to the legend, the famous noaide (magician) Piili-Einari was disturbed in the midst of a trance which caused him to suddenly wake up, run towards a cliff, leap from it and fly like a bird over the Saivo-lakes below. He seemingly vanished into thin air and was never to be seen of again. There is also an alternative tale to the story whereas he jumped from a big rock located by the shore of the nearby lake Piilijärvi. According to locals, a footprint from his last leap is supposedly still visual to this day. These stories lead to the direction of this song; to charge, run and leap into something unknown.

A well-known old sacred site that was exposed to looting, mainly by a former doctor based in Lapland during the late 1800s, is located above the streams of Sáhkaguojkka in Linkkajoki (Linaälven in Swedish) a couple of miles outside of the small town Gällivare. Tree canes with carved inscriptions, a couple of stone seits, bones and skulls from animals and a small wooden box was found here at an early excavation. The legend tells of a reindeer hunter, Ráhak, who used this site as a place of offerings during the 1700s. A couple of kilometres from Sáhkaguojkka one can find a small forest mountain named after him called Rahavaara (his name slightly transformed in the Meänkieli-language). When I visited this place, I envisioned him navigating through the brushes along the paths from that mountain to this cliff. Imaginations of the life and ghost of Ráhak in symbiosis with the field recorded lo-fi sounds of the river, mosquitoes and wild life steered me into the way I shaped this song.

A sacred site is said to be located on a small ness by the lake and nowadays soon-to-be gone village of Sakajärvi. A small passage through the bushes led to a stone seite near the water. The story goes that people smeared it with animal blood for good hunting and fishing luck. The ness is today a part of a homestead in the village and the dogs howling and barking on the field recorded material is sounding from that direction. Across the lake of Sakajärvi one can clearly see and sense the Aitik mine with its dust and constantly sounding machines. A distorted mix of industry, dogs barking and water sounds was my main inspiration for "Haltianiemi".

credits

released March 9, 2020

All songs on Wood Idol EP are improvised, composed and arranged by Torbjörn Ömalm

Torbjörn Ömalm – electric guitars, electric bass, voice, percussion, field recordings
Markus Larsson – drums on Sáhkaguojkka and Piilivaara
Rachel Nergård – voice on Piilivaara
Engineered and mixed by Johan Karlsson at Arctic Mire Studios in April – August 2018
Mastered by Ronald Vikström
Cover art/layout by Torbjörn

Released by Saajon Musiikki & Lemmelkaffe in March 2020. Limited edition t-shirts available at lemmelkaffe.com Link: www.lemmelkaffe.com/sv/alla-produkter/wood-idol

This album is dedicated to the peoples of the Arctic circumpolar region.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Torbjörn Ömalm image

Torbjörn Ömalm Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

Sámi/Lantalainen guitarist Ömalm creates music that is situated in and inspired by his native Arctic cultural environment.

Ömalm is currently active in/with Ruohtta, Djuasa, :heiva:, Rävelden and MRK. Most T. Ömalm releases are available for streaming at Tidal, Spotify etc.

For Ruohtta-related music, see:
ruohtta.bandcamp.com

New projects coming up 2024-25:
Vidrig, Profan Musik ... more

contact / help

Contact Torbjörn Ömalm

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Torbjörn Ömalm, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now