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| DRYAD By Bob Moore ClemofNazareth 17th of May 2007  ‘Dryad’
is the last offering from Peter Lindahl (so far). His music really
intrigues me, mostly due to the way he manages to meld so many
different authentic ethnic sounds into cohesive works where each
instrument seems to fit naturally together. The Indian and other Middle
Eastern sounds of sitar, zither, and lute-like saz mix wonderfully with
the percussion of the tabla, daf, and darbouka to provide a rich
Eastern mystic and peaceful base to the music, while the presence of
electric guitar, bass, and violin seem to accent rather than contrast.
Other exotic sounds fill out some tracks – a zurna woodwind, eerie
viola da Gamba, and various other non-attributed percussion blend Arab,
Asian, and Indian rhythms and sounds with more contemporary Western
ones, mixed with some distinctly Celtic woodwinds and strings, and the
sparsely sprinkled English vocals. Not what you would expect from a guy
who hails from Sweden.But Lindahl is a bit of a world-traveler, as he documents on his web site and in various occasional interviews. He spent much of his youth in the Perth area of Australia, and has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East. And has clearly taken influences from all those places. I purchased all three of the ‘In the Labyrinth’ albums after hearing the group’s ‘Garden of Mysteries’ album on-line a while back. I’ve postponed writing about them because there is so much to say about each track, and because I kept finding myself picking out random words, phrases, characters, and even instruments and researching them to try and determine their origin, significance, and meaning in the context of each song. One can spend an inordinate amount of time doing this, and while it can be educational, it also tends to take time away from simply enjoying the music, as well as life in general, so I finally stopped. In short, these are wonderful compositions, full of many, many different sounds and emotions. The overall mood of this album is a bit darker and more somber than the group’s other two albums, but it is not depressing or negative by any means. There is a strong sense of awareness of mortality and of the knowledge of evil in the subdued woodwinds, strings, and percussion, but these realities do not detract from the sense of purpose in the musicians as they labor to craft their art. Seven of the eleven tracks are instrumentals, and I can’t help but compare the vocal tracks to the more sedate Moody Blues tunes of the early seventies (but without the Moody’s commercial sensibilities). Key tracks include the instrumental dedicated to the underworld figure “Nargal” in which the gravity of the subject matter is reinforced with a deep and brooding bass line and several variations of discordant strings; the short and trance-like “Jabberwocky”; the spirit-inflected “Deep Saffron” with its gentle woodwinds and fairy-like whispy backing vocals; and the sad but respectfully peaceful requiem “Farewell Little Brother”. But my favorite track is the creepy tale of the “Night of the Baskerville Killer”, an almost soft-rock tune  with storyteller narrative and
very delicate percussion that’s like an aural salsa giving a spicy lilt
to the music. I have a shorter early demo version of this same song
that Peter gave me a while back, and it is really fascinating to listen
to the detail that went into fleshing out the basic framework of the
song with the final version that appears on this album. If he and his
friends spent nearly as much time putting the finishing recording and
production touches on all these tracks, it is easy to understand why it
took nearly eight years for this record to be completed. “Dryad” is a natural follow-on piece to In the Labyrinth’s “Walking on Clouds” album, several tracks of which were recorded during the same time and even in some of the same sessions as this album. If you pick one up, get them both and listen to the back- to-back for maximum effect. I wish I had the musical knowledge to provide a detailed and technical review of this music. But I don’t, and that’s partially why I remain free to simply enjoy music and then report on it, rather than trying to critique its technical worth. This way is much more enjoyable. My thanks and kudos to Peter Lindahl for a wonderfully crafted hour of music, and I give it a highly recommended four stars for any world, symphonic, Eastern, folk, or traditional music fans out there. You’ll love this album.  peace DRYAD  In The Labyrinth's
third release is the
darker, more European sounding
Dryad, though the Indian/Middle Eastern motifs do appear in as in "Out
Of The Maze" and "Trident," the later of which features flute, sitar,
and rubbery percussion, and yet at times there's also a Celtic feel to
it. There is something that suggests revelry around a campfire,
excluding the vocals that are heard just below the surface which also
lend to this impression. Of course, the album's cover – artwork by
multi-instrumentalist Peter Lindahl – also suggests this.Dryads are wood nymphs – that is, mythical beings that inhabit the woods, like faeries and the like. Given that, you can see why there might be a more European flavor to the music. If you like Tempest, you will like this, though multi-instrumentalist Peter Lindahl is lighter of voice than Leif Sorbye, and the pieces here are wholly original compositions, rather than modern takes of traditional pieces. There are also more than a few hints at Pink Floyd, though I wouldn't go so far as to say influenced. Throughout, the performances are terrific, the pieces well crafted. And the production very crystalline, revealing a lot of depth, which helps on a release with this much texture and layers. The album opens with the brief, acoustic guitar and sitar led instrumental "Lost In The Woods" which establishes some of the tone and tenor heard later in the album. "Out Of The Maze," which is more than likely a piece recorded in the Walking On Clouds sessions (Lindahl mentions on his site that many of the tracks were recorded at the same time), is mellowish, mid-tempo piece featuring Lindahl's soft, airy vocals accompanied by Helena Selander on vocals. It features also a very nice flute solo from Lindahl. The darker textures begin with "Catch A Cloud" where rolling percussion leads into delicately plucked guitar and, I believe, mandolin. Listen carefully and you'll hear the crash of waves and the cawing of seagulls. The repeated refrain of the title at the end of this piece reminded me of an ethereal and ghostly Beach Boys. This ghostly feeling (sans Beach Boys harmonies) returns in "Night Of The Baskerville Killer" a piece that Lindahl composed with his brother Niklas (the closing track, the understandably somber "Farewell My Brother," is dedicated to Niklas) – a tale of a woman who has ventured out into the woods on a night she shouldn't have, "the night of the Baskerville killer." My favorite track is the very dark, epic, gothic "Nargal," which also happens to be the longest piece at 8-plus minutes. The dark tones of the violin that open this piece suggest something very sinister, though quite a different character is brought in by the koto like tones that follow. What I find especially … cool …  here is the percussion with its
big, rich and rounded tones. Hearing bells toll at one point certainly
emphasizes the dark nature of this piece. Oh, well, the explosions and
eruptions and helicopters all suggest some catastrophic event."Dryad" in contrast is a lilting, atmospheric piece making me think of Tangerine Dream and Steve Roach at the same time. But there is also something very cinematic about it in feel, the way the arrangement unfolds. A church organ-like passage gives it a stately aspect while the lighter flute tones, chirping birds … well it suggests peace and reverence for the darken wood, while "Trident," which follows, almost suggests the emergence of the dryads from where they are hiding. Feeling unobserved the prance about on a the lone patch of verdant grass where the trees are sparsely spaced enough to permit sunlight through. Though looking at the artwork, Lindahl imagines an even sparser and gloomier wood. With the crowing of the rooster, the dryads scurry back into their hidden homes as the "Jabberwocky" begins to roam. Here we might mention a hint of King Crimson, but there's a little more in the arrangement instrument wise than I associate with Crimson. "Muscarin Madness" is a bit whimsical with a sinister undertone. It is the third of the four vocal tracks, the remainder being instrumentals, though "Deep Saffron" features a poetry recitation from guest Stefan Ottman and a new tone to the colour palette, a slightly twangy guitar sound. Although the cadence of the lyrics remind me, a bit of the The Hollies "Stop, Stop, Stop" (sorry to put that in your head), it otherwise seems like something Tempest might do, at least instrumentally. This is a terrific release throughout, and one that I highly recommend, so do yourself a favor and seek this one out. Rating: 5/5 Reviewed by: Stephanie Sollow, June 2003 Progressiveworld, Stephanie Sollow DRYAD From Aural Innovations #24 (July 2003) In the Labyrinth (ITL) is a
Swedish ensemble that play a mind expanding
brand of Middle
Eastern/Indian The music is a beautiful blend of traditional, psychedelic, progressive and world pop elements. Just look at the lineup of instrumentation on this album: flutes, mellotron, electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, viola, violin, zither, saz, samplers, fx, percussion, bass, sitar, tabla, darbouka, and vocals. Wow!! And it's clear that In The Labyrinth are using all these instruments. The CD opens on a light and melodic but trippy note with the brief "Lost In The Woods", which introduces us to the floating paisley swirl of acoustic instruments and sitar, firmly based in Indian music but with a spacey psychedelic flair. I've heard quite a lot of Indian pop and there is lots of wonderful sounds to be heard, both in the music and the unique vocal stylings. Just watch any Bollywood film and they will inundate you with these pop songs. ITL do a craftsman job of drawing on these pop influences while injecting just the right dose of magic carpet ride psychedelia, but also utilizing the symphonics and thematic development characteristic of progressive rock. For high cosmic intensity "Catch A Cloud" and "Muscarin Madness" are standout tracks, both culminating in lysergic heavy rocking prog-psych finales that I loved. "Nargal" has a majestic orchestral sound, that combined with the Indian influences and continually shifting prog rock themes makes for an intricate but meditative ride. "Trident" is an gorgeous instrumental soaked in sitar, tablas and wind instruments, painting aural scenes of colorful Indian markets and ornate Hindu temples. "Jabberwocky" is one of the shorter tracks but one I wished had gone on much longer as it's a molten fiery psych rocker. I could go on about the various standout tracks but the fact is this album flows seamlessly from one song to the next, from beginning to end. The CD includes a nice mixture of vocals, spoken word, and instrumental tracks, making for a hypnotic headphones trip that will leave you energized and with a feeling peace and serenity. Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz
DRYAD
DRYAD  While
the first still very good album is slightly "gothic" (DCD) in a
progressive music sense, with lots of acoustic chamber music and folk
instruments orchestrations, interesting to Dead Can Dance lovers as
well as progressive music open
to any fusion, the style of the two follow ups is different, even the
same kind of attention to the instrumentation. In these two other CD's the arrangements of the music's variation improved.. On "The Garden of Mysteries" the interest for Middle Eastern (Persian) tunes was already very clear. But possibly after more visits to the East and middle East (India,Turkey,..) the melodic themes enriched with that middle eastern vibe, with at its most pure and convincing in mood in his last CD. I prefer to hear In The Labyrinth's work starting from that last CD. I can only say one the cover of the last album does not reveal the music too much. Because it is mostly a rich Persian/Indian driven relaxing progressive acoustic music, opening musical environments like the cave of Ali Baba, with no Nordic neo-pagan mystification reference at all (as I thought it would be after having see the cover), except for a few small Tolkien like fantasy moods with mellotron.... A very recommended release to anyone interested in basically quiet songs (-even when driving electric guitar solo's appear-) accompanied by varied instrumental progressive music fusions with often these Indian/Persian linked moods. Gerald Van Waes, psychevanhetfolk Gerald Van Waes, Psychevanhetfolk DRYAD
"Lost in the Wood" used to be a part of 'Nargal'",
starting with a
superb part on ac. guitar with likeness to CAMEL, with bells, soon
blend with popular Indian music. Then a PINK FLOYD spychedelic
BEATLE-esque, BEACH BOY, followed, "coming from a pop/rock song called
'Happiness' and telling the story of two sad lovers, breaking up, one
inclined towards spiritual things and the other devoted to the material
side of life. "Catch a Cloud" is not so different from "Out of this
maze" concerning the influences in the debut, then move toward
different styles, among ones from a CRIMSONesque offshoot at the
end(Frippertronic), "...partly based on an earlier intrumental song
"Lop Nor"(From Walking on Clouds)...it's mainly a poetic way of saying:
Taking drugs is risky buiness...musically, I try to create a variety of
uneven rhythms...mixing in a widerange of styles...among the percussion
used on this track are Daf dru DRYAD  Like
their previous
album , this is blending plenty of
eastern/oriental folk music with more symphonic moments or sometimes
even slightly psychadelic moods. This makes for a very original sound
mostly acoustic (but less so than on
their previous album) that is not easily described. When I say eastern
, I mean Near-Orient (Arabic) influences as opposed to most of the
Scandinavian bands - such as
Ensemble Nimbus , Uzva or ALamaailman Vasarat - that have adopted a
similar approach but with more Eastern European music (Gypsy or Tzigane
) all with equal success.
However, I have a problem with the lenght of these recent releases -
late90's release means 06 or more minutes of the same music - too much
and tooooooo long, so I
rarely get to the end of such an album. Review by Hugues Chantraine for Progarchives progarchives DRYAD Third album from ITL, and their best up to date. A very fine album with influences from Eastern and Western folkmusic. Mixing flutes, electric & acoustic guitars, mandolin, violins, sitar, darboska and many other strange instruments into a fantastic blend. Everything greatly performed with strong melancholic melodies and a superb production. A great album for you who is weak for folkmusic. RECOMMENDED The missing pieces
DRYAD
 A superb 11 tracker that
includes much sitars, dark and
haunting theatrical
scenes with a melancholic mood. Nearly all instrumental (except for
some choirs). A real killer if you like the eastern feeling. Like an
ealry 70's Indian PINK FLOYD.
One of our best releases for sure !!! A superb 11 tracker that includes
much sitars, dark and haunting theatrical scenes with a melancholic
mood. Nearly all instrumental (except for some choirs). A real killer
if you like the eastern feeling. Like an ealry 70's Indian PINK FLOYD. One of our best releases for sure !!! Johnny at Record heaven
DRYAD (In Italian) Recensito da Donato Zoppo
Svezia, India e California:
terzo album del mondo di Peter Lindahl (Vers. stampabile) Puntuale come
una bolletta arriva di nuovo lo
svedese Hakan
Almkvist con un nuovo progetto, anche se stavolta il titolare non
è esclusivamente lui.
In the Labyrinth è una band guidata dal polistrumentista/pittore Peter Lindahl, autore di tutti i brani con Stefan Ottman. La band nasceva a metà anni ’90, Peter Lindahl era affascinato dall’Oriente, dalla  psichedelia e dalla tradizione svedese, l’occasione
fu propizia per amalgamare il tutto in musica. Dopo un primo lp nel
1996 ed un secondo nel 2001, ecco sfornato il terzo. Le composizioni
sono il frutto di lunghissime sessions, durate ben otto anni: si tratta
di un lotto di pezzi avviati nel 1994 e conclusi nel 2002, nati grazie
all’appoggio di Almkvist e della sua TAP.India mistica + California acida + Svezia nordica = In the Labyrinth. E’ l’equazione che potrebbe individuare con facilità lo stile eclettico e contaminato della band. L’album è un gioiellino, non conosco i due precedenti ma il valore assoluto di “Dryad” è davvero elevato. Introdotti dalla fiabesca copertina (una tela dello stesso Peter), con streghe danzanti attorno al fuoco, pipistrelli e fosche nubi, boschi tenebrosi, funghi e gnomi, ci avventuriamo in un mondo fatato, un’esperienza che per sessanta minuti ci porta altrove, facendoci smarrire ogni contatto con la realtà, come provato con i nostri Fiaba. Il folk magico e misterioso di “Lost in the woods” è una meraviglia, così come tutti i brani successivi: flauto e sitar, percussioni africane e chitarre, violini e mellotron ci inondano di sinistre vibrazioni. Sono Peter ed Hakan a svolgere il grosso del lavoro, con loro poi alcuni ospiti occasionali, tra cui svettano il solido percussionista Fereidoun Nadimi e la fatata vocalist Melena Selander. Chiariamoci: di progressive qui c’è poco, se non un’attitudine volta a dilatare la struttura dei brani, a renderla rarefatta ed enigmatica. E’ un folk progressivo, debitore delle melodie orientaleggianti degli ultimi Beatles, della ricerca raga di Ravi Shankar, Peter Walker e John Mc Laughlin, dei Jethro Tull e dei Gryphon, anche della psichedelia barrettiana. E’ un folk naturalistico, che assorbe dalla tradizione scandinava dei “trolls” ma che si rivela in toto europeo, si sviluppa su testi ricercati ed emana profumi ricchi di panteismo boschivo. I fanatici di Anthony Phillips sono chiamati a raccolta, peccato manchi il tipico sense of humour del biondo inglese. Anche chi ha apprezzato la “svolta” mistica delle ultime Orme rimarrà affascinato dall’invasione di sitar qui presente. “Catch the cloud”, straordinario brano, lo annovero tra i migliori ascoltati negli ultimi anni; le magie di “Out of this maze” e “Muscarin madness” richiamano alla lontana i Genesis o le soste folk del terzo Zeppelin. La title-track, ispirata allo “Spirito dei boschi”, è piena di commosso naturalismo; ad essa fa da pendant il sinuoso trip orientale di “Trident”, perfetta fusione delle numerose influenze. La presenza dei
vari sitar, viola da gamba, darabuka, mellotron e
zither è un valore aggiunto assolutamente vincente; la voce
affabulatoria
di
Lindahl avvolge nel mistero; le ricche e variopinte
percussioni riportano alla natura terrena delle leggende qui narrate.
Violino e viola conferiscono un compassato aspetto cameristico, di
converso le chitarre elettriche ricordano le radici “rock”. Al sitar
spetta invece un ruolo di punta, quello dell’elevazione spirituale.Altri brani come “Deep Saffron”, evocativa ed inquieta, l’ariosa “Nargal” e l’incendiaria “Jabberwocky”, sono tipiche scorribande lisergiche di Almkvist, impregnate di elettricità e di “terrosa” sacralità. Stavolta realizzate, è proprio il caso di dirlo, con una rinnovata fantasia. Se con gli Orient Squeezers (il solo-project di Hakan) l’Oriente era stravolto da una lente deformante, qui rivive in tutto il suo fascino, naturalmente incrociandosi con altre, interessanti, sonorità di confine. Per la veemenza, teatralità e la possenza di certe scelte, i ragazzi tendono la mano a nomi straordinari come Haikara e Moon Fog Prophet. Purtroppo non urlo al capolavoro: in diversi frangenti i brani sembrano perdersi e divenire meno ispirati, tuttavia si tratta di un’opera di grande interesse. Non siamo nei dintorni del progressive ma, a nostro avviso, ogni amante della musica di qualità non potrà rimanere insensibile a tanto fascino. Ottima l’accoppiata finale, tra vocals beatlesiani e antica ritualità, wha-wha, fuzz pedals e crescendo celtici: “Night of the Baskerville killer” e l’intensa “Farewell little brother”, dedicata da Peter al fratello Niklas, sono un commiato ipnotico ed eccitante, degna chiusura di un eccellente album, ricco di magiche alchimie. Gli In the Labyrinth non hanno creato nulla di nuovo, ne siamo coscienti. Realizzare però un lavoro che sprigioni magia e mistero non è da tutti. A loro modo straordinari, procurateveli. Donato Zoppo Movimentiprog Rating: 5/5
DRYAD (In Italian)
Recensione di R. Guarnieri, Digilander Die Schweden mit dem
Faible für asiatische Klänge sind zurück. In The
Labyrinth, Parallelband zu den Orient Squeezers, schweben wieder mit
ausgezeichneten und inspirierten Arrangements und Kompos
itionen aus den
Boxen. Peter Lindahl und Hakan Almkvist haben mit den Gästen
Fereidoun Nadimi, Helena Selander, Kristina Fuentes, Micke
Lövroth, Ismet Demirhan und Stefan Ottman 11 Stücke
eingespielt. Verblüffende, originelle und wunderschön
zwischen Psychedelic Rock, orientalischer Folklore und
skandinavisch-melancholischem Gespür lavierende Songs mit
grandioser Vielseitigkeit. Mal mit bombastischem Ernst, mit forscher
Fröhlichkeit, mit lyrischer´Zurückhaltung oder
gelöster Erregtheit - die Songs überraschen und
überzeugen stets. Zwar ist der Rock-Anteil sehr gering, fällt
die Produktion eher unter worldmusic - so wird sie doch auch dem
Rockpublikum gefallen. Schmeichelhafte Melodien werden hier gezeichnet,
die sich jedoch nicht leichtfüßig anbiedern, sondern die
erobert werden wollen. Grazile Melodiefiguren, die sich vorschnellem
Publikum verschließen, um sich im Wiederhören entdecken zu
lassen. Sollte mich wundern, wenn dieses Album kein Hit wird.
Worldmusic ist stark
im Trend, diese CD geht jeglichem Kitsch, jeglicher Popmusik aus dem
Weg. Peter Lindahl hat ein erstaunlich gutes Gespür für die
beste Nuancierung,
für
tragische und forsche, schwere und leichte Momente. Anspieltip ist das
8minütige "Nargal", das zwischen wagnerianischer dramatischer
Wucht und entschwebter
asiatischer
Folklore wechselt, das hat man noch nicht gehört. Obschon die
tiefen Töne bedrohlich klingen, sprengen die Sitar-Töne doch
jegliche Angespanntheit.
Jeder Song ist
anders auf "DRYAD", doch diese umfassende Kunst des Arrangements hat
jedes Stück. Ein worldmusic - Highlight, das erobert werden kann. Volkmar Mantei, Ragazzi Ragazzi DRYAD (In German) In schöner
Regelmäßigkeit erscheinen die Alben von In The Labyrinth.
Drei Jahre nach der letzten Veröffentlichung, lieg
t
mit "Dryad" nun das mittlerweile dritte Werk der schwedischen
Ethno-Formation vor. Der Name des Albums stammt aus der griechischen
Mythologie, es handelt sich dabei um eine Wald- und Wiesennymphe. Wie
schon bei den Vorgängeralben geht die musikalische Reise nicht
unbedingt zu den Hellenen, sondern In The Labyrinth wandern weiter
Richtung Osten, ihre Einflüsse reichen vom Orient bis hin zum
indischen Subkontinent. Ganz simpel gesprochen, setzt das Bandprojekt
um den Multiinstrumentalisten Peter Lindahl konsequent die einmal
eingeschlagene musikalische Reise fort und dies auf gleichbleibend
hohen Niveau. So ist auch "Dryad" ein verträumtes Album, welches
vor allem von seiner stimmungsvollen Atmosphäre, dem dunklen
Charakter lebt, aber immer wieder kaleidoskopartige Momente offenbart,
die von mehr Tempo, psychedelischer Grundstimmung oder düsteren
Klängen leben. Hinzu kommt ein sehr abwechslungsreiches
Instrumentarium, welches von "gewöhnlichem" Rockinstrumentarium
mit Gitarre, Bass, Mellotron bis hin zu Sitar, Tabla, Violine,
Mandoline, Zither, Saz und anderen exotischen Klangkörpern reicht.
Die ethnischen Zutaten bei In The Labyrinth wirken keineswegs
angebiedert, sondern fügen sich logisch und harmonisch in ein in
sich stimmiges Konzept ein. Wer Folk einmal ganz anders, mit jeder
Menge Psychedelic und leichtem Prog Einschlag erleben möchte, der
wird bei In The Labyrinth mit Freuden fündig werden. Die CD ist
entweder über Record Heaven oder direkt bei der Band unter den
Email-Adressen inthelabyrinth@swipnet.se oder h.almkvist@telia.com zu
beziehen. Kristian Selm DRYAD (Email In
English)
Sent by Kevin Johnson, UK in 2004 DRYAD (Email in English) Hello Mr Lindahl! I am a 47 year old guy who has loved music since i was a wee lad. I discovered IN THE LABYRINTH about 2 years ago. Your music has made me extremely happy and I have shared it with many of my friends. I just got back from the NEARfeast festival in the US and I picked up a copy of Dryad. I find it to be an exceptional composition by you once again. I just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for your wonderful gift of IN THE LABYRINTH music that you have recorded. I have found 3 of your recordings and I am very excited about each one. I really appreciate the gift you have and the recordings you have made. Please continue to touch us with your compositions and recordiongs! It is a very great thing that you are providing and I appreciate what you are doing and what you have done. I love your music very much. I hope this note will serve as an encouragement to you. I think your music is very profound and the wolrd sure could use a lot more of it. Thank you very much! Sent by Dave Pangburn, 2002-07-04.
|
influenced psychedelia with healthy
portions of folk and
progressive rock. The roots of the band date back to 1980 when leader
Peter Lindahl formed a trio called Aladdin´s Lantern focused on
playing Middle Eastern music. Lindahl has been functioning as In The
Labyrinth since 1994 and Dryad is the bands third release. Prior to
receiving Dryad I had been familiar with the bands 1999 release Walking
On Clouds. The music on Dryad is very similar to the style heard on
Walking On Clouds and I wasn't surprised to read on their web site that
many of the tracks for the two CD's were recorded during the same
period. 
A
suite but somewhere an unsuite to
"Walking on Clouds". The music is much more inspired on this one, by
the way also turned onto a more proggressive trend, the Middle-east
elements are is still present, but less than the predecessor album and
often used differently as second style or supporting in the background
this mystical blend of style. 