With the new year around the corner, I feel like summing up what we've acomplished so far. To see it all lined up like this, makes me feel very happy and full filled.
Here are some of my favorite press clippings at a glance. below longer quotes and links to full text.
Roots Music Canada:“TOVO certainly live up to the hype”
Rhythms Magazine (Australia): “Refreshingly original”
Al Piffero (Italy) “thoroughly enjoyable”
Jazz Journal (UK) “The main thing to enjoy on this irresistible album is its overall zest and bold originality.”
John Noyd’s Substack (USA): “Unique, sustainable and entirely inviting"
ALL THAT… (DK) ★★★★★: “Det er dramatisk, smukt, overraskende”
GAFFA(Denmark) ★★★★★ “Et overbevisende andet album fra det særegne orkester”
Nettavisen (Norway): “Tøft, flott og annerledes - totalt unikt.”
Kulturen.nu (DK) ★★★★★“Et dybt tilfredsstillende album”
Rootszone (DK) “jeg måtte overgive mig”
Musikpulsen.SE (Sweden)( score 9 of 10) “Ett mycket bra, genre-överskridande och spännande album”
Salt-Peanuts (Norway) “denne pise gode udsendelsen”
Rootstime (Belgium) “this music sounds irresistible (…) simply outstanding!”
Heaven Magazine (Netherland) “a rather original sound that is as charming as it is engaging”
Irish Music Magazine (Ireland) “oh those bagpipes and Hurdy-gurdy make it something else entirely”
Foolk Magazine (Italy) “this beautiful and enjoyable album”
New Folk Sounds(Netherland):“The music is infectious"
Longer quetes and links to full text.
Roots Music Canada:“ToVO certainly live up to the hype”
“What I can say with absolute confidence is that this music is beautifully crafted. The vocal arrangements are especially stunning (…) The choice of instrumentation on each track is superb and the quality of the performances and the production is first class. (…) ToVO certainly live up to the hype and will take you on a musical journey that is full of great playing and packed with musical surprises. I would heartily recommend that you take time to listen to this album” (Tim Readman) READ
Rhythms Magazine (Australia): “Refreshingly original”
“Unique is a vastly overused and abused adjective in the vocabulary of album reviewers, but in the case of the award-winning 10-piece Danish band known as Tone of Voice Orchestra it’s genuinely applicable. (…) TOVO brings together refreshingly original compositions and a cornucopia of styles from across the roots music spectrum, in a style that’s is incontrovertibly their own.(…) “In summation, Running From the Devil is an admirably bold musical tapestry that sashays between the contemporary and the past as the Tone of Voice Orchestra seamlessly blends Scandinavian and global influences via irresistible grooves and hooklines, lush instrumental textures, improvised solos, and moments of stillness and intimacy.”
(Tony Hillier) Print only
RootsTime (Belgium)“this music sounds irresistible (…) simply outstanding!”
“powerful vocals go hand in hand with organic-sounding melodies, sophisticated arrangements, and boundary-crossing danceability. All of that is abundantly present here. At one moment you’re reminded of klezmer music, the next it sounds as if the voices have been imported from the Gregorian calendar, or as if the jazzy folk of Scandinavia has been given new life. It is precisely this variation in approach that makes the album so captivating,” (originally in Belgian) Dani Hayvaert READ
Jazz Journal (UK) “this irresistible album is its overall zest and bold originality”
There is a wonderful combination here of wildness and discipline, of rolling danceable rhythms (Running From The Devil, Coming Up For Air), refigured folk tropes (the violin-led Belly Up, Trommedans, which features fine work from Lundin) and near-philosophical reflection READ
Al Piffero (Italy) “thoroughly enjoyable”
“Sophisticated arrangements, lovely vocal blends, thematic cohesion, and a generally light approach serving immediate, groovy, airy songs with pristine sound.(…) The result is a classic second album of consolidation (…) thoroughly enjoyable (…) In short: I liked it, and I think most of you will too. (originally in Italian) READ
John Noyd’s Substack (USA): “Unique, sustainable and entirely inviting"
"
The spirit of Woody Guthrie and The Staple Singers poured into Celtic fiddle, Middle Eastern pipes and Jazz saxophone dance among fiery folk choirs as ToVO celebrate community rejuvenating common humanity with lively individuality. Unique, sustainable and entirely inviting, “Running from the Devil” rejoices in Gregorian choruses, klezmer energy rising inside agrarian work-songs and rhythmic convictions ringing in passionate ballads and radical advocacy. (READ)
Heaven Magazine (Netherland) “a rather original sound that is as charming as it is engaging” READ
Irish Music Magazine (Ireland) “oh those bagpipes and Hurdy-gurdy make it something else entirely” READ
New Folk Sounds (Netherland): “The music is infectious" READ
FOOLK MAGAZINE (Italy) “From the opening track, “Tourist in God’s Mercy,” the album’s multifaceted character is immediately clear” READ
In Scandinavian languages
ALL THAT… (DK)★★★★★: “Det er dramatisk, smukt, overraskende”
"Utraditionelt, i respekt for traditionerne. Komplekst, men ikke overfyldt. Eksperimenterende, men aldrig fjernt. Levende og legende, men aldrig kaotisk. Og vigtigst af alt. Det er lyden af stemmer der kan og vil, individuelt og i himmelsk harmoni.(…) Mission complete. Jeg er mindst lige så blæst bagover, som med deres første album. Og føler mig som musikformidler nærmest lidt stolt over vi i et lille land som Danmark har musikere, der kan tænke og handle så meget ud over grænserne.… (Mads Kornum) READ
GAFFA… (DK)★★★★★: “Overbevisende andet album fra det særegne orkester” Nu foreligger så parrets/ensemblets svære toer, hvorpå hybriden bare synes med let- og modenhed at blive taget et skridt videre. READ
Nettavisen (Norway): “Tøft, flott og annerledes - totalt unikt.”
Det er godt og vel tre år siden jeg hilste på det mangehodete musikalske trollet Tone of Voice Orchestra for første gang. De slo meg umiddelbart i bakken. Etter å ha reist meg igjen, blir jeg truffet minst like hardt denne gangen. Hardere faktisk! (…) Med en strålende og høyst personlig miks av singer-songwriter-tradisjonen, jazz, roots/folk, altpop og toneganger fra både Midt-Østen og Brasil, så har dette blitt en sjeldent velsmakende musikalsk gumbo.(..) Tøft, flott og annerledes - totalt unikt. (Tor Hammerø) READ
Kulturen.nu (DK) ★★★★★ “Et dybt tilfredsstillende album”
“En frydefuld opvisning i musik, som ikke er bange for at blande pop, jazz, folk, verdensmusik og hvad ved jeg.(…)Det er fornemt spillet og afvekslende iderig og kompliceret, men også fængende musik, som hele tiden overrasker og bevæger. (…) et dybt tilfredsstillende album. (Bent Stenbakken) READ
Rootszone (DK) “jeg måtte overgive mig”
TOVO’s forståelse af begrebet genre er simpelthen mangfoldig! Her er skandinaviske rødder inden for folkemusik, jazz, indie-pop, country og meget andet i et grundigt gennemarbejdet album” (…)”Running from the Devil” udfordrer de musikalske grænser i en usædvanlig musikalsk cocktail og giver os tekstmæssigt noget at tænke over. De fire velsyngende kvinder i orkestret er tilmed imponerende og medrivende energiske.” READ
Musikpulsen.SE (Sweden) “Ett mycket bra, genre-överskridande och spännande album” score (9 av 10) READ
Salt-Peanuts (Norway) “denne pise gode udsendelsen”
“Original og deilig musikk med røtter i mange land og kulturer, og med de perfekte musikerne for akkurat denne musikken.”
READ
Song Reviews
Lead single “Tourist at God’s Mercy” by Nordic Music Central (UK)
"Polyphonic Spree meets Portsmouth Sinfonia I suppose although I guarantee they play their instruments much better than the latter! (…) It is a beguiling sound that can be appended to whatever you like. (…) It’s a well thought out piece, highly melodic and provocative (…) It has something of Fleetwood Mac about it. I’m thinking mainly of ‘Tusk’. READ
“Dominoes” Roots World (USA) “Tone of Voice Orchestra always musically surprises, and lyrically makes you think, evenwith the simplicity of a song like this from their new album. One domino onto the next/ That’s how castles crumble.”