Hållbus Totte Mattson
Encyclopedia
Hållbus Totte Mattson is a multi-instrumentalist
folk
musician
from Dalarna
, Sweden
. Mattson's instruments include the lute
, baroque lute, mandora
, bass mandora, hummel
, classical guitar
, baroque guitar
Mora-oud, accordion
, Swedish dulcimer, hurdy gurdy
and vocals.
Mattson was a founding member in 1980 of the seminal Swedish folk ensemble Groupa along with Mats Edén. In 1987, Mattson, Anders Stake (now Anders Norudde
) and percussionist Björn Tollin formed the band Hedningarna
in order to explore the possibilities of developing a new musical style based on elements of traditional music. The group wrote and played a major part of the music to theatre project Den stora vreden (rough translation: The Great Wrath) at Gävleborgs folkteater (the county theatre of Gävleborg
), first time performed in 1988, that attracted much attention. A fairly large portion of the music on their first record was originally performed in that play.
Mattson has also participated in the Swedish musical and dance ensemble Boot with Ola Bäckström (viola d'amore
, bouzouki
) and Björn Tollin (percussion).
In 1999, Mattson and Stefan Brisland-Ferner of Garmarna
began collaborating on a musical project that would involve a novel use of hurdy gurdies, which would expand on the idea that the hurdy gurdy was the medieval equivalent of a synthesizer. In 2005, they released their first album under the name "Hurdy-Gurdy", titled "Prototyp." The album consists of twelve traditional and original songs, played entirely on two Swedish hurdy gurdies by Brisland-Ferner and Mattson. Specialized recording and computer editing techniques were used to produce a number of unique musical effects.
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
from Dalarna
Dalarna
', English exonym: Dalecarlia, is a historical province or landskap in central Sweden. Another English language form established in literature is the Dales. Places involving the element Dalecarlia exist in the United States....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Mattson's instruments include the lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
, baroque lute, mandora
Mandora
A mandora is a type of lute. The terms referred to different instruments at different periods in history.-Treble instrument:During the Renaissance, the term mandore was applied to the treble lute and in such usage it is difficult to distinguish from the mandola, the simple lute that is the ancestor...
, bass mandora, hummel
Hummel (instrument)
The hummel is an old Swedish stringed instrument similar to an older type of zither and is related to the Norwegian langeleik. The name is thought to come from the German word hummel, meaning "bumblebee", referring to the droning sound created by the accompaniment strings.-History:The hummel is...
, classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
, baroque guitar
Baroque guitar
The Baroque guitar is a guitar from the baroque era , an ancestor of the modern classical guitar. The term is also used for modern instruments made in the same style....
Mora-oud, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, Swedish dulcimer, hurdy gurdy
Hurdy gurdy
The hurdy gurdy or hurdy-gurdy is a stringed musical instrument that produces sound by a crank-turned rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to a violin...
and vocals.
Mattson was a founding member in 1980 of the seminal Swedish folk ensemble Groupa along with Mats Edén. In 1987, Mattson, Anders Stake (now Anders Norudde
Anders Norudde
Anders Norudde is a Swedish folk musician, multi-instrumentalist, and luthier.After finishing school, Anders took a job at the ironworks in Degerfors, where, in his spare time, he practiced orienteering and played rock music on the guitar...
) and percussionist Björn Tollin formed the band Hedningarna
Hedningarna
Hedningarna is a Swedish and, for some years partly Finnish, folk music band that mixes electronics and rock with elements from old Scandinavian folk music. Their music features Yoik or juoiggus, a traditional Sami form of song.-History:...
in order to explore the possibilities of developing a new musical style based on elements of traditional music. The group wrote and played a major part of the music to theatre project Den stora vreden (rough translation: The Great Wrath) at Gävleborgs folkteater (the county theatre of Gävleborg
Gävleborg County
Gävleborg County is a county or län on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders to the counties of Uppsala, Västmanland, Dalarna, Jämtland and Västernorrland. The capital is Gävle.- Administration :...
), first time performed in 1988, that attracted much attention. A fairly large portion of the music on their first record was originally performed in that play.
Mattson has also participated in the Swedish musical and dance ensemble Boot with Ola Bäckström (viola d'amore
Viola d'amore
The viola d'amore is a 7- or 6-stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin.- Structure and sound :...
, bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
) and Björn Tollin (percussion).
In 1999, Mattson and Stefan Brisland-Ferner of Garmarna
Garmarna
Garmarna is a Swedish folk rock band. Their songs are mainly old Scandinavian ballads.- Biography :Garmarna was founded in 1990. Stefan Brisland-Ferner, Gotte Ringqvist and Rickard Westman were inspired by old Swedish music, which they had heard in a theatre. They began searching for old tunes and...
began collaborating on a musical project that would involve a novel use of hurdy gurdies, which would expand on the idea that the hurdy gurdy was the medieval equivalent of a synthesizer. In 2005, they released their first album under the name "Hurdy-Gurdy", titled "Prototyp." The album consists of twelve traditional and original songs, played entirely on two Swedish hurdy gurdies by Brisland-Ferner and Mattson. Specialized recording and computer editing techniques were used to produce a number of unique musical effects.
Discography
- Av Bara Farten (with Groupa), 1982
- Vildhonung (with Groupa), 1985
- Utan Sans (with Groupa), 1989
- Hedningarna (with Hedningarna), 1989
- Månskratt (with Groupa and Lena Willemark), 1990
- Kaksi (with Hedningarna), 1991
- Trä (with Hedningarna), 1994
- Kruspolska: SASHA mixes, 1994
- Hippjokk (with Hedningarna), 1997
- Karelia Visa (with Hedningarna), 1999
- Virvla (with Boot), 1999
- 1989-2003 (with Hedningarna), 2003
- Prototyp (Hurdy-Gurdy, with Stefan Brisland-Ferner), 2005
- Soot (with Boot), 2010