In Norwegian folktales the Hardanger fiddle is the devil’s instrument. Its full-bodied sound, bulked out by the drone of four sympathetic strings, was seen as an incitement to wild dancing and drunken brawls. You’d struggle to start a fight to Lysning (‘forest glade’), the latest release from Nils Økland, a fiddle maestro who explores the fragile side of the Hardanger, along with the violin and baroque viola d’amore. It’s an album to float away on – all wispy textures and glistening, folk-tinged melodies. ‘Drøm’, the haunting opener, brings fiddle lines that gleam like hoar frost. ‘Flukt’ is darker and more propulsive, nudged along by acoustic bass and pattering snare. While ‘Skumring’ and the dirgy ‘Bølge’ evoke a medieval soundworld (Økland cites early music as an important inspiration). ‘Speiling’ weaves together reeling fiddle and more expansive textural improvisation, highlighted by some beautifully controlled altissimo from Nystrøm. But, for the most part, the instruments blend so completely it’s hard to talk about individual contributions. Besides, that’s missing the point. These are atmospheric mood pieces rather than conventional tunes. Best just to sit back and let them wash over you.