In 1991 they were awarded a Swedish Grammy for their album M?nskratt. The jury's verdict read: "For pulling the old woolly feeling off folk music with a curious smile!"

In 1992, the band's founder, Mats Ed?n, was appointed the Composer of the Year at the "Musik vid Siljan" festival. The band won its second Swedish award (equivalent to the Grammy in the US) in 1996 for their album Imeland.

In 1998, NorthSide marked the band's achievements with Fifteen Years, a 70-minute collection of some of their finest moments and their first North American record release.

Their blending of old folk melodies, contemporary improvisational style and creative instrumentation has influenced a whole generation of musicians.

Groupa are:

Mats Ed?n, Fiddles and Accordion

Mats have his roots in the rich soil of V?rmland. A member of Groupa since its inception in 1980, he also writes the majority of the band's material. Having studied composition at Norway's Musikh?yskole in Oslo, it comes as no surprise to those familiar with Mats' playing that he is a nationally recognized master accordionist, having earned the distinguished title of 'Riksspelman' (master musician).

His violin work is at once elegant and jagged and distinguishes the band's sound with his own combination of the sounds of V?rmland and of Norway. Mats' third solo album Milvus (with Jonas Simonson) has recently been released on the ECM label. He has also toured the USA and Europe with Ale M?ller and Lena Willemark in the ECM project Nordan.

Jonas Simonson, Flutes and Bass Saxophone

Jonas have a completely unique and profoundly personal approach to playing the flutes along with the bass saxophone. He began with classical training, but converted to Swedish Folk Music and hasn't been the same since (neither has Swedish Folk Music).

His ornamented and cadence-rich style can be heard with the group B?sk, a trio with Sten K?llman and Hans Kennermark and in recordings with the band Den Fule, who have a NorthSide CD Quake.

Terje Isungset, Percussion

The man from the Norwegian mountainside plains, where he left his conventional trap kit to ramble the timberline, following the voice within. With his unique collection of new instruments and free-ranging playing style, his work has become sought after outside of his native Norway, as witnessed with the group Okuta Percussion where he worked alongside percussionists from Nigeria and Australia.

He has also collaborated with Knut Reiersrud, Utla, Isglem and Orleysa. In 1996 he was named "Musician of the Year" at the Vossa Jazz Festival in Norway. Having worked on over 25 CD releases, he released his first solo album Rejse on the Nor-CD label in 1998, and in 2000 he released the second solo CD Floating Rhythms.

Isungset is a pioneer in ice instruments and this far he has released two CD?s with ice music, Iceman Is (2002) and Igloo (2006). 

Av Bara Farten (Amigo Music, 1983)

Vildhonung (Amigo Music, 1985)

Utan Sans (Amigo Music AMCD 721, 1988)

Månskratt, with Lena Willemark (Amigo Music AMCD 725, 1990)

Imeland (Amigo AMCD 730, 1995)

Fifteen Years (NorthSide NSD6015, 1997), retrospective compilation

Lavalek (Europe: Xource/ North America: NorthSide NSD6030, 1999)

Av Bara Farten (Amigo Music 729,). Reissued together with Vildhonung.

Fjalar (Xource 134, 2002)

Willmans Folk ? Swedish Folk Music Management & Production
Kammakargatan 54, SE- 111 60 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone: + 46 (0) 8 673 58 54 Cell phone: + 46 (0) 70 380 93 48
info@willmansfolk.se