The Swedish word Väsen has three meanings: essence, spirit, and hullabaloo, a perfect fit for a group that is one part Nordic tradition and one part whirling dervish. Väsen transforms venerable polskas and marches into modern groove masterpieces, and the group's new tunes have the ageless appeal of the best traditional music. Väsen's wildly unique sound showcases the nykelharpa, a bowed, 16 string instrument related to both the hurdy-gurdy and the fiddle; about three dozen wooden keys are pressed to fret the strings, and the instrument is played with a short bow. The band emerged from the duet playing of world-champion nykelharpist Olov Johansson and violist Mikael Marin. A chance jam session with ever-inventive guitarist Roger Tallroth led to a trio that performed and recorded for several years before adding percussionist André Ferrari to the mix. National Public Radio's All Things Considered, in reviewing Väsen's latest album, Grönt (Northside), said about the group, "the absurdly broad term 'world music' is rendered useless in the face of these four musicians who play with such passion and glee that everything on the globe seems to disappear except their hometown fires. This is 'local music' in the best sense of the word -- believable, human scaled, and fluent in the international language of musical interplay."