In this profoundly melodic collection of his own compositions, Mathias Eick reflects on the paths he has traveled—through a fictional journey from Hem, the small Norwegian village of his childhood, to the vast plains of the Dakotas in the American Midwest. Hundreds of thousands of Norwegians emigrated to the Midwest by sea in the 19th and early 20th centuries, naturally bringing their musical traditions with them. The Norwegian improviser and composer Eick, heavily influenced by North American jazz, weaves elements and structures of his native folk music into his new pieces. In the featured ensemble, he performs alongside the talented violinist Gjermund Larsen, who is deeply rooted in the Norwegian folk music tradition. Trumpet and violin exchange melodic lines, soaring above an excellent rhythm section: Jon Balke reveals his most poetic side, Helge Norbakken creates rhythms reminiscent of indigenous drums or stamping buffalo, while the creative Mats Eilertsen propels the musical movement forward. Eick conceived the idea for the album during a grueling tour of North America: "After a long period of travel, I felt homesick. However, when we reached the rural Midwest, I suddenly felt at home. I understood why the early settlers wanted to establish their farms there. The landscape strongly reminded me of certain regions of Norway."
