Things are moving very quickly for Eihwar: the electro-pagan duo had Petit Bain packed to the rafters less than a year and a half ago and, as the saying goes, “we're gonna need a bigger drakkar”. To kick off their European Pagan Folk Nights tour, Eihwar played at La Machine du Moulin Rouge in Paris – a venue roughly twice the size of Petit Bain – for a repeat of their last gig, with Mira Ceti once again opening.
MIRA CETI
The combination of Eihwar’s frenetic and playful dances with Mira Ceti’s more introspective world may come as a surprise, yet it is a fitting one: immersing oneself in her world can be seen as a meditative interlude before the big party. In any case, both projects share a taste for storytelling – the kind of tales passed down around the fireside. On Mira Ceti’s recent EP, Ament, she was telling the stories of the Arapaho, Native Americans from Wyoming and Colorado, known for their Sun Dance and slaughtered at the end of the 19th century.
Mira Ceti’s music thus revives the memory of oppressed indigenous peoples, and a contemplative atmosphere takes hold from the very first moments of the concert, in the dim light, when the singer appears beneath the arch that serves as the backdrop, immediately evoking a passage between two worlds: one very real and the other more dreamlike. The setting is simple, yet it is enough to create a timeless atmosphere. Among other things, she sings the traditional song Ani Kuni, an atmospheric lament whose silences seem to give the spirits the space they need to join us.
Before an attentive audience, her voice cuts through the darkness. Everyone falls silent, listening intently. There is a solemnity and elegance that command respect. Here, the artist serves as a vessel for the voices of spirits, for the stories she conveys to us. Her words fill the space, underpinned by layers of synthesiser whose atmospheric haze is occasionally pierced by subtle percussion. The people who have come to dance stand still, partly because they know the party will start later, but also because something is happening that captures their attention; they hold their breath as if at a timeless, mystical ceremony.
EIHWAR
So, naturally, when Eihwar takes to the stage, it’s an explosion. All that energy and tension that’s been building since the start of the evening can finally be released. Eihwar’s rise cannot be measured solely by the ever-growing size of the stages on which the duo performs, nor by the ever-growing crowds who come to share this moment of spontaneous letting go. This first date of the tour showcases a new stage design, featuring LED bars that dominate the stage. Their shape evokes ancient things, like stakes driven into the ground, but the lights and colours they project are resolutely modern and reflect what Eihwar offers, with its traditional imagery propelled into the 21st century. This visual ambition ultimately echoes their second album, Hugrheim, which is also richer musically and thematically.
Their faces are hidden. Mark bangs on things, Asrunn dashes about the stage (and bangs on things too). One wears a metal helmet, the other an animal skull. The duo works very well together, with Mark’s dark, austere silhouette contrasting with Asrunn’s more exuberant dancing; she really gives it her all to connect with the audience despite the height of the stage. Then comes the moment to ask THE question that some are still wondering: where does Eihwar’s success come from? How is it that this thing that came out of nowhere is such a hit? Well, if their unusual mix wasn’t enough for you, you just need to see them live to understand.
Indeed, their energy is infectious and they're instantly likeable. It’s impossible to resist this mix of efficiency, refreshing freedom and warm communication – where they couldn’t care less about the rules to follow or grown-ups’ pompous words like ‘credibility’. You just want to love them. You might grumble, or be a big bearded Viking with a real horn for drinking real mead, but sometimes you just can’t stop your little bum-bum to wiggle – it’s irresistible. And then, once the pretentious posturing is cast aside, once the primitive value judgements—which claim that an uninhibited approach is incompatible with ‘respectable’ work—are set aside, what Eihwar offers is actually genuinely interesting. With few gimmicks, the duo evokes emotions, touching dreamlike and poetic imagery wrapped in a desire to party together. The modesty of the concept does not detract from its depth.
The show gives us a breather. Mark steps away from the back of the stage and comes to play the lute, closer to us. Asrunn sits down, the lights dim for an intimate acoustic interlude in this vast hall. Time flies by without us realising it; the duo gives us activities to do all together, such as the unmissable “everyone crouch down and then we all jump together” – surprisingly well-followed right to the back of the hall. Asrunn announces there’s only one song left, “two if you behave youselves”. Eh? What? Phew, she corrects herself: “I mean, two if you wreak havoc”. We were worried for a moment; we could have missed out on our two bonus tracks! It’s only the first gig of the tour, and with all the excitement and everything, we’ll let them get away with saying whatever they like! The roles switch for the duration of a track; Mark takes centre stage, whilst Asrunn goes off to bang on Mark’s toys at the back.
It’s all great fun, dynamic and not without a real sense of poetry. But we already knew that. What’s striking when you see them on stage is how, in such a short space of time, Eihwar has managed to refine their live show to demonstrate a stage presence that matches their meteoric rise to fame. These two aren’t ripping us off; they’re genuinely committed to delivering a polished performance as well as a good time. That’s also where their talent lies: maintaining an air of simplicity and giving us the impression of being at a party with friends, when in reality there are hours and years of hard work behind it all. We therefore hope their music will resonate far and wide for a long time to come, as it will make for some wonderful stories to tell by the fireside!
