Spirit. Noise. Essence. These are among the most prominent meanings for väsen, making it the perfect name for this group of three of Sweden’s best musicians who have between them been featured with dozens of international groups, including the Kronos Quartet. A unique balance of the traditional sounds of the viola and nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle unique to Sweden) and the modern sounds of an alternatively tuned 12-string guitar, Väsen’s music is “‘local music’ in the best sense of the word -believable, human-scaled and fluent in the international language of musical interplay” (NPR’s All Things Considered).