“A slow air is a type of tune in Irish Traditional Music marked by the absence of strict metre or structure, melodically "open ended" and generally derived from the melody of a sung song but instead played on a solo melodic instrument. The melodies are often drawn from the sean-nós solo singing tradition.”

Nyahh Records is delighted to share with you it’s second instalment of our Trad Series. This time we bring you a collection of traditional fiddle tunes called Slow Airs. Slow Airs differ from other Irish trad tunes as Airs are more contemplative, melancholy and the style is based more on the singing style of Sean-nos. Other traditional tunes like jigs, reels, hornpipes and marches are meant for dancing. Much like the sean-nos singing, slow airs are for listening and are prone to evoke many emotions, either reflective or sad and give the listener a chance to sit quietly listening, almost in a meditative state. It would not be uncommon in a pub during an air to see some fella or other having a little cry in to his pint during the playing of an air.

Much like ‘A Collection of songs in the traditional and sean-nos style’, where the singers mostly recorded the songs themselves on phones or digital recorders, the musicians have done the same. This has produced a very warm and roomy set of recordings. No effects or too much mixing. Just the raw sound of the playing in a room.