Vidsel Test Range is the first song from the collection Made in Jokkmokk, written and recorded in the municipality of Jokkmokk, somewhere between Randijaur and Vajkijaur, in the country of Sweden and the land of Sapmi.

Vidsel Test Range is also a military zone operated by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, a part of the Swedish Ministry of Defence. As they write in their webpage: “Vidsel Test Range aims to provide defence organizations and industry with a better and more complete testing experience than they can achieve anywhere else in Europe”. Also according to their webpage (on the 19th of September 2016) the following area is not populated:

But that’s just according to their webpage.

Vidsel Test Range (Miguel Ganzo, 2016)

Here you test your aircrafts
Here you throw your missiles and your bombs
Of course we have all that you asked for
Cos we are pleased if you are pleased.

Here is joyful to play with war
Here we all believe in peace
This is the country of neutrality
And that means what it means.

Here we have no population
Only natives of the north
We are owned by the Swedish State
What else do we need to say?

Here we invest for your safety
Here we feed the G.D.P.
Here we are aware of danger
It’s too late to be naive.

Here is joyful to play with war
Here we all believe in peace
This is the country of neutrality
And that means what it means.

Here we have no population
Only natives of the north
We are owned by the Swedish State
What else do we need to say?