This is Finlands Shogun Kunitoki. Good psych/space/kraut-indie. Track taken from the Vinonaamakasio record released by Fonal in March 2009. Directed and edited by Sami Sänpäkkilä. Check it out. Now.

/ Mikael Nordlander.

To round out Obscure Music (slight-longer-than-a-)Week here at wotthehell, I present to you my favorite of all the ridiculously obscure genres: Finnish Psych Folk. This whole genre revolves around the amazing Fonal Records, home to the brilliant Islaja, Kemialliset Ystävät, Risto, Es, TV-resistori, Paavoharju and Kiila. I’m torn between giving you some Islaja or giving you some Risto, and so I’ll just go ahead and give you both.

First up is Islaja, with a wonderfully trippy little video called “Pete P” (pronounced pette pay, for all of you following along at home). You’ve gotta watch her rock a bunny suit:

And to leave you with something more upbeat I give you Risto, with the final video of obscure music week – “Rakkauden Rock” (directed by Fonal label founder Sami Sänpäkkilä):

I seriously <3 Finnish psych folk. And so should you.

Ogni tanto penso alla maggior parte dell’umanità che non conosce i Paavoharju e mi viene da piangere.

from Laulu Laakson Kukista, 2008.

Shogun Kunitoki

Tasankokaiku (Fonal 2006)

http://www.mediafire.com/?hdjt1ugtzii

To many, the sounds of buzzing drones, endless riffs and repetitive chords may appear to be little more that a masturbatory exercise. To me, these are ecstatic moments that put me into a mental space where music becomes something spiritual and magical. I love a well-crafted pop song, driving punk scuzz and elegant classical composition that inspire me to reach for a snifter of brandy. Well, that last reference was a bit fancy for my cruddy mitts, but it does actually happen on occasion. However, there are certain albums that whisk you off into a nodding daze where you can only focus on each progression even though you know the next step is much like the one taken just moments earlier. Terry Riley, Aphex Twin, Seefeel, Morton Feldman, Sleep and others occupy this mental suite, but another has wormed its way into my heart, rendering the others sloppy seconds in my noggin.

Shogun Kunitoki are the ones who have occupied this treasure space in my heart for over year. Drawing from the krautrock masters, Harmonia, Neu, Cluster and Kraftwerk while paying slight tribute to minimalist composers Steve Reich and Charlemagne Palestine. The band crafts interlapping waves of organ playing with sudden swooshes of psychedelic effects that are tempered by a restrained, but focused rhythms that bring it all back into your general orbit. Some psychedelic albums inspire mental sludge while others conjure lofty, ethereal moods, but Tasankokaiku makes my mind feel like a tangled army  of cheap Christmas lights set ablaze during the last moments before Santa Claus rockets down my chimney. If this was released 30 years ago, you would all revere their very name, but they are ours at this very moment and deserve your adulation. This is the sound of repetition at its most audacious and complex. The layers upon layers of organ provide moments not unlike those when you first heard your first krautrock album and wondered where in the holy hell this music has been your entire life.

Kaota veel korraks tähelepanu ja kõik imeline võib kõrvust mööda minna! Alles täna sain teada, et Eleanoora Rosenholm tuleb 27. septembril Von Krahli esitlema oma uut plaati “Älä kysy kuolleilta, he sanoivat”. Vähemalt selline info on üleval ta myspace‘i leheküljel, kus saab kuulata ka üht uuemat lugu “Ambulanssikuskitar”. Esimese hooga mõtlesin, et raudselt kõik peale minu juba teavad sellest, aga kontrollisin rada7-st ja Martini leheküljelt (mu autoriteedid ) ja polnud kummaski. Oma suhtest Eleanoora Rosenholmi muusikaga kirjutasin kunagi talvel siin, mistõttu ei viitsi seda siin kordama hakata, aga “Maailmanloppu” videot võin ikka näidata:

Paistab, et septembris on vähemalt kaks nädalavahetust, mil end Tallinnas näole pean andma.

le merveilleux label fonal, avec entre autres LAU NAU et ISLAJA (ici la chanson Rohkaisulaulu)
est mon dernier rempart de glace dans la chaleur vacante

http://www.fonal.com

lau nau

http://www.haamu.com/launau/

bon j avoue que celle qui suit est plus pour le plaisir des yeux que des oreilles…

islaja

http://www.islaja.com

OK, getting back to business with yet another current music post.

Paavoharju – Laulu Laakson Kukista
Already I’ve noticed the reception to Paavoharju’s latest album is not as warm as their past album “Yhä hämärää.” Does no one care about this album besides me and Boomkat? Oh well. I’ll admit “Laulu Laakson Kukista” is not as good as “Yhä hämärää,” but the album is clearly one of the best of the year. The hybrid of sounds that form Paavoharju are probably a music journalist’s worst nightmare. The Finnish band has a subtle Bollywood vibe, particularly in the vocals. The instrumentation itself is like a psychotic trip to the carnival that’s haunting, yet dainty. Stand out track “Kevatrumpu” is like an Indian club track with Nordic roots, while “Kirkonvaki” starts off gentle and then explodes into an orgy of church organs that feels epic. I could go on forever about this album. Just stunning.

Lau Lau – Nukkuu
Fonal Records just keeps cranking them out. Fonal (home to Paavoharju and Islaja) are the best at finding these little bizarre experimental Finnish bands, you know, if you’re in to that sort of thing. What Fonal is to Finland, Noble is to Japan (another favorite label of mine). Lau Lau’s experimental folk sound is nothing new, but the album starts off strong with sweet, moody songs. The album wanders off a bit and doesn’t come back until the end with “Vuoren Iaelle,” a strange tune that could be a church hymn. It’s still a solid debut with songs too gorgeous to ignore. (Correction! This is actually her second album. Oy, I need fact checkers.)

Subtle – Exiting Arm
Somewhat abandoning their trademark alt-hip hop sound, the Anticon band takes a more accessible, pop turn in their latest release. Subtle has always been chronically underrated, mostly by the lack of focus in the presentation of their music. The new sound on this record should definitely catch new listeners. A track as awesome as “Day Dangerous” should definitely do the trick.

Brael and Tokyo Bloodworm – Living Languages
The first album from this duo is an immersive piece full of droning atmospheric music crawling with intricate details. Introductory track “Saturn Shine” is a dreamy escapade, while other tracks like “Blue Fields” are delightfully dark and claustrophobic.

Paavoharju – Yhä Hämärää

Finsk musikk forbindes gjerne med slagkraftig, imagesentrert rock, men det dukker så visst opp andre spennende saker fra vår smått eksentriske nabo i øst som fortjener ivrige studier og entusiastisk anerkjennelse.

Paavoharju bedriver en form for psykedelisk støypop-komponering med preg av eksperimentell lo-fi, folkeviser og rock (a`la gitarklimpring rundt leirbålet), drømmende og abstrakt elektronika med åttitallsvibber, bollywoodske arrangementer og geisha-aktig vokal (uanstrengt fremført på morsmålet av yndige Jenni Koivistoinen), ispedd planløs skurring fra den type radioer man kan finne nedstøvet i et folketomt antikvariat.

TV-spill fra svunne tider, iskalde synth-vindkast og organiske skogslyder, samt undertoner av røykfylt cabaretjazz og sprelske tangorytmer føyer seg pent i oppskriften for å skape det perfekte Paavoharju-uttrykket. Den finske musikkarven behandles nærmest med ærefrykt gjennom varsomme bearbeidelser av tradisjonsrike folkesanger, og enkelte lydopptak er som tatt ut av den folkelig sakrale allsangen på bedehuset anno 1972.

Paavoharju har på tross av nostalgisk kildebruk et kontemporært snitt. De overrekker både posen og sekken ved at de pakker inn kvalitet i kvantitet (les: kompleks musikk i lettere fordøyelig popdrakt) og formidler resultatet som en forundringspakke som burde kunne innynde seg hos mennesker med varierende sjangermessige preferanser. I utgangspunktet vil jeg likevel tippe at lyttere som finner glede i Björk, Kate Bush, Schtimm, CocoRosie eller Múm er selvskrevne, potensielle fans av dette lappeteppet av en plate.

Melodi eller ikke; Paavoharju er ikke særlig opptatte av å spinne videre på de musikalske skissene de slenger ut. Stoffet bearbeides i et utålmodig tempo og slentrer alltid videre mot noe høyst uvisst. Det flyktige og luftige ved Yhä Hämärää er absolutt essensielt for selve lytteopplevelsen. Det forhindrer noe meditativt og statisk, og bringer fram fargespillet i hver enkelt komposisjon.

Tekstene avslører en sterk dragning mot natur og religion, noe som kommer til syne i samplingen av fuglekvitter og salmesang. Romantiske ”Puhuri” er et flerstemt hekle-produkt av ustemt pianospill, finsk sangperfeksjon og skitten ekkoklang. Finurlige ”Valo tihkuu kaiken läpi” briljerer med sin elskverdige kassegitarklimpring, nintendo-plingplonglyder og Koivistoinens hypnotiserende vuggesang-røst. ”Kuu lohduttaa houlestuneita” lyder som intet annet enn en vakker, selskapssyk hulder som lokker på deg fra et hemmelig sted langt inne i skogen.

Ymä Hämärää ble til i tidsrommet 2001-2005 og bærer preg av den stadige, lagvise kombinasjonen av akustisk, elektrisk og elektronisk, og dette er med på å gjøre resultatet eklektisk, egenartet, spirituelt og sjarmerende; nesten hjemmekoselig.

Paavoharju – ‘Italialaisella Laivalla’

To perfect honest, I’m not even sure what this album is yet, but it already seems like one of the more interesting albums of the year. My guess is that this Finnish group have tried to created a carefully sculpted transmission of obscured sounds recycled into fresh composition in the same style as Quiet Village’s Silent Movie.

Hailing from the forest-town of Savonlinnas, Paavoharju describe their music as “Esoteric romantic mysticism and darkness floating over deep-sea-level of the christian mind.” I think that should give you a fair idea of what this album holds.

Laulu Laakson Kukista is out now on Fonal.

Buy

MySpace

Suomalainen metsä on kaunis paikka. Eikä kyse ole tälläkään kertaa MTK:n propagandasta, vaan kaikille kuuluvasta hiljaisuudesta – siitä, joka muistuttaa meitä olemassaolostaan jokaisena hälyisenä maanantainakin.

Allaolevaa linkkiä seuraamalla löydät Sami Sänpäkkilän ohjaaman ja kuvaaman Lau Naun musiikkivideon “Painovoimaa, valoa.” Lau Naun uusi albumi “Nukkuu” ilmestyy 14.5 Fonal Recordsin kautta.

video: http://www.vimeo.com/849587

L/Z

I finally got my laptop back and have started to do some recording again. I tried to do some work on a few of the other tracks that I had started a few weeks back but the timing just isn’t right. So I started a new track last night Even You Can Tell. So far the use of the acoustic guitar has been the prominent sound source. I feel like I have such a long ways to go before the album is finished.

Lately I’ve been listening to Kemialliset and Huntsville. Enjoying both of them a lot!