TAISTELU PAHOJA KELLOJA VASTAAN

Kauhukakara is a sophisticated orchestra performing experimental art music, borne form large array of different elements. Classical chamber music seems most dominant with modern jazz, these being blended with some traditional and medieval leanings, hints of old movie music and avant-gardist soundscapes. Cello, saxophone, piano, bass and singing build the strongest part of the group's musical body, this being supported by percussions and several acoustic instruments. The singing is mostly vocable music lines supporting both melodic and rhythmic constructions of the lovely jazz-flavored quartet.

The album is circled around a short "Kauhukakara theme", giving a fun association of children's television program with a start and ending music. This impression is strengthened by tracks like "Intermission", and the logical flow of songs and moods streaming from toboggan slide sessions to the evening's snowdrift blankets, towards more scary horror movie themes and concluding to autumn's freezes and cheerful pikes trying to avoid the baits during fall's fishing season. The title of the album could be translated as "Battle Against Evil Clocks", and lyrics of this second song open this statement as an objection towards scheduled hurries of our industrial "welfare" culture. This song has also some rap lines concerning this subject, mingling with dense layer of percussions, and uniting modern pop culture flavors to the vivid musical palette of this fabulous group. Excluding the more frightful "Keskiajan kauhuelokuva" (Medieval Horror Movie) and sorrowful "Perhonen syyspakkasessa" (Butterfly in Autumn's Frost) the overall feeling of this album is very tender and playful. Therefore I wonder how young children would like this music; Maybe omitting by CD player programming these mentioned two tracks this album could work as nice music for playing or drawing with kids. For grownups there are interesting arrangements and intelligent music found, allowing relief from the troubling treadmills of general adulthood life.

Though playfulness and naivism are characteristics for this music, it is however evident that the musicians are very talented and have academic musical education. Most of the songs consist only from few composed themes, which often possess quite complex rhythms, long melodic lines and peculiar arrangements. The compositions often repeat such themes with slight variations, and the music sounds accessible when the ears are open to the basic sound pulsed by the heart of this lovely "Enfant Terrible". As there are no drums, the rhythm is mostly driven by melodic instruments, excluding some moments bombarded with percussions, handclaps and vintage synthesizer beats. Acoustic-oriented quartet offers the musicians a possibility to stretch out towards larger sonic territories with their instruments, talent and imagination. The musical precision is accompanied with total relaxation for playing (in all meanings of the word), and the band's concept is underlined with beautiful album artwork and costumes, which are also part of the live performances. I was privileged to see them perform at a lovely hippie park festival here in Finland, and got very happy of that occasion and gained awareness of this cheerful music.

There's not much to be added to the excellent - and very warm - review by Eetu, who's also responsible of the artist biography. I had ordered this Finnish debut to the library (that I work in) years ago but haven't listened to it before now. Jazz is the main category in which this is eventually placed in libraries, but the acoustically oriented, very original and boundary-free music resembles also chamber music with some medieval flavour here and there. Avant-Prog is a good choice, but it's nevertheless quite easy music to get into, thanks to the light and joyful atmosphere. I agree with Eetu that children might enjoy it too. Most of it would work well as a soundtrack for some animation emphasized on non- verbal storytelling instead of dialogue. The main instruments are saxophones, cello, keyboards and acoustic bass. Also female voice is used as an instrument, but to some extent there are minor sections for worded vocals (for both sexes). Now that I think of it, the band's name (= Enfant terrible) and slightly disturbing cover art, together with the RIO/Avant subgenre, can raise some unjustified prejudice.

From the prog genre one might mention bands such as MANEIGE, FLAIRCK and MALICORNE that have soundwise some faint similarities. One track ends with a noisy laughter - an association to Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Welcome to the Pleasure Dome' finale which otherwise is naturally as far from this music as it can be! The 8th track (= Butterfly in Autumn Frost) is the calmest one, sorrowful as Eetu puts it. I got some associations towards serene, modern chamber jazz of the ECM label.

Perhaps the light naivety (with vocalise in unisono) is too present throughout the album. A nice acquaintance anyway, and I'll hopefully manage to listen to their second album soon. 3½ stars.