TENHI

Though I would suggest beginning with their first 2 proper albums, "Folk Aesthetic" does offer a dozen alternate versions of tracks mostly from those releases, including 2 approaches to "Kielo" and 3 alternately named entries, one of which strongly suggests an error in the track listings and names. In general, these are rawer as presented here and neither better nor worse but perhaps more suitable for fans who crave subtle twists on their favourites. An exception would be "Kuoppa" which is a more potent variation on the "original" from "Maaaet". I should add that many of my top choices from the source albums are not here so to me this would not be a definitive representation of the pinnacle of TENHI.

For added enticements, we are gifted 7 numbers that are not present on any other offering and are in the vein of the early material, the best being the stormy Havuisissa Saleissa" and the eerie "Kausienranta". These could appeal to both novices and experts but, again, for the most part, they are not essential. Finally, the last 9 pieces are in the vein of "Kielo", which showcase a more experimental side to TENHI. In one case it's essentially a 3rd alternate version. GIven that the band has always been somewhat given to unusual structures or lack thereof, these offerings, while historically valuable and geared to some of the more ambitious listeners, do not really represent the entity into which the band quickly evolved, so are more for fans.

In sum, "Folk Aesthetic" is an intriguing representation of a fascinating and long lived band that hits the bulls eye on occasion and misses endearingly at other times, but always expresses the principles of stark beauty that have guided them from the start.

Unlike some artists who may be judged by the breadth of styles and moods they present, TENHI's strength lies partly in their uniformity. It's a one hour investment in meditative contemplation at the intersection of profound tristesse and soaring silent awe. To this end, while the opener is monotonous even by their standards, it does serve as an effective induction. Barely shifting in over 11 minutes, it is nonetheless an exercise in choral elegance that sets the stage for all that follows. While variation presents in the martial rhythms and flutes of "Rintamaan", which reminds me of German neo folk like FORSETI, and the acoustic amber of "Sydames On Tiel", two of my favourites, the whole would not be as strong without classic TENHI like "Hele", the ritualistic "Elokuun Linnut", and the hypnotic "Veden Elein". One of TENHI's many understated strengths is the authentic integration of voice such that I'm hard pressed to remember which tracks even include vocals. While they rarely attain some of the starkest summits of their earliest recordings, only "Rannankukka" and the closing number remind me of the type of morbid morosity that occasionally besieged the "Maaaet" and "Saivo" eras.

In all, "Valkama" offers a haven for TENHI's strengths and retrenches their mastery over icily cold yet warmly soulful neo folk, Nordic style.

'Saattue' intro... cold, bewitching voice of Tyko, the sound is launched for a slow crescendo 'bolero de Ravel' monolithic from which emerges a saving melancholy. 'Kesävihanta' grinding and crystalline arpeggio and guttural voice. 'Valkama' where twilight musical art comes into its own; solemn, intimate and airy with the piano in front, Anathema must adore. 'Rintamaan' epic folk par excellence with flutes and warlike songs that could be played while watching a warlike army march past. 'Rannankukka' continues with a lonely tribal tambourine in the middle of the guitar, hilarious. 'Laineinen' on the majestic organ which pierces a body, airy and dreamlike.

'Hele' continues on a long monologue from which the spleen itself cannot be extricated, a few Japanese notes amplifying the air; the instrumental finale gives a feeling of sovereignty. 'Ulapoi' surfs with a koto or what looks like it for a majestic twilight subarctic symphonic phrasing ballad. 'Elokuun linnut' to the choirs coming to warm up this gloomy atmosphere; simple but engaging. 'Sydämes on tiel' headline flute and acoustic Floydian guitar. 'Veden elein' in continuity on the acoustic guitar before a cathedral vocal finale, on the languorous Anathema; the fairly discreet drums come to light here, setting the solemn tone. 'Aina sininen aina' immediately reminds me of a very ethereal Enya tune; vocal guests accentuate the vibration and give the impression of coming from above, latent, melancholy, soothing.

So Tenhi waited 12 years to bring his dark post-folk with neo-classical overtones to a port where the atmosphere exudes peace, romance and harmony; less ambient, more raw, more emotion and serenity; a musical darkness brightening our brains for a saving message about time, the world, us, to believe in tomorrow with an omnipresent piano; a concept opus to immerse yourself in the incomparable and unique space of Tenhi.

That isn't to say that the release is entirely interchangeable with what came before, mind. There's a certain epic sweep and a sense of the cinematic here - like this is the album Tenhi really, really hope some Hollywood producer notices so that they can get some soundtrack work going. It isn't enough to push the album into mercenary sellout territory, but it is enough to give it a distinct flavour of its own which at least reassures the listener that Tenhi's musical development has not altogether ceased.

As the prominent instrument, piano is not as effusive as the synthesizers on other releases, but the touch of Issakainen is as somber as ever, drawing comparisons to DAVID SYLVIAN's "Secrets of the Beehive" albeit with more dissonance than even Sylvian could muster.

Your personal favourites, if I can employ this superficial expression, may vary, but I find the first few tracks resonate the most, tackling the most formidable goal of inducing the appropriate response, whatever it may be for you. The remainder are decent if less striking, and occasionally too moribund for even this project. An exception is "Oikea Sointi", which is a starkly tinkling ballad on ice, one that I would love to hear with the more typical TENHI arrangement, though it would be hard to improve upon the impact of this rendition.

Perhaps more than other TENHI albums, "Airut: Aamujen" beckons the listener into quite another realm, both dire and comforting. When it succeeds, it does so by reaching a guarded space within us that seems too personal to share, offering solace and a path to solemn disembodied communion.

CD1 presents a set of mini-releases from early in the band's career. First up is Kertomuksia, Tenhi's first demo, which mostly consists of material which would be rerecorded for their first two albums, aside from "Tenhi" itself, but it remains an interesting starting point for the band which reveals their command of atmosphere from an early stage in their development. It's followed up by the more self-assured Hallavedet, which raises the question "How long must a single run before it becomes an EP?" It boasts only two tracks but has a nearly 16 minute running time. Compared to their debut demo, this shows a bit more polish, as well as incorporating a greater use of vocals. CD1 is rounded off with Airut;Ciwi. Centred around the epic Kielo, this mini-release from Tenhi finds them getting closer to their creative peak but still not yet attaining it.

The second disc's collection of alternate versions, demos, and unreleased songs holds up remarkably well for such an odds-and-sods collection, a credit to the consistent quality of Tenhi's work as well as the distinctiveness of their titular folk aesthetic. The collection is rounded off with Kaski, an entire unreleased album, whose laid-back, almost folk- ambient style and vocal experiments makes me very glad it was saved from the cutting room floor because it can sit with pride next to the rest of Tenhi's discography.

If you're a Tenhi superfan, this would clearly be an essential release for you; looking at things with a bit more perspective, though, this isn't a five-star collection simply because the material here isn't consistently of five-star quality - but then again, it doesn't really dip below four stars either. As far as vault-raiding collections go, that's doing pretty well.