AALTO

This might not quite soar like its namesake Icarus, but AALTO deserved to make more waves than fortune bestowed upon it. Perhaps a Round 2 is in the offing?

Elegant, sophisticated, dark and mystical progressive folk music with a touch of jazz, thrown in for good measure, pretty much sums up the material Aalto explored on their second studio album "Ikaro". And while the album isn't quite perfect overall, there are plenty of blissful moments of pure magic at hand here, in a world music and ethnic Asian inspired music kind of way. Those fond of mystical atmospheres explored within a world music context should take note of this production straight away, especially if they are fond of excursions of this kind that also incorporate a few jazz-oriented details here and there.

7. "Metsätaloushöömei" (6:26) has quite a shamanic story-telling sound to it as male vocalist alternates between throat singing and pleasant tenor folk singing. The 'shout chorus' and female 'yodeling' take the song into even stranger territory. Ends like a front porch bluegrass jam straight out of the Ozarks! Not a song for the faint of heart! I like it! (8/10) The album's closer--and its longest song at 10:39--"Kuun Tytär" is its best. Opening with didgeridoo, subtle background strings sounds and harmonics all playing over the syncopated rhythms of a hand drum. At 1:28 a clarinet enters, claiming the melodic lead with repetition of its simple ascending note sequence. At 2:10 the etheric, delicate voice of Petra Poutanen again graces us with its present. I wish I could find the translation to the Finnish lyrics here because they must tell quite a powerful little story. The song is mesmerizingly beautiful and haunting in a very MEDIÆVAL BÆBES kind of way. (10/10)

Overall this is an interesting album of unusual and often beautiful, hypnotic, and joyful songs. I can't remember the last time I've ever come across such an eclectic blend of world instruments into the songs represented here. But it works! I have been listening to this album over and over for several weeks now and each listen only seems to deepen my immersion and enjoyment of them. I'm not sure this is a "masterpiece of progressive Folk music" but it is definitely worth checking out. If you're looking for something different, something out of the ordinary and entertaining, I would highly recommend that you check this one out.

All except Rintala also use their vocals. In some cases it's Tuvan throat singing! All in all Aalto's music has not much emphasis on vocals, in the traditional song sense. The band themselves speak of tying together ethnic music and prog-psychedelia. Some of the members have studied ethnomusicology and the influences from e.g. Tuva and Northern India are strong. However they wish to point out that "it's not self-poignant exotism but making beautiful and personal music with an unusually wide range of influences". I may not be the biggest fan of ethnic music and have never been, but I do sense that they make their music sincerely and with a real passion to what they do. That's very valuable indeed, and if the listener is open-minded enough, the music feels good.

I like the many, seldom heard colours in the sound. For example 'Kastepisaroita II' has a nice bright kantele playing among other ethnic intsruments, and the track builds up a hypnotic atmosphere in its repetitiveness. Petra's Finnish-language vocals on tracks such as 'Vapahtaja' and 'Sateentuoksuisia unia' (= "Rain-Odoured Dreams") adds the accessibility, and the lyrics seem to be full of poetic nature themes. Also her voice is beautiful. The title of the closing track (written by Antero Mentu who is the most productive composer in the group) means "The Daughter of Moon". It's ten minutes of calm and atmospheric beauty. The flowing clarinet brings even some jazzy flavour into it.

Of course this music is not necessarily "excellent addition to any prog rock music collection", being so far from rock in the first place, but in its own field it is very well made and pure music easy to surrender to. Hence four stars!

Calmly waving guitar droning with hints of sitar and percussions open slightly the doors to the wind labyrinths on the title track. Fragile and tender vocals euphorically venture to the mysticism of the lyrics; A voice which also has an interesting range to more rustic throat vocals, which I first thought been sung by the groups guys only, but was revealed to the more interesting reality when observing the band performances on stage. This opening rejoices with great dynamics of both cosmic and earthly analogies, a meditative dharma in vein of classic sitar rock and world fusion music. Again the minimal composition rolls really calmly, and the soothing song maintains its integrity and internal favourability due precious solo moments.

"Dyngyldai" shows the more active characteristics of the group. This guitar led number with more audible rhythm section of the rock music reminded slightly the tones from Fairport Convention's "Unhalfbricking". Voices and clarinet supporting the beautifully weaved carpet of sounds. Both clean and throat sung voices join the fine roll upon the tides of sound waves textures. "Juuret" ("Roots") is then a real slow hazed bluesy run, with traditional Finnish vocals first forming dual harmonies, later clarinet joining to a celestial sequence of enlightenment, and having Hanna Rajakangas visiting on the singing. Following dual song entity could be transcribed as "Sparks"/"Flames", the first part "Kipinöitä" being Antero Mentu's authentic classical sitar raga meditation, leading directly to "Tulet", enchantingly pulsing drinking song with didgeridoo's and sitar's dialogues. The beat of the drum rhythms the tribal run around the pyroblazes, and oscillating vocals curve for getting higher along with the flames. Just adored this long instrumental fantasy's fine pause arrangements, repetition of the theme with reduced pace and it's climaxing to a fastened melody reprisals.

"Hyvät hevoset" spurs the fine horses into a gallop by fast guitar, winds, violins and Tuvan throat vocals, amplified guitar pouring in the rock fusion presence. The riders are unseated to the last musical innovation of the disc, "Intia". This hypnotic epic lasts over ten minutes, drawing together enchanting musical elements and the narrative voice of J.K. Ihalainen. The poet recites his tale summing together the universal aspects of the global culture present on the group's musical style, and also the personal experiences of a man of the modern time world. Lots of pleasant instrumental tapestry illuminates the yurt for this nocturnal drunken tale spinning ever more intense to the climax. Though the track is a quite interesting experimentation, it still did not completely fulfil the promises I personally anticipated as a conclusion for the dramatic curves of the fabulous album.

Overall, there is really much found from very simple song structures, and the tonal artistic explorations are not sounding neither boring nor artificially extended. The tender neo-hippie elements of this group are in my opinion totally charming, and I accepted the more rustic aggressive themes as contrasting factors, an understandable human turn sides of a coin, also being melted with time as smooth and relevant part to the group's own sound. There is much improvement from their earlier fine EP, the production now done through a Uulu label, an co-operative organization established by ethnomusicologists, musicians and professionals from various fields of cultural activities. So please accept my recommendations of this adorable Finnish ethnic music album, and would note them as an especial attraction from the local concert venues. At least for me the disc as good as ever could not match their midsummer spell from local hippie festivals.

The other tracks are related to birds by their names; "Lintu" opens with vocals, gently touched guitar strings, and later introduces drum harmony layers. Monotonic hypnotics dive to chambers echoing with deep bass vocals and tapestries weaved from charming guitar note webs. Achieved trance surges pleasantly with great dynamics and dramatic flow on melodies, the fine world music style associating with feelings I remembered from Sevara Nazarkhan's and Sheila Chandra's recordings. "Linnut takasin kotiin" calls the birds back home with guitars, wind-instruments and laidback jazzy pulsing, the evocated avifauna already calling from the background tapes. Mesmeric voices and the persistence of sonic flow radiate both feelings of pleasant safeness and estranged foreignness.

The first five tracks on the album are newer recordings, having Panu Ukkonen on clarinet, Mikael Heikkilä doing percussions, Antero Mentu on both sitar and guitar, and Johanna Rossi singing. "Intro" reveals that the group formation has matured the sound towards fusion of wider diversity of ethnic musical directions. Throat singing is more present as an integral element, contrasted with lady singer's vocals. Instrumentally the opener focuses to the charms of sitar, rainmaker tube and relentless repetitions of guitar chord runs. The simplicity of compositions has also been established, and the solution works well for the mutual jamming symbiosis and tender details, like the really pretty end sequence's silencing to the harmony of quiet bells and clarinet.

Didgeridoo blows announce the following song "Rajastan Pimp", having minor klezmer- oriented melody for sitar and clarinet. Vocals later join for the wordless praising of the Land of Kingdoms. This theme pauses after some four minutes cycling, and starts increasing pace as a dervish dance. "Vedenneito" is then a quite shamanistic song, starting with singing with ancient Finnish traditional appearing lyrics, other instruments slowly joining the calm prayer. The song dealing with water nymphs flows on one singular chord progression like a calm river, and the end maneuvers were arranged with my judgment very beautifully.

"Metsätaloushöömei" runs with faster guitar driven tune for throat singing, and sounded like a raw medieval drinking song to my ears. Though I didn't like this tune musically as much the others, I really appreciated the lyrics, which turn their focus towards Finnish forest industry managing issues, after first being settled down for the beer. It is understandable that people living global capitalistic realities have to get some income, but it is also sad that the exact national borders of Finland and Russia are visible from space-taken satellite's photographs due systematic harvesting of vast wildernesses as tree fields for paper industry. Luckily there are yet national parks in the country, and environmental issues are also gaining popularity as the nature around starts to turn as [&*!#], and the bubbles of capitalistic dreams start to burst. The last song with the first full band line-up concludes to "Päivän Poika", an euphoric trancer applying the full scale of group's instrumental colour. For me this was one of the most powerful tracks on the album, allowing traditional Finnish vocal recitals unite to global grooves of beautifulness.

I believe this album offers a soothing trip to global myths with a homey cozy feeling for the Finns, and as generally an incense flavored trip of hippie mediation for anybody. A really charming band, and though I think this hand crafted pretty CD starts to be out of stock, I would point it as a recommendable purchase if found with reasonable price. Kudos to Centre of Wood for realizing the potential value of this material in spite of the foreign singing language - not a factor affecting the listening enjoyment I dare to claim.