KOSMOS

The best is first, "A HIdden World" invoking KING CRIMSON's debut while making the likes of PFM and CELESTE blush. Such low hanging fruit was barely or improperly harvested in the intervening decades for some reason, but not here. Is that mellotron "oboe" I hear? For the rest, plenty to enjoy if high complexity isn't a prerequisite, whether the even more folky "Seashell"; the straightforward folk rock of "incantation"; the initially ambient and then 12-string whipped "The Wind", with a tune, but nothing else, reminiscent of "Handicap and Equality" by PETER HAMMILL; and the largely instrumental "A Dream", which has more in common with BRIAN ENO or JADE WARRIOR but with mellotron!

With a name that translates as "The Encrypted World", the joys of this KOSMOS album are of the most rewarding prog folk kind, simple yet profound, and earthly yet ethereal.

1. "Ajan peili" (5:55) arpeggi from acoustic guitars are soon joined by bass and Mellotron to create a lush, gorgeous sound reminiscent of Salattu Maailma's title song. Singer Päivi Kylmänen enters toward the end of the first minute to spacious soundscape. She is joined by other vocal tracks (all her?) for the choruses. Mellotron (and flute) only appears when there is no singing. (8.5/10)

2. "Eilinen" (2:45) electrified acoustic guitar accompaniment and drums for Päivi's singing. (4.25/5)

3. "Lapsen uni" (5:20) (/10)

4. "Aina lähellä" (3:11) xylophone with Päivi's gorgeously layered multi-voiced singing. (8.75/10)

5. "Kohti taivasta" (3:58) more upbeat acoustic guitar driven song with hand percussion to support Päivi's Jim Morrison-like singing. (8.5/10)

6. "Salainen oppi" (4:20) piano and voice open this one for the first verse. It sounds like a recital piece for some Russian cabaret. Soprano sax, flute, Mellotron, and some other chorded organ-like keyboard join in between the singing verses. Nice instrumental passage in the third minute with some nice saxophone interplay with the final verse. (8.5/10)

7. "Jatkuvuus" (5:00) heavier with brooding Mellotron and other synths. Great soundscape! Top three for me. (9/10)

8. "Minä olen" (11:57) opens with simple Mellotron and finger-picked acoustic guitar before wind noises take over, transitioning us to the dark turn in mood as a slowly emerging ominous electric guitar riff repeated over as 'tron and drums join. Päivi enters in the quiet of the first and second minutes with a beautiful melody and then again at the end of the heavier third minute. The first chorus at 3:40 is surprising for its spaciousness, but then the instrumental jam that follows has some cool electric guitar lead work. Not your most complex or intricately performed prog epic but effective. A quiet section starting at 5:50 has bass, slowly picked acoustic guitar, and Mellotron strings while a male voice speaks. Nice. Early King Crimsonian. Ending at 7:47, the heavier motif returns, building to a Clapton-esque rock'n'roll frenzy after Päivi finishes singing. (21.75/25)

Total time 42:22

B/four stars; an excellent addition to any Prog Folk lover's music collection.

If you're familiar with the earlier output, Ajan Peili offers no big surprises. In fact, it's so similar to their other albums that the basic constancy of the style is starting to affect negatively to the listener. Of course, sometimes a band or artist sticks firmly to the chosen style and makes it work better and better with each release. However, I'm afraid I don't have any plain reason to say Ajan Peili would be an improvement of its precursor. On the other hand, if you have heard some of the music of this band and want to get an album, you might just as well purchase this one and be satisfied.

The opening title track is a calm and slow-paced song, and a very typical Kosmos song at that. The delicate arrangement is beautiful and nuanced: at times the acoustic guitar is on the focus, at one moment Päivi Kylmänen's small-scale alto(?) voice is multi-layered, and the sound is finished with hazy Mellotron washes and violin. 'Eilinen' is a brighter, lighter little folk-rock song, not so far from what FAIRPORT CONVENTION did in 1969. The hazier approach dominates the rest of the album. I'd mention early 70's British acts such as FOREST, TRADER HORNE, MARY CELESTE and TREES as stylistic references.

Here and there the arrangements offer nice details. 'Aina lähellä' features xylophone. And as before, Kosmos incorporates slight Eastern flavour (in percussion, for example) to underline the psychedelic essence. Many of the songs themselves are rather mediocre, when speaking of song-writing instead of arrangement. After the fine opener, it's the sixth track 'Salainen oppi' (dedicated to madame Blavatsky) that impresses me as a whole. The piano backing, already atmospheric in itself, is accompanied by Mellotron and soprano saxophone in a charming way. The two remaining tracks feature the reading by Juha Kulmala. His monotonous voice was heard in the preceding album too, and now this extra ingredient tastes a bit like old wine to me. The 12-minute 'Minä olen' (= I Am) is nevertheless a highlight, a perfect example of the band's ability to weave esoteric atmospheres and progressive rock flavour. Wish they made more tracks like this, with wider dynamics. All in all, this is a representative album from Kosmos.

The first half - or Side One of the vinyl version - is calm and peaceful folk, nearly totally acoustic (+mellotron) and quite free of rock elements. My favourite of those five songs is 'Yön hiljaisuus' (= the silence of night) which is very atmospheric and nocturnal. The simple pattern of acoustic guitar & bass is accompanied only by Päivi's voice and lovely flute/string sounds of mellotron.

The latter half consists of two longer and edgier songs. 'Tuulisina päivinä' (= on windy days) allows the percussion step more upfront and the guitar is electric. The atmosphere is darker and more electrified, so to speak. One of my album associations was none less than In the Court of the Crimson King, but it must be pointed out that Kosmos have a sound and style of their own. According to the main lyricist Olli Valtonen the central idea is "the other reality" in the cosmic and mystic sense. The 12-minute closing track 'Vieraat' (= the guests, or, the strangers) is in three parts. First and last feature suggestopedic narration for total relaxation, or whatever it is called, and the long middle section has full-blown prog rock sound with washes of mellotron, a cool dostorted electric guitar solo and an intensive guest appearance of violin. It's worth noticing that Päivi's beautiful vocals remain as detached as always, in the distinctive Kosmos style. The power of understatement!

I think this is going to be my favourite Kosmos album. Warmly recommended to the friends of retro folk psychedelia, including the non-Finnish who can accept the foreign language. To me it's however essential that the lyrics are in Finnish.

With "Salattu Maailma", the Finnish band Kosmos documents that there are still bands around that have a desire to create music with a basis in careful folk inspired music, expanding the scope of this core stylistic foundation to incorporate both psychedelic and to some extent symphonic oriented progressive rock as well, and that they are able to do so in a careful, frail and fairly unobtrusive manner. If low key, gentle psychedelic rock that builds upon a folk music inspired foundations sounds like something you would enjoy, this is a band that merits a check.

1. "Salattu Maailma" ("A Hidden World") (6:59) begins with a very MOODY BLUES/IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING feel and sound. When lead vocalist, Päivi Kylmänen arrives, the instrumental support includes beautifully finger-picked acoustic guitar, simple drum and bass with intermittent flute. Mellotron returns during the harmonized chorus. The instrumental C section between 3:05 and 4:30 is gorgeous and surprises us with a treated spoken voice in its middle. I cannot imagine a prog folk song being more beautiful or perfect than this one. (10/10)

2. "Simpukka" ("Seashell") (4:07) opens with the sound of waves and seagulls at the seashore. A finger-picked acoustic guitar gently introduces a "Here comes The Sun"-like melody and sound before Päivi joins in to punctuate this George Harrison theme. A very pretty folk song accented by flutes and a little Mellotron. (8/10)

3. "Loitsu" ("Incantation") (4:13) incorporates a much more straightforward folk-rock sound with strongly strummed acoustic guitar accompanied by drums, bass and, of course, the delicate vocals of Päivi Kylmänen. In the third minute a fiddle pops in for a folksy solo. Nothing very proggy, exceptional or even memorable about this one. (6/10)

4. "Pelli" ("The Mirror") (3:28) is a traditional sounding folk song which happens to beautifully showcase Päivi's extraordinary vocal talents. I am here reminded of Sandy Denny, Jane Relf, and the other understated female masters of the 60s folk rock tradition. (9/10)

5. "Tuuli" ("The Wind") (7:04) opens sounding very much like a classic JOHN MARTYN song--complete with that haunting Echoplex guitar sound. The chorale voice approach used here is also incredibly effective for reinforcing the eery feel of the song's opening. At 2:30 the song shifts as strumming acoustic guitar and bass and drums take over instrumental support for the "chorale" vocal singer/story-tellers. Melotron sneaks in during the fifth minute in a MOODY BLUES kind of way. Fiddler reappears for a pleasant solo in the sixth minute, giving the song more of a Celtic feel than it may have had before. (9/10)

6. "Uni" ("A Dream") (7:35) opens with the sounds one would associate with war-time air raid: sirens, bombs, screams, and the surprising silence and stillnesses of the bewildering aftermath. At 1:30 a male spoken voice begins telling a story over the sparse and discordant musical notes and sounds lilting in the back- and foreground. Near the three minute mark a gentle bass, almost imperceptible organ, Hammond synth/organ take over the song's soundscape--periodically joined by a n early-FRIPP-like fuzz guitar. (9/10)

7. "Takaisin Virtaan" ("Back to The Stream") (5:21) has very much the same feel and sound as the Rolling Stones' classic "You Can't Always Get What You Wanted"--same melody line and same pace, hand percussion use. Nice song but a little too familiar. (7/10)

Salaattu Maailma is a beautiful, though short album with some quite pleasant and memorable music by the angelic voice of 60s throwback Päivi Kylmänen.

Solid four stars. Takes me back to the beginnings of Prog Folk. Highly recommended.

Their music is calm, hazy, slightly psychedelic and totally anti-modern. Influences seem to come from the late 60's / early 70's folk artists, mainly from England (FOREST, Incredible String Band etc). It was no surprise that on a tribute anthology (Tuonen Tytär II) of Finnish prog from the seventies KOSMOS perform a song by the late PEKKA STRENG, another tree- hugging hippie. The sound lies mainly on the acoustic guitar, warm & gentle organ and conga drums.

Songwriting is perhaps emphasized on lyrics, which are a bit naive in their mysticism. The album starts and ends with short title tracks (singing accompanied by guitar only), much lighter and happier than the rest of the album, and to me they are the least interesting moments, because they miss the charming haziness which makes the album worth listening. Only two tracks, 'Vieras kieli' ("Foreign Tongue/Language") and strangely named 'Omini'i Dakakos' are over five minutes. The length helps them to be sort of hypnotic, and I would have liked to see them doing more of this kind of digging deeper into atmospheres; the music isn't progressive per se, and there's the risk of being too mild and surpriseless. In general, I don't see much point to recommend KOSMOS to others than Finnish speaking folk hippies. Still, two stars would be too little, so I'm giving three with some reservations.

Kosmos are folk based, mostly acoustic but with occasional lush sounding keyboards (like a mellotron) and female vocals. It is a slow, tranquil and serene affair, subdued even, but charming nonetheless. Their arrangements are simple, but effective, with appropriate use of keyboards to either serve as background or as ornaments to the songs, the acoustic guitar as the skeleton of each song, sparse use of bass and a more frequent use of gentle drumming and percussions and various other instruments like violin, glockenspiel, shrutibox and bells occasionally popping in.

The first five songs are "regular" folk songs while the last two longer songs are a more varied affair where progressive tendencies come into play and where a creative spirit takes charge. While still having a folkish tendency, a more rock and experimental approach is taken; jazzy rhythms prevail, spacey and even psychedelic elements appear, a vaster sound is taking over. The sixth song, Tuulisina Päivinä, has stunning melody with angelic vocals fronting it (though they are in line with the rest of the instruments in the mix), which then switches to an interlude of spacey/psych-rock (still delicate though) and then back again to the main theme. And yet, though they venture out with their composition structure and arrangements the frailty and magic of the previous part of the album are still dominating. The last song, Vieraat, is divided into three parts; the first part is a narration (male voice) where we are hypnotized, and then in the second part, for the first time, an electric guitar appears with rather strong drumming (for the standard set in this album). This is the only full blown rock song here; a rather hypnotizing tune (which works fine with what they're trying to achieve) and it gets fiercer as it proceeds. This was definitely not something I expected given what the rest of the album sounds like. The rhythm section goes on with the mellotron on its side and there is a nice interlude in the middle that strays away from the main theme and then back again with the violin playing a stunning solo part and later on the guitar replaces it. We are then awoken from our hypnosis in the last segment of the song. This three-part song is truly the crowning achievement of this album. A mesmerizing piece, for these two last songs alone the album is worthwhile getting, though I don't want to do a disservice to the rest of the songs which are lovely folk tunes.

About half of this band is the same people who released an album under the name Viima in 2006. I’m not sure what the relationships are between the two groups, who is in which band or even whether it really makes any difference, just thought that was worth mentioning. This album is much less grounded musically than that one in case you’re keeping score at home. And I mean that in a good way.

The vocals (almost all female) are in Finnish but there are English translations in the liner notes. No matter, I wouldn’t take them too seriously in either language; if you’ve ever been twenty-something with some discretionary time and feelings of artistic freedom you’ve had some of these same thoughts yourself, so thematically there’s nothing new here, but that’s okay because the emotions are honest and that counts for something.

Musically this is folk-leaning, maybe even leaning far enough to be classified as ‘steeped in folk’. Flute, gorgeously off-kilter and mournful violin, hazy organ and spastic drums, plus the obligatory acoustic guitar and some unambitious bass. Oh yeah, and I should mention also three mellotrons (and thus qualifying it for the coveted “awash with” modifier). These offer up what sounds like mostly more strings, some choir sounds, and a piano or spinet (or some sort of strident key-driven thing).

Most of the tracks consist of whining violin (or whatever it is – more on that topic later), delicate flute and organ with various unidentifiable mellotron sounds wafting in and out amid the languid female singers. You get the picture – earthy and spacey and very, very laid back. Spark a fatty Spicoli! The closing “Seitsemän planeetta” is the exception with some rather heavy electric guitar, congas and a pulsating rhythm to bring things to a brisk and energetic close.

This is a very unassuming album that takes a while to get into your head. I have to say that Päivi Kylmänen’s vocals and guest artist Jukka Aaltonen’s exquisite violin really make the whole thing work. That is, it’s either a violin or the guy who’s playing the shrutibox, an instrument I don’t know anything about but which looks like an accordion inside a briefcase and which might also be responsible for some what sounds like off-key violin. Whichever it is, it’s beautiful – listen to “Seireeni” alone and you’ll be hooked by the sounds this/these instrument(s) make.

This CD is also available on vinyl, although be prepared to shell out about $40 USD if you can find it (I think that’s about 2 euros these days for those trying to do the math in their head). A highly recommended album for fans of prog folk, plain folk, contemporary mild psych, and probably some others I failed to mention. Four stars, which surprises even me since I was going to give it two after hearing it for the first time. Well, never judge a book or an album by its cover or first impression.

peace