Unfinished Forest Yarns
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008Above: a video for Lau Nau’s “Painovoimaa” from her new album Nukkuu, which translates to “Sleeps”. Several years back I caught a Finnish folk caravan consisting of Lau Nau, Islaja, Kuupuu, Pekko Käppi, and Tomutonttu among others leisurely performing in an open amphitheater at a Rhode Island state park. The drones and strings resonated while audience members and musicians mingled inside and out, walking through the trees and down by the shore. That afternoon long event made such an impression, that I have avoided seeing any of the acts since, worried that a performance in a stifling, darkened club or warehouse would tarnish the open air experience. The video visuals are apropos: Lau Nau weaves her melodies as a yarn trail through a forest, allowing dirt and leaves to cling to the threads of traditional folk hymns. Layers of voice and strings, warmed with hiss build up, but are carefully held in check. All the while, we are able to follow her wayward path as though if in a child’s subtly ominous fairy tale.
More Finnish sound: Paavoharju’s new Laulu Laakson Kukista album and Laulu laakson kukasta downloadable EP take the template of Lau Nau and Islaja, but wrap them in even more gauze to create abstract dreamlike snippets that also fade into smeared electronics and player piano ghost balladry. Hypnotic Scandinavia.
A transcript of The Wire interview with Terry Riley. A gallery of classical music album covers. Japanese anatomical charts via Morbid Anatomy. Organs of the color variety. Aspen: A long defunct pre-internet multimedia magazine in a box featuring, among others, Terry Riley.
American Abstract fiction instead: Harry Stephen Keeler, the Ed Wood of mystery novelists. Meet some of his characters: Criorcan Mulqueeny, Redwayne TerVyne, Screamo the Clown, Scientifico Greenlimb, Wolf Gladish, and State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck.