pfork finnish psych folk article

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

http://pitchforkmedia.com/features/weekly/05-04-18-finnish-psych-folk.shtml

A well-written introduction to the sounds of Suomi, no?

I was impressed with the selection of recommended albums as well.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

The fact that they were kind enough to mention The Broken Face right up-front is what prevented me from reacted reflexively badly towards the idea of Pitchfork writing an article on them folks.

Also, because the picture looks like one of Tuomas's eight million group photos with his friends.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Ah, I saw a few of that lot on Saturday night cos Hertta Lussu Ässä played here. Wasn't all that nuts about them, but picked up the latest Islaja and that's damn gorgeous.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

I must track down The Broken Face. Sounds interesting.

I would normally look to Wire for these kinds of genre overview/introduction articles. But this was well done.

At least the guy didn't use hegelian dialectics of french critical theory to describe the music.

And if this stops someone from buying one of the new Bright Eyes and picking up one of these albums instead, then hey, everything is alright.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

I must track down The Broken Face. Sounds interesting.

The zine is no longer publishing, it's a blog/mailing list now. Back issues are I believe still available.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

The Broken Face

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

You'd do well to follow some of those links too!

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

I really must spell check before I post.

Thanks for the link and info!

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

No worries, thanks for flagging up goodness in the P'fork.

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 18 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Also try Le Futur Pompiste - v. Broadcast, but with a great, summery soft-pop edge, esp. the track Sunflower.

― Jez (Jez), Monday, 18 April 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

don't forget that Dusted did this like a year or so ago: http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/158

― Avi (Avi), Monday, 18 April 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

Gotta love Pitchfork: Psych-folk is "Finland's most rewarding scene."

Rest assured, Pfork has spent years trudging through ALL the other, less rewarding, Finnish scenes in order to make this proclamation.

― erklie, Monday, 18 April 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

No mention of Kingston Wall?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

Kingston Wall is hardly folk, is it? Personally, I can never forget them for doing a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love", where Moroder's synths are replaced with fucking electric guitars.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:13 (twenty years ago)

My knowledge of Finnish rock is rather limited, but the article seems pretty good, except that it forgets to mention the western town of Pori, which has a very prominent psych/alternative/dronerock scene. Circle at least gets a short mention, but if you want to hear Finnish psych folk at it's best, you should check out Kukin kaappiaan selässään kantaa and Jatkuvasti maailmaa pelastamaan kyllästynyt supersankari by Kuusumun Profeetta (formerly known as Moon Fog Prophet) (don't bother with their latest LP, Sanansaattaja oraakkeli salamurha hyökkäysvaunu, that one sounds more like seventies heavy metal), or Kopernikus hortoilee näkinkengässä and Pari lepakkoa Transylvaniassa by Rättö & Lehtisalo.

Also worth cehcking out is the father of all Finnish prog folk, Pekka Streng. His two LPs (he died of cancer in 1975, when he was only 27) Magneettimiehen kuolema and Kesämaa are both excellent.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Is KW too rock to be folk, Tuomas? They are definitely heavy psych (I only have one record of theirs, and haven't listened to it for quite awhile).

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

yes, i thought it was very strange that Pekka Streng didn't rate even a mention. seems like he's the spiritual forebear of the scene. much more so than Kurunniemi or Airaksinen. Kesämaa is so great.

― echoinggrove (echoinggrove), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:30 (twenty years ago)

Well, I don't have that good knowledge of rock terminology, but I think folk is supposed to be gentler than what Kingston Wall did, they were pretty much an electric guitar lead trio.

(x-post)

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:33 (twenty years ago)

Airaksinen and Kurenniemi were electronic music pioneers in the sixties and seventies, their music has little to do with folk (and Kurenniemi has never made anything that would even be labeled rock). Streng's influence is indeed strong, the first LP by Kuusumun Profeetta (Kukin kaappiaan selässään kantaa) sounds almost like a Streng tribute.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:38 (twenty years ago)

I really want to hear some Pekka Streng.

― Trip Maker (Sean Witzman), Monday, 18 April 2005 15:45 (twenty years ago)

Pharaoh Overloard are Finns, no? Not folk at all, but... Finns.

― Ian John50n (orion), Monday, 18 April 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0001WU2UU.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 18 April 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.