jorma tapio & terje isungset

jorma tapio & terje isungset - aihki (ektro, 2007)

de vez en cuando aparece un disco que no se amolda a ningún estilo conocido y te obliga a inventarte una nueva etiqueta. lo que han hecho jorma tapio y terje isungset, con la complicidad de sus instrumentos de viento y percusión, no tiene nombre. si lo tuviera (¿ice-free-jazz-folk-tribal?) habría que escribirlo en letras muy muy grandes en una postal descolorida de Finlandia: artesanal. hacía mucho tiempo que un disco no se merecía tan claramente este adjetivo. es artesanía musical abstracta, casi una hora de hipnosis, de sonidos que desbordan imaginación y toda una colección de instrumentos tradicionales construidos, en el caso de Isungset, por él mismo (flautas exóticas como las de Lau Nau o Kuupuu, granito, pizarra, abedul ártico... e incluso hielo) y el saxo poderoso de Tapio. es free jazz pero mucho más..es algo inexplicable y orgánico que se resume en los casi veintidós minutos de Salainen tuli / Secret Fire, preciosa consistencia indefinible que se parece tal vez a No-Neck Blues Band, Ghost, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Avarus, Silvester Anfang y Anaksimandros. todo a la vez. si hay un disco gélido y tribal del año, jazz en clave folk y viceversa, es éste y nada más que éste. muy acertada la imagen de la portada...y bravo por ektro, y por esa otra joya llamada Miljard (Circle).

"the music being produced in the country of Finland has a distinctive connecting fiber running through it that must, in some way, be a result of its geographic location and cultural heritage. The connection runs so deeply, in fact, that the semi-conscious listener is often able to recognize it immediately. At first, the relational factor seems to be one that is simply due to a trade off of members throughout various incarnations, i.e. the Finnish free-folk scene, which contains current day luminaries such as Avarus and Kemialliset Ystävät. But upon further examination one will notice quite a large amount of musical activity coming out of that country that manages to maintain this characteristic yet remain somewhat aloof from the main group interviewed in the Wire."

"This sound finds itself deeply implanted in the duo work of between reed and string player jorma tapio and percussionist terje isungset. The two do not play with Avarus or Lau Nau but they do maintain elements of both within their music, yet they have probably each been playing music longer than the aforementioned collectives. As for the music featured on this record the duo maintain a definite bend toward free jazz infused with the sounds of the Finnish experience. In fact Isungset includes, as a part of his drum kit, various homemade instruments of arctic birch, slate and even ice.

The album can best described in its relationship to the environment, as Tapio and Isungset are able to truly invoke the lay of the land. Haunting winds fiercely blowing through a barren landscape: is that a voice heard in the distance or is it simply an aural illusion, a trick of the mind, like a mirage in the desert. At points the wind subsides and some wonderfully delicate flavors erupt from everywhere. If you listen closely you’ll soon take notice of the delicate balance of life that manages to hang on through all this and the pure beauty that lies under the harsh faáade.

The highlight of this record is the track “Salainen tuli/Secret fire”, clocking in at over twenty minutes it closely explores every aspect discussed above. The piece begins with the invocation of a train running through the wilderness on a cold winter’s night; the whistle’s blowing, the engine’s roaring and the wind is howling. As the train moves further into the distance one is left with only the violent wind, rustling the bare branches of the trees, blowing snow and ice in every possible direction, rattling the very foundation of the surrounding structure. The last whistle calls of the train are heard in the distance, the wind subsides and the sounds from a party at the house next door can be heard. The party convenes for the evening and the soft scraping sounds of rustling branches replace the wind and the train, bringing the last bits of the night into a comforting stillness, until the wind picks up once again.

Besides this track, the remainders of the compositions are shorter in nature and focus on a singular aspect of the duo’s playing. That is except for “Mana”, which stands out a bit as it focuses mainly on repetition maintaining an almost electronic aspect; ending the record on a rather joyous and almost danceable note. 8/10" cory card (foxy digitalis)

Salainen tuli / Secret Fire (mp3 sample)

Turja (mp3 sample)