Mind-melting in every way, Paavoharju's brand of Finnish psyche is as puzzling as it is beautiful; the band claims to be a collective of ascetic born-again Christians and yet they cite as influences the Norwegian church-burner Burzum and his black metal compatriots Deathspell Omega - who surely can't be up to any good Christian work with a name like that. Not to mention the fact that the music sounds more like a soundtrack for a very heavy drug trip than any kind of Christian ceremony. Would you expect anything less than absolute puzzlement from a Finnish release from Fonal Records, home to the furthest out forest-folk weirdsters around?
The album comes off more like cinema for the ear - than music, or if music than something more akin to Luc Ferrari and other electroacoustic pioneers than named influences such as the aforementioned Burzum and Deathspell or Boards of Canada or Fonal brethren Es. Meandering gently, the album weaves its way into your heart with scratchy sounds and seemingly random background voices interspersed with folk song elements and droning washes of pure beauty. Then too there's operatic female vocals on top of pipe organs on top of hip hop beats: incomprehensible, brilliant.
An awesome recording. A must for fans of Fonal, Jewelled Antler, electroacoustic, and other contemporary experimental musics. If there is a god, this is probably one of the few christian rock records he spins in heaven - 'Impressive!' he might say, 'Me likes!'.
