traditions that trace lines between devotional love and eros; inner mindscapes and outer landscapes; memory and forgetting; freedom and structure; getting lost and finding understanding.
Sounds Like
Two reviews for THE SIRENS WAVE:
Hanna Tuulikki, a young British/Finnish artist and musician currently residing in Glasgow, Scotland, formed Nalle in the Summer of 2004 in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and former Scatter member Chris Hladowski and viola player Aby Vulliamy. Their debut album, By Chance Upon Waking- a largely spontaneous collection of songs recorded in two short sessions – introduced the trio as enthusiastic experimenters with traditional musical techniques, employing a range of instruments including the kantele, flute, clarinet and, Hladowski’s tour de force, the bouzouki.
In contrast, Nalle’s second album, The Sirens Wave, is a considerably more meditative and meticulous recording, which further explores the unearthly, mysterious qualities suggested in By Chance Upon Waking. While the latter kept to shorter song structures, The Sirens Wave is built around two ten minute tracks, “Voi Ruusuni (O rose)” and “Secret Of The Seven Sirens”, a stunning conglomeration of East European and traditional Scottish nuances which fold into each other, alternately pushing then subsiding, flowing like rolling waves. These dynamics shape the whole recording, and Tuulikki’s unusual, non-modal approach to vocal melody sends a chill through every track.
The inspiration and imagery of Nalle, which means little bear in Finnish, are drawn from nature and rebirth. The opening track “Nothing Gold Can Stay”, and the album’s beautiful conclusion, “So Eden Sank To Grief”, take their titles and lyrical motivation from the bucolic verse of the poet Robert Frost; references to animals, landscape and the sun are prevalent, an reflect the substance of Tuulikki’s impressive work as a visual artist. An ode to Tuulikki’s late friend Alice Duncan , “Alice’s Ladder”, interweaves soaring violin and spacious vocals in a way that sounds as though the two instruments are reaching out of the waves into the dark unknown.
Like their friends and peers A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Nalle’s integration of music styles, played with a variety of instruments from across the globe, is so eloquently and passionately performed that it does not sound affected. On the contrary, this is a bold and complex album, on which metaphysical themes of life and grief are articulated with such consideration that the result is unique and deeply touching. (by Mia Clarke, The Wire, Issue 291, May 2008)
When you’re this good, you don’t ever need to change chords. Falling somewhere in between the more avant-garde-oriented experiments of Tim Buckley and Björk, the acoustic drones of Pauline Oliveros, and the more common contemporary strains of Renaissance-tinged psych-folk, Nalle is far from lacking in epochal points of reference. Perhaps a more immediately obvious one would be Joanna Newsom, and while Hanna Tuulikki’s voice shares many of the same pre-pubescent inflections, she can do a lot more with it, most notably the perfectly-controlled warbles that complement the sustained accordion, violin, and other ancient stringed instruments that back her. This vocal strength gives Nalle a vast spaciousness and patience, and when she stretches it in these bird-like oscillations the music seems to hover around her in enthralling anticipation. Like a lot of traditional Japanese music, Nalle shifts away from the Western focus on the rhythm of the heartbeat towards the slow, meditative and irregular movements of breathing. You can actually hear these breaths as “Voi Nuusuni (O Rose)” fades out amid the elastic reverberations of the mouth harp and creaky violin. Needless to say, most contemporary Glaswegian folk isn’t a very good point of reference here.
And it’s not all drone-y experiments either: “Secret of the Seven Sirens” is based firmly in traditional British folk, and were it not for the moments where the track veers into abstraction, it could easily be something by Fairport Convention with its Pan-trudging-through-the-forest flute and Celtic acoustic guitar. I still find that there’s something archaic about this style that seems to be trying too hard to reach back into the past, but this is the only track here that adheres to any conventional genre. And it’s much more than a tired replication of any kind of traditional music: the band includes abrupt tempo-changes, slowing down an otherwise briskly-paced song with Tuulikki’s voice drifting on clear, resonant and wordless tones. Likewise, “Alice’s Ladder,” while maintaining basic folk patterns throughout, constantly stretches itself out, always on the brink of abstraction and, with its drawn-out harmonium and plucked strings from God-knows-what-instrument, always flirting with dissonance.
Then there’s the rest of the tracks, which barely hold onto any semblance of structure, being about as relevant to traditional folk music as Charalambides’ seminal albums Unknown Spin (2003) and Joy Shapes (2004). “First Eden Sank to Grief” is one of the most haunting pieces of chamber music I’ve heard in years, constantly fading completely into silence then coming back to life again. The fact that the band doesn’t need to write actual “songs” is proof of their strength in understanding and appropriating drone and Minimalist influences; the play of overtones is interesting enough even to sustain “Voi Ruusuni”‘s 10-and-a-half-minute length. That track is a delicate balancing act to see how long Tuulikki can oscillate at perfect pitch, while holding the rest of the instruments at bay. Like Astral Weeks (1968), The Siren’s Wave sounds like it was created with the instruments improvising in real time around more-composed vocal lines. In this way, most of these tracks have loose (or non-existent) time signatures, with the instrumentation responding to Tuulikki’s inflections and natural rhythms. But even if her vocals are more “composed,” that doesn’t mean she can’t conjure up the agonized spirits at will: peep their live video. Yes, she’s really doing that. (by Joel Elliott, cokemachineglow, 19 June 2008)
Nalle is the psych-folk project of young visual artist Hanna Tuulikki who combines folk inflected song structures with unusual instrumentation. Alongside Chris Hladowski (bouzouki, saz, clarinet et al) and Aby Vulliamy (viola, piano, voice et al) the songs are built around Hanna’s unbridled vocals and guitar playing, with occasional sojourns on recorder and Finnish kantele. Recent recordings have also seen Nalle expand to include Ben Reynolds on harmonica and double bass, Peter Nicholson on double bass and Alex Neilson on Drums. The music draws on a whole gamut of musical traditions, weaving instrumental tapestries around hypnotic, almost ballad-like vocal narratives, cultivating a deeply personal and idiosyncratic approach that outweighs the sum of its parts.
Nalle are currently finishing a new album.....
Their last record "The Sirens Wave" came out in March 2008 with Locust Music of Chicago.
Their debut "By Chance Upon Waking" is still available (www.pickled-egg.co.uk).
A collaboration with the One Ensemble is also in the process of being mixed by Hans Joachim Irmler of Faust and The Family Elan is also busy finishing a second album after the debut "Stare of Dawn".
Discography:
The Sirens Wave (Locust) 2008
Live cdr (Secret Eye) 2008
By Chance Upon Waking (Pickled Egg) 2006
You can listen the Nalle live at the VPRO Dwars festival, Amsterdam, by visiting the following link:
http://www.vpro.nl/programma/dwars/artikelen/34267594/
and in Paris at this link:
http://www.radiowne.org/Nalle
This is a video of nalle playing two songs from the new album, CCA, glasgow, end of 2007. Video by harry from harmonic rooms:
Two reviews for BY CHANCE UPON WAKING:
The cover artwork for the debut of Glasgow group Nalle gives clues to the music within and matches its tone: detailed drawings of winged polar bears, bees, birds, and plants on a snow-white background, all plucked from the imagination of singer-songwriter and Kantele player Hanna Tuulikki. Within the first notes of "Sunne Song" the album's array of instrumentation - viola, bouzouki, clarinet, shruti box and guitar - makes total sense. Its clear individuality banishes lazy comparisons to others operative in this area of folk-inflected new music, like Lau Nau or Joanna Newsom.There's a sticky, happy quality to this debut, one that feeds on the underbelly of British and European folk traditions, as well as the threads of Hanna'a Finnish heritage. Her vocals veer between fragility and a forcefully positive self-belief that pushes her voice whrere she clearly believes it must go, whether at it's most extreme in duet with Aby Vulliamy's viola on "Forest-mountain" or hovering close to the point of natural disappearance on "Sea Change".Much of the album was recorded by Volcano the Bear's Daniel Padden and both Vulliamy and Chris Hladowski play in his One Ensemble group. "By Chance Upon Waking" sounds like a record made by a group of friends. It gathers together disparate elements, speaking of winter but always with fire at its core. (by Jez Riley, The Wire, Issue 266, April 2006)
What is the criteria for a perfect album? Is there a laundry list of things that one must check off to qualify? For some people, perhaps. For me? It's more of a feeling, something in my gut that goes all wonky when a record is pouring out of my speakers. It's an album that can inspire me to no end. Something that makes you feel like you, as a listener, are vital to the music transcending some artificial line in the sand. I don't know, it's very fluid and never easy to pin down. It's one of those things that I know when I hear it. And I certainly heard it a few weeks ago when Nalle first graced my ears.
Nalle is a trio featuring three members of Scatter (two of which also play in One Ensemble of Daniel Padden. Yeah, we're dealing with heavyweights here). Chris Hladowski, Aby Vulliamy, and Hanna Tuulikki make up the group, and the chemistry between the three is instantly obvious. Acoustic arrangements that stir like lost children late at night provide the perfect palette for Tuulikki to weave pure magic.Nalle treads similar ground as Tuulikki's Finnish compatriots Lau Nau and Islaja, but there's a decidedly Scottish twist. Hladowski's bouzouki and Vulliamy's viola give the feeling of regal music played in the Medieval villages that dotted the British Isles. The way Tuulikki sings and the things she sings about are a celebration of life and the magic and mysticism that accompanies it. "Forest Mountain" turns the mountains and forests into enchanting characters that are part of some great universal play. As the tension builds, the interplay between the bouzouki and viola becomes almost too much to bear. Tuulikki's voices waltzes and wavers like a child sorceress conjuring up all the greats spirits of the Earth. Everything comes together to form something totally magnificent on this track. As a listener, you feel as overwhelmed as Nalle sounds. It's beautiful. The opening track, "Sunne Song," is a great way to begin the album. It
reminds me of early morning on the weekends, lazily rolling out of bed, and stretching your arms to the sun. The hesitant bouzouki notes and the viola drones are subtle, but reenergizing. They pull you out from under the sheets and drag you into the warm summer breezes. "By Chance Upon Waking" is spellbinding from the first flickering moments.
Everything comes together on Nalle's debut to produce some of the best music I've heard in years. The instrumentation is wonderful and Tuulikki's voice, which falls somewhere between Bjork and Austria's Gustav, are absolute perfection. I can't get over just how amazing this record is. Nalle's debut is easily the best thing I've heard in 2006 thusfar, and I reckon it's going to be hard for anything to come close to it. The highest of recommendations. ( 10/10, Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis, 28 June 2006)
This is the first set from the slightly tweaked Beach Fuzz line-up with Fliss Horrocks now playing guitar alongside Tom Settle and Nick Mitchell. Seven tracks of clattering drums, chugging and wailing guitars, screaming keyboards, mellow, lilting pastoral improv and moaned vocals.
Pay by Paypal to goldenlabrecordings@hotmail.co.uk
Great new songs. The Wilder Shore is simpy beautiful. Songtrush is a little more provocative, sound like free jazz. I like free jazz. all the best. Wolfraven
Recorded at The Bowling Green pub in Manchester on 17th November 2008, when Bridget was on tour with Marcia Bassett, this is a maximal 25-minute set of epic guitar brutalising and deep, moaned vocal incantations. Employing a bow and 'metal' effects pedals, the resulting cacophony is orchestral in scope, rendering almost unreliable the memory of one woman and her instrument. Somewhat akin to Bassett's duo with Matthew Bower, Hototogisu, the deeply layered tones created by Hayden offer, upon first exposure, a somewhat icy auditory experience, but as the recording settles in, the richness and sheer breadth of sound wraps around you like a feather quilt and shifts your perception almost 180 degrees. A truly magnificent set from this former Vibracathedral Orchestra member.
Limited to 80 copies with sleeves printed on recycled paper using soya based ink
Pay by Paypal to goldenlabrecordings@hotmail.co.uk
It's been a year now since the start of the super producer based night of live beat making began. EGADZ returns to SF for his last show EVER in SF, plus MOPHONO & E DA BOSS???!!!!! THIS SHOW IS GOING TO BE SOOO DOPE! Get there early.
BEN REYNOLDS + HANNA TUULIKKI (da Glasgow, UK!!) + BEAUTIES BY BIKE (da SenIgallia)
entrata gratuita.
Ben Reynolds e Hanna Tuulikki, da Glasgow, chitarre e voce, un po' fingerpicking improvvisativo lui, un po' folk an...cestrale lei, un po' il mix delle due cose quando suonano assieme. + beauties by bike da Senigallia.
Wed 23rd Sept at the CCA, Glasgow. Doors 8PM. £5. (tickets available from Monorail)
"Es (Fonal's head honcho) arrives from Finland's verdant psych pack, New York's all-systems/all-outcompassing Peeesseye splurge forth Chris Forsyth, and Ignatz (Kraak) appears to play his amazingly intense songs after seemingly undergoing some aural time travelling via an internship with some delta-blues players and the New Zealand no-fi scene."
Tracklisting 01. This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren [4AD] 02. Gil Scott-Heron - Whitey On The Moon [RCA] 03. Brigitte Bardot, Sascha Distell & Serge Gainsbourg - Hippies [Fat City] 04. This Heat - Sleep [Rough Trade] 05. Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! [Warner Bros.] 06. David Essex - Rock On [CBS] 07. Leonard Cohen - Lover Lover Lover [CBS] 08. The Creatures - Fruitman [Polydor] 09. The Slits - Typical Girls [Island] 10. Toto Coelo - I Eat Cannibals [Radialchoice] 11. Gary Glitter - I Didn't Know I Loved You (Till I Saw You Rock 'N Roll) [Bell] 12. Faust - The Sad Skinhead [Virgin] 13. Shriekback - Sexthinkone [Y Records] 14. Black Randy & The Metrosquad - Down At The Laundrymat [Dangerhouse] 15. Test Dept. - Fuel To Fight [Ministry Of Power] 16. HTRK - Disco [Blast First Petite] 17. Harvey Matusow's Jews Harp Band - Wet Socks [Head] 18. Anna Jarvinen - Ar Det Det Har Det Hela Handlar Om? [Rip Curl] 19. Liverpool Scene - Bat Poem [Beat Goes On] 20. Sonic Youth - Ca Plane Pour Moi [City Slang] 21. Saints - This Perfect Day [Harvest] 22. The Skids - Scared To Dance [Virgin] 23. Black Sabbath - War Pigs [Castle] 24. Husker Du - Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely [Warner Bros.]
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