▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Syven ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Aikaintaite █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2011 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2012-01-17 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Ambient ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Vendlus ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ We all listen to music for different reasons, but █ █ at the root of things, we presumably go back to █ █ the things we love the most over and over again █ █ because they stir something inside of us, be that █ █ something whimsical, something political, █ █ something sorrowful, even something dreadful. █ █ █ █ And then there are the pieces of music that █ █ transcend the personal, the pieces where the music █ █ stands on its own, where it takes on its own life █ █ - where it stands beside us, or across from us - █ █ the point being that it is anywhere that is not █ █ inside of us, because it is just too large. There █ █ is too much meaning, to much profound wisdom █ █ contained therein for it to remain in our hearts. █ █ It is an entity entirely its own. It is not alien, █ █ but it is other. █ █ █ █ Finland's Syven (whose song "How Fare the Gods?" █ █ you may remember from the stunning compilation █ █ Whom The Moon a Nightsong Sings) have created █ █ just such a piece of music. The music contained on █ █ their debut album Aikaintaite is bigger than the █ █ immensely talented duo of A.T. and A.K.S.; it's █ █ bigger than the instruments it's played on █ █ (including the native Finnish kantele); in some █ █ ways, it's bigger than music, bigger than art. █ █ It's bigger than any genre, obviously. We can call █ █ it folk, we can call it neofolk, or ambient, or █ █ whatever else we want, but in this music, genres █ █ break down. One listen to this album will show you █ █ that. It has elements of all these things, even a █ █ few hints of metal, but the tremendously █ █ atmospheric and evocative layering of synths over █ █ the kantele, the tribal percussion, the field █ █ recordings, and the varied vocals (from feral █ █ growls, whispered chants, and amazing low male █ █ choirs that at times approach the depth of Tibetan █ █ throat singing) makes no real suggestion of genre. █ █ It needs none, as it is its own. █ █ █ █ The record is self-described as primordial and █ █ shamanistic, and these words are certainly █ █ appropriate. █ █ █ █ There is breath within this music. There is life. █ █ It speaks to us, yes - but when it speaks from █ █ another side, it listens as well. It is open. It █ █ does not preach, it does not explain, but it █ █ communes with us, as we commune with it. It is... █ █ more than a gesture, more than a prayer - it's a █ █ beckoning to nature, a beckoning to the ancients █ █ to show us hope, to spark the light in all of us █ █ that keeps us alive in the harshest and most █ █ difficult of times. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Syvyys 6:55 ░ ░ 2. JΣljet 19:22 ░ ░ 3. Ne, jotka selviΣvΣt talvestamme 18:46 ░ ░ 4. JΣΣnkΣtkemΣ 7:45 ░ ░ 5. Tuulenvire 12:07 ░ ░ 64:55 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░