Riitti

This debut album from Finnish duo, Liisa Haapanen (cello, voice, percussion) and Janne Ojajärvi (harmonica, jaw harp, flute, voice and percussion), is dedicated ‘to all forests,’ and comes with a fair degree of pedigree. Ojajärvi holds a master’s degree in folk music, and is a recognised expert on harmonica. Haapanen is one of Finland’s few folk cellists, and an accomplished soloist and film director.

For all their traditional music credentials, Hurja Halla deliver a surprisingly contemporary-sounding set, albeit one drenched in the bittersweet feel of Nordic folk. The self-titled opener flows from quieter passages to up-tempo jigs, underscored by a beating bass pulse. Cliché it may be, but visions of stretching blankets of beautiful forest are hard to ignore. ‘Kuura’ utilises the whirling, percussive potential of the jaw harp to great effect, spinning a rich tapestry of deeply rhythmic music. Haapanen’s cello, supple and expressive, is a delight to hear. There is an arresting atmospheric drama to this set which is hard to pin down. Hurja Halla’s music never dwells for long in one place, skipping lightly from spell-binding vocal mantras to expansive rolling soundscapes and racing adventures. It is this variety of tone and mood, often within a single composition, that makes Riitti such an absorbing listening. Throughout it all, Haapanen and Ojajärvi perform with arresting skill and hypnotic depth.