Nova Musica: Valkama

I’ve bought lots of new music recently actually, but a standout has been the long awaited new album from gloomy Finnish folk group Tenhi.

Their bio on Prophecy Productions says: “When night falls onto the sub-arctic landscapes of the Land of the Thousand Lakes, in the twilight of forest and swamps, the veils between our reality and the otherworld grow thin. It is at those times that stories such as ‘the fairy tale that never was’ leak into the lyrics and music of TENHI. On their sixth album, “Valkama”, which translates as ‘harbour’ or ‘shelter’ among other meanings, the Finns originally began telling of a journey that was meant as a fairy tale in a burning, war-torn village and the crossing over dark waters to an island of the dead. The island is called Verisurma (‘the place for those who have suffered blood-death’) in Finnish folklore, where those dwell that died in war or were killed with a blade, and who shed blood on its shore forever. Yet, during the ten years that TENHI were working on the album, our reality started to bleed into the otherworld with its own terrors and wars. Year after year, the musicians felt their story becoming more and more real until the point was reached that the band decided to change course. Although echoes of the original work are still audible in the final music and visible in the artwork, the album now feels more harmonious and comforting, even brighter.

TENHI could hardly have picked a more suitable band-name. This old Finnish word means a person that is an ‘elder’ or ‘shaman’. And while the shamans of the ancient nomadic Finns are the guardians against but also the mediators between their communities and the spirit world, TENHI are their musical equivalent as a liminal force between dark folk, folk rock, and even reaching out into the normally electrified world of metal. The latter invites comparison with WARDRUNA and HEILUNG, although in a spiritual meaning and certainly not by way of a stylistic comparison. TENHI were conceived by guitarist and vocalist Tyko Saarikko in 1996. Ilmari Issakainen joined the band a few years later. Together they form the creative core of the group. After self-releasing the demo “Kertomuksia” (1997) and the MCD “Hallavedet” (1998), the Finns immediately hit a nerve with their debut full-length “Kauan” in 1999. TENHI started into the new millennium with another MCD entitled “Airut:ciwi” (2000), which was followed by a string of albums from “Väre” (2002) via “Maaäet” (2006) and “Airut:aamujen” (2006) to “Saivo” (2011). With each new album, the Finns continued to grow a dedicated following that is coming from different musical directions. From the start, TENHI have combined acoustic instrumentation and a traditional vibe with structures based on contemporary rock music. While their previous full-length “Saivo” tilted more towards an ambient-style and panoramic soundtrack feeling, “Valkama” returns to a more song-oriented approach – even though the tracks retain an epic and meandering format. “Valkama” comes with the trademark Finnish longing and melancholia, but despite its audible darkness, TENHI offer a musical outlet from the horrors of the modern world. In the twilight world of the North, “Valkama” is the silver-lining on the horizon promising shelter and peace.

Tenhi are not what I would call prolific artists. Their last album came out in 2011, but it has been worth the wait.

A review on SputnikMusic reads:
“There’s no easy way to kick off a review for the legendary Tenhi after a twelve-year stretch since Saivo, so I’m just gonna go for it. Valkama is the product of stubborn patience. Not necessarily because of the time gap, but rather the structure and pace of the songs themselves. I don’t remember the last time I heard an album in less of a hurry than this; many of these moments seem to just exist as naturally as the grass grows in your back yard. There are some sweeping cinematic highs – storms and obstacles – but much of Valkama coasts on the minimalistic and dark folk stylings Tenhi have been experts at since the late ‘90s. There’s been a tweak to the dark aspect, but we’ll get to that.

The creative process behind Valkama is intriguing right off the bat, and it makes for the most personal Tenhi album to date. It started out as a tale about escaping a ravaged and blackened settlement – the only way forward through harsh waters which lead to an island of the dead. But Tenhi had to ask themselves a hard question during the writing process: what do you do when your fairy tale starts to mirror real world horrors around you? Several adjustments of their canoe later, Finland’s folk giants had their eyes set on a new destination – one with quite a bit more illumination to light their path. What was once a sorrowful and dreary journey was given new life and optimism. The album title translates to “shelter”, and this album is an audible timeline of the many years it took to reach that special place.

Tenhi’s 6th official LP exudes a sense of inner peace with its lush mixture of acoustic guitars, strings, flutes, and keys – sometimes topped off with hushed and yearning vocals. It’s still full of the eerie soundscapes the band have a knack for – chants and flutes intertwine for the more urgent, ritualistic strokes of “Rintamaan – but there’s no denying the air is warmer this time around. The band wrings as much emotion as possible from even their most naked branches. The sparse “Kesavihanta” is a medley of soft guitars that features a Tim Burton-esque choir. While “Rannankukka” makes a splash with a steady, tribal drum pattern. It’s all the glorious little things that make this album such a magnetic ride.

Throughout Valkama, the listener is constantly reminded of the power of the piano; intricate, weeping notes carry more weight than an instrumental assault ever could. The album is reflective throughout, but at its best, it’s simply revitalizing. “Hele” has a special glow to it as it signals one of the most majestic moments of the journey: that stretch past the halfway point where the crew are overwhelmed by the stars illuminating the vast sky. Each delicate note cuts through the fog with unmistakable clarity. It’s quite insane how vivid everything is here – every color of the horizon and ripple in the water. As tempted as I am to take the time to decipher every lyric, I don’t have to. With Tenhi, the emotive songwriting does the heavy lifting in that regard; you never have to second-guess your surroundings.
I love that Valkama seems to expand on the artwork of the band’s Folk Aeshetic compilation. A skeleton adorned with flowers is pretty much a flawless representation of the band’s sound: always finding the raw beauty in even the most melancholic or frightening moments. In many ways, this feels like the ultimate meditation album. In a world so obsessed and numbed by instant gratification, it seeks out the exact opposite. This makes it an escape that’s as demanding as it is powerful, but so very rewarding. “Aina sininen aina” is the moment you can finally see your destination, and it fittingly contains some bright guest vocals to go with its soothing and slow-building melody. The vibes of floating through the clouds are strong here, with layered choral singing over the most delicate swell of bass and raindrop piano effects. As a bookend, it provides a welcome contrast to the more melancholic and wistful “Saattue”, the most expansive track on Valkama.

If we’re being real, pointing out these specific songs seems like a cruel injustice in the face of a vast and poignant 70-minutes. Valkama is clearly meant to be digested in its entirety, with as few distractions as possible. It thrives by invoking a connection to nature, tapping into our spiritual side we sometimes forget even exists (or at least I do, I need to get out more). By the time you row into the shore of your destination, you’ll be exhausted, but in a good way. There’s no shortage of discovery or passion on to be found here. Even after such a long time since their last album, they’ve managed to create something as impactful and therapeutic as anything else in their career. You can legitimately feel the amount of dedication and love that was poured into every minute. What an experience. There’s little doubt Tenhi are still the holy grail of earthy and celestial folk music – this time with just a bit more light to navigate the shroud of darkness.”

They released a cool lyric video with some cool restrained animation for the title track.

I bought the fancy 2CD Artbook version which has an extra cd with bonus tracks.

At the same time Prophecy Productions released a comprehensive collected works of all the previous Tenhi releases on vinyl. I got the black vinyl version. I don’t like paying extra for a different colour. I already have a previous version of this, although they added a lot more stuff in this one.

“TENHI have listened to their many adherents that have long been clamouring for a new collection. The Finnish dark folk progenies make all their recordings from 1997 to 2023 available on 14 vinyl LPs in a limited hardcover slipcase box under the title “Collected Works 2023”. The material includes the latest full-length “Valkama” and most of the albums have been remastered. The box exists in two versions, one in black (ltd. 300) and the other in clear transparent (ltd. 200) vinyl. Both editions include 5 double-sided 30x30cm art-prints.”

This was the most expensive music purchase I have made thus far… around $500, but 14 Lps and some extra goodies actually makes that relatively good value, I’m also a member of the Prophecy Collectors club which gives me a good discount on releases. The pressings are superb. Quiet and good. No warps at all thankfully. All of the artwork is cool and works really well in this larger format.

Worth a listen if you like bleakish Nordic music.