Toisjalkainen

Reviews

GREEN MAN REVIEW, December 2023, Chris Wheatley | Link to review

The duo of Emilia Lajunen and Suvi Oskala are known in their homeland and elsewhere around the globe as masterful interpreters of the historical fiddle repertoir of central Finland. Just by playing this music, both the well known repertoire and compositions they unearth while delving through archives, Emilia and Suvi are breaking ground as women performing music traditionally played only by men.

In addition to Finland and the Nordic countries, the duo has toured in China, South Korea, and India, among others and in 2019 they were among the showcase artists at WOMEX. In Finland they’re also known for their environmentally conscious touring practices; they’ve toured extensively by bicycle and when that’s not feasible by train. It’s a conscious choice, aimed at hopefully changing industry standards. “Traveling by bicycle or train to concerts is slower than flying, but in times of environmental crisis, environmentally conscious action must be the way forward for all of us,” they note.

Toisjalkainen is their third full-length release, and it finds them exploring six traditional pieces and two contemporary commissions. The first of these is the wildly entertaining “Sometimes It Snows In Spring,” composed by the American fiddler Casey Driessen. This expert in percussive fiddle playing was stranded in Finland at the beginning of the pandemic, and composed a piece specifically for the duo about the country’s surprising late snowstorms and wildly fluctuating weather conditions. It’s a beautifully evocative contemporary fiddle duet that perfectly shows off these inventive musicians’ skills and wit.

The other commission is “Balkanodemia” by Finnish accordionist Teija Niku. This two-part piece explores Niku’s beloved Balkan themes, one a pensive, sevda-style composition, the other an up-tempo dance (with a middle section for some impressive improvisation).

Lovers of the Finnish polska, don’t despair. There are a couple of lovely examples, the stately “Yxi kaunis papillinen polska” (One beautiful priestly polska), and the lively “Rahapolska from Kannonkoski.” The latter is a fine example of the way this duo beautifully combines and swaps leads on droning accompaniment and engaging melodic lines. You’d be perfectly in your rights to choose the title track “Toisjalkainen” as your favorite; it’s a perfect example of a modern arrangement of a traditional tune, showcasing the full range of playing techniques at the duo’s disposal. The title is translated as “The Different-Footed,” after the legendary one-legged central Finland fiddler Akseli Raatikainen. And very appropriately the album winds up with a polka, “Akkainpolkat,” which may mean something like “old crone’s polka,” which has a very old-fashioned sound to it, guaranteed to get the dancers onto the floor.

Duo Emilia Lajunen & Suvi Oskala has a few festival appearances already booked for 2024, and are sure to put up more on their website. If you have a chance to see them at one of these gigs, don’t miss it.

There is indeed something of a phantasmagorical feel to this album, which sounds at once deeply rooted and yet soaring. On album opener ‘Elias Leppänen’, Lajunen waves hypnotic, mantra-like refrains around pulsing, thudding hand percussion. The electronic treatments are subtle yet distinctive. Lines echo off mighty cavern walls and drums boom through clouds of fog. When she sings, such as on the reeling, wonderfully emotive ‘Vilkon Laulu’, Lajunen’s voice provides a perfect counterpart to the wavering, flickering music, her delivery as ephemeral as a fairy tale. The two title-tracks, which arrive at the close of the album, provide an extraordinary immersive listening experience, delicate as a wavering flame, as illuminating as a thousand candles.

LIRA 2024, Anne Brügge | Link to review

Åter blir man påmind om att den optimala ensemblen alla kategorier är två fioler. Två räcker om de ser varandra i ögonen som Emilia Lajunen och Suvi Oskala gör på omslaget och under inspelningen – det hörs! Det blir då en hel orkester, det är bara att dansa runt dem eller sitta framåtlutat och andlöst följa varje stråkdrag.

Skivans namn Toisjalkainen kan översättas med ”andrabeningen”, ett uttryck Akseli Raatikainen använde om sig själv efter att ha blivit påkörd av en spelkompis. Det är oklart om det förlorade benet eller det kvarvarande är ”det andra”, men låten Toisjalkainen linkar på bra tungt med en del ettor underförstådda. Melodin känns bekant, men det gör ju gärna schottisar som ramlar runt i Norden.

Spelmannen Casey Driessen, USA, fastnade i Finland under pandemin och skrev den hackande tvåtaktaren Ibland snöar det på våren. Den går fram och åter men ger sig inte. Fin låt med överraskningar. En annan gästkompositör är Teija Niku, tidigare uppmärksammad ackordeonist i Lira. Hon har gjort två låtar åt duon med utrymme för improvisation i klättrande balkanskalor. Fiolerna används ibland som slagverk, det är känslosamt, och lockar till rörelse.

I övrigt ägnar sig duon åt låtar ur arkiven. Tre låtar med kvinnor bakom (eller skrivna till kvinnor?) har de hämtat i Ville Paanens skattkammare och lagt ihop till en långpolka: Kvinnornas, svärdöttrarnas och mjölkerskans polka. Varning för höga hastigheter här!

Ett udda inslag är att deras turnéer går på cykel eller tåg. Likt Greta Thunbergs mamma Malena Ernman väljer de bort flyg, trots vad det innebär av begränsningar. En turné på fyrtio konserter kan innebära 350 mil på cykel, som det var när Emilia reste solo.