Romus, Rent/Heikki Koskinen: Itkuja Suite, Invocations On Lament

You may have seen my recently posted review of Rent Romus’ Here For The Outside album. Well, the artist is back and here he teams with vocalist Heikki Koskinen on the album titled Itkuja Suite, Invocations On Lament.

There are eleven tracks, ten of which are taken from Finnish stories held in The National Archives of Finland’s Ancient Poems of the Finnish People. Itkuja refers to Traditional Finnish lamentations, stories with a paradoxical nature, used in both mourning and celebrating. It is a holistic perspective, taking an all-encompassing view of human nature and the world around us.

Unlike Here For The Outside, the music has a more compositional approach, but Itkuja Suite will still be a rather difficult listen for the uninitiated. The vocals, both singing and spoken word, provided by Heikki Koskinen are in Finnish and I can’t say I’m a huge fan. That said, they do provide a large ethnic component to the music, sometimes comparable to the vocals of North American indigenous people. On the other hand, from an instrumental perspective, the playing is creative, energetic, and at times riveting. The intricate musicianship in the album opening “Porun Polku� being a case in point. Sax, trumpet, and flute create a delight of sounds to wrap your head around. The excellent drum work in “Stands On Water, Falls On Land�, the eerie flute in “Itkust Iloon�, and the dramatic horns in the album ending “Shapeshifter�, sounding like the soundtrack to some long lost ‘60s Western, are all worthy of repeat listening.

Aside from the vocals, there is some outstanding jazz to be heard on Itkuja Suite. I recommend you listen to some samples and decide for yourself.

Track Listing:
1. Porun Polku (Lament’s Journey) (7:55)
2. Stands On Water, Falls On Land (Vedessä Seisoo, Maalla Kaatuu) (10:46)
3. Itkust Iloon (Lament To Joy) (5:10)
4. Runo: Onnesta (Lucky Poem) (1:01)
5. Olin Kerran Onnekas (I Was Once Lucky) (5:58)
6. Itku Suistamolaisille Siirtolaisuudesta (Lament On Being A Refugee) (7:52)
7. Runkoteiran Halla (Rungoteus the Rye Spirit) (6:51)
8. Hear Me When I’m Lost (7:50)
9. Suurimaa (Grand Country) (6:14)
10. Intrinsic Light - Parts I �" II (9:37)
11. Shapeshifter (4:24)

Added: January 31st 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Bandcamp
Hits: 281
Language: english

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