Monday, December 5, 2011

Teeme Muusikat


Here is some more Estonian folk music from the Teeme Muusikat (Let's Make Music) series, which I posted about earlier. I love love love these records. For me they are an outline and manifesto for the kind of pop music that needs to be made today: haunting, melancholy choral folk with twinkly percussion and woodwinds -- like the soundtrack to a lost TV broadcast of an Eastern European fairy tale. Since I don't speak Estonian the singers give the sense of casting spells or reciting ritual incantations. And in some songs there is a fairly lively "beat" percussion that wouldn't be too out of place on a garage or psych 45 (the yelping on one of the R. Kangro tracks sounds a bit like a parallel universe Lizzy Mercier Descloux.)



Above is the third record in the series, arranged by Heino Jurisalu. I believe the songs are mostly trad., but they are occasionally credited to individual songwriters. Beautiful, plaintive pastoral tunes. I love the typesetting and photos, including the portrait of Jurisalu on the back. He might have been the head music teacher in the project, as he wrote the back cover blurbs for many of the albums. If anybody could translate I'd be much obliged. The practical academic function of these records -- they were clearly meant for classroom activities -- is part of what I like about them, so it would be good to know what sort of instructions they have in mind.



This one is, I believe, the fourth record in the series. The color palette all matches up, from Kangro's tie to the armchair to the girl's dress. We actually have a table cloth like that, too. Some of these tunes remind me of the drool-worthy Finders Keepers release of the Malá Morská Víla OST, which was the center of gravity for my musical world this past year. The sleeve may seem a bit twee and goodie two shoes, but it's amazing how edgy and punk some of side 2 sounds if you listen with your third ear. Below is a taste of my favorite track. Enjoy and play for your friends!

19 comments:

  1. thanks ben. so much sweeter than anything else i've heard today

    'haunting, melancholy choral folk with twinkly percussion and woodwinds'

    the prevailing blueprint, everydamtime

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  2. thank you! that was lovely. i like the picture of the guy playing the recorder very much!

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  3. Thank you very much, Ben! So much beauty!

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  4. There is a wonderful story of life in these melancholic forest, in each melody. I am so happy! Sorry to be so effusive, Federico

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  5. I'm glad you like it! Thanks for tuning in, everybody.

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  6. Thank you for the early Christmas presents! These are enchanting and are such a lovely complement to the Reet album posted earlier this year. Just in time for the snowstorm: kudos, sir.

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  7. So good. "Laul juurviljadest" must be a number one hit in a parallel universe.
    The whole thing makes me wanna watch eastern european fairy tale movies all night indeed.

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  8. Jedrific -- cool, enjoy! They are kind of Christmas-y.

    Dispo -- yeah, I totally want to watch some Estonian movies now. I don't think I've ever seen one.

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  9. Wow, I love laul juurviljadest. It makes me crave more. I wish I could hear the whole album.

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  10. new link for kangro ep:
    http://www.mediafire.com/?1vdj69cmt1v0vrw

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  11. new link for jurisalu:
    http://www.mediafire.com/?9hw3ww64jhyd32g

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  12. I work together with Veljo Tormis. Nice pieces of art you have found! I should really sing the vegetable soup song with my children!

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    1. Hello! Thanks for writing. Please say hello to Mr. Tormis for me. I'm a big fan of his work and it seems lots of other people who read this blog are as well.

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  13. thanks for the pair of download links. this is great stuff.

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  14. Thank you very much. I discovered your blog yesterday, and with it the Teeme Muusikat albums. It made me very happy. As a child (and still) I loved the piano pieces 'For Children' by Bartok. Do you know them? I think you would like them, too.

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  15. hi frances. thanks for the kind words! i don't know the bartok record, sounds cool!

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  16. ....and Malá Morská Víla OST is amazing! am now v tempted by the album 'Daisies' - is it good?

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