Episode 24: Tenhi’s ”Valkama” and the Passage of Time

Wed May 31 2023

The Screaming Bloody Oranges podcast

Hosted by Jonathan Rosenthal and Ted Newbell, with guest host Nathaniel from Musk Ox and Tiko and Ilmari from the band Tenhi.
The podcast discusses Tenhi's new album "Valkama" and their unique process of making music where albums float on top of each other.

Took a long time to create, capturing the essence of all their previous albums while remaining unique.
Features more present vocals and lead instruments compared to previous albums.
No specific design period, as the band works on a subconscious level and follows what they like.
Songs are in a flowing state and may take a long time to finish due to constant changes and rearrangements.
Band makes music for themselves first and foremost, not necessarily for commercial success or current trends.
Lead single "Sato" chosen by the label, but it fits as an introduction to the album's world and connects to previous albums.

Different sound compared to previous albums, with more social and intimate elements, female vocals, and gatherings.
Themes range back 20 years in time, drawing from the collective memory of the group.
More major key moments in the new album.
Original concept about an island from Finnish folklore changed to be more abstract.
Artwork reflects the change in concept, with a graphic style.
Band wanted to leave room for interpretation and not be political or topical.

Interest in creating an album with illustrations.
Happy with illustrations for current album, but had a different idea that would have taken longer to realize.
Parts of illustration work will be included in an art book.
Cover art features a painting of a book and is more colorful than previous albums.
Artwork meant to appeal to both listener and viewer's eye.

No nail folk or folk music scene in Finland, but a few bands have some relation musically to the dark folk genre.
Gothic scene in Central Europe is big and encompasses different styles of music.
Tenhi's band has varied songs that could fit into the dark folk category but also have drum-oriented rock songs.
Mixing of popular music today is very different from mixing of bands like King Crimson, Genesis, and Yes.
Umari's old band was a heavy metal band and many members are now involved with Tenhi.

Speakers met in art college and their bands emerged together.
Ulver was a major influence for one speaker when starting their band, along with other Norwegian black metal bands.
Intrigued by soundscapes and how different sounds can evoke emotion.
Still listen to the same bands they did as teenagers and their musical taste has come full circle.

Incorporation of groove in Tenhi's folk music, sometimes sounding like hip hop.
Grooves start with rhythm and build from there, using shamanic repetition and mathematical structures.
Shamanic repetition and grooves are similar in nature.
Improvisation plays a role in composition, with some parts thought out and others improvised.
Use of traditional instruments brings an organic feel to the music.
Mistakes and happy accidents embraced in acoustic music.

Tendi's music focused on texture and leaving fingerprints in the sound.
Struggle between sound and story can lead to trouble, especially with old acoustic instruments.
Composing on one guitar and recording with another can change the sound significantly.
Meet every Saturday at the studio to work on music together, also work individually throughout the week.
Mix, play instruments, and work on other aspects of their music during meetings.

Groove in a song is in 10, similar to Indian classical music.
Time signature was not intentional and came naturally while crafting the song.
Tuko's approach to music is more intuitive, while Ilmari has an academic way of doing things.
Orchestration involves trying out different instruments and arrangements for each song.
Drums used to improvise piano parts in one song where the grand piano was in a different tune.

Happy accidents have led to interesting parts of Tenhi's music.
Trial and error is a big part of their composing process, contributing to the length of time it takes to create an album.
Consider doing a concert with full control over visual elements, lights, and sound in a theatre setting.
Haven't played live much recently due to wanting to be in control of their music and not being able to replicate small nuances in a live situation.
If they were to play live, it would likely be in a more relaxed concert setting.

"Lalcoma" album has a more traditional song approach, but plan to release more music sooner.
Hope to introduce themselves to a new generation of listeners with this album.
Anxious about whether older fans still remember them and if they are still around.
Nylon string acoustic guitar is one of their favorite instruments and takes the foreground in many lead guitar parts.
May have future side projects under the i-root saga name.

Value the purity of their expression and do not want commercial aspects to affect it.
Tenhi's music created in a time when pure expression was valued over commodification.
Taking 10 years to release an album made Tenhi stand out from other artists chasing success.
Band values the craft of their art and prefers not to make a big noise about themselves or their work.
Band had a painful experience during a recent photoshoot and prefers natural settings for photographs.
Hope to work on new material soon and release it within a couple of years.

Children play instruments and hope to pass on music-making responsibilities to them.
Enjoy having a creative outlet that allows them to feel like children again.
Do not do studio work for other projects, prefer to focus on their own music-making process.
Approach to making music may not fit with others' preferences, as seen in their experience working with Tiko on the Maria Matlaur album.
Value the purity of their expression and do not want commercial aspects to affect it.

Called Screaming Bloody Oranges.
Hosted by Jonathan Rosenthal and Ted Newbell, with guest host Nathaniel from Musk Ox and Tiko and Ilmari from Tenhi.
Thank guest for speaking despite technical difficulties.
Will be back in two weeks.
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Post will be made on the website www.invisibleoranges.com to accompany each episode.