Veri - äijiäl - 1LP

New music from the swamps & forests of Karelia, the border territory between Finland and Russia. Old spirits and legends find new veins to reawaken in the modern world. The sound of ancient instruments & a feminine voice speak through centuries, synergistically merging with angular electronics and a dark rave energy.

Each song is interpreted from traditional material. Karelian is a Finno-Ugric language closely related to Finnish, with about 60,000 native speakers between Finland & Russia today—spoken mostly in the Republic of Karelia within the Russian Federation. Blending their indigenous, matriarchal animism with the tenants of Eastern Orthodoxy, the rich traditions preserved by the Karelian people have contributed significantly to the body of Finnic folklore—a major source of material collected for Elias Lönnrot’s Finnish epic the Kalevala.

The region of Karelia has long been fought over by imperial powers for the abundant resources and importance to northern trade routes (particularly between the Swedish Empire and Russian principalities prior to the modern era, and split between Finland and Soviet control in the Cold War). Because of this, the Karelian people have weathered numerous wars and armed conflicts throughout the centuries, forced resettlements, erasure & assimilationist policies--which continue to this day (to some degree on both sides of the border). Renewed tensions between Finland and Russia following the invasion of Ukraine once again threaten Karelian lives and cohesion across these artificial borders.

"äijiäl" is Veri's debut album, released independently in March of 2024. Our Kota Tones vinyl release includes a new digital master in addition to the record.

1. Alkusanat (Prologue)

2. Pääsköilintu (Swallow bird)

3. Častuškat (A ditty)

4. Tuulen vihat (The spell of wind)

5. Kukkuu (Cuckoo)

6. Soitelemma, joutelemma (We row, we hurry)

7. Omat on virret oppimani (My songs that I learned, feat. Pekko Käppi)

8. Tulen šynty (The birth of fire)

9. Outro

This item was made available in the EU or NI market prior to December 13, 2024. This product is safe for use by the general public. No specific warnings apply.