MUSIC REVIEW: Šamane - “Solstice”
Back in 2023, a friend and I went to attend Desert Hel at On the Rocks in Helsinki and one of the most noteworthy artists during that 2-day psych festival was Šamane. Standing out for a very haunted and mystical atmosphere, we made a conscious effort to keep an eye/ear on them and it seems that, on April 12th, 2024, they will be releasing a new album called “Solstice” via their own label, Last Day of the North. I offered to write up the release for them and they sent it my way, so I was excited to give it a spin!
This next paragraph is dedicated to my history with the band, so that you can compare your taste against mine. If you’re not interested, feel free to skip past this paragraph and head down to the review in proper!
As mentioned, I didn’t know anything at all about Šamane prior to last April, when they were one of the acts playing at Desert Hel at On the Rocks. They were one of my event highlights and were the absolute favorite act of the weekend for my friend. We were really bummed out to discover that they had snuck back off to Tampere before we could buy any of their merch, so I promised my friend that I’d keep an eye on them. What I’ve learned since is that they’re a trio from Tampere, comprised of Saara Šamane (vocals, bass, percussion), Aleksi Kiiskilä (guitars, oud), and Otto Heino (drums, percussion), and that they are seeking to invoke a meditative experience with their music.
Right from track 1, “Kehrä” [spindle, whorl], the album feels like the soundtrack to a haunted, shamanistic walk into the woods. The songs are in no rush to get anywhere, lasting between 5-6 minutes as a rule and they spend much more time crafting atmosphere than melody—“Kehrä” ultimately comes across as a scene-setting intro track more than anything else, as it is extremely ambient, with only hints of this and that to lure you into its mysteries.
It is not until “Se itkee sadetta” [it cries rain] that Saara’s vocals and the drums and percussion set in to craft a slow, moody melody that meanders casually. I love this style of singing, as it sounds as though she’s just using her voice as an instrument to invoke a certain feeling, but I do think she is actually singing words that I can’t understand. The melodies expand and grow into the title track, “Solstice,” with Saara’s chilling voice used to add a human element to the crushing weight of the percussion, as though there’s a person lost in these woods. The oud tiptoes around as the percussions add texture and atmosphere, looming and lurking, as though there’s something old and dangerous deep in these woods and we would be wise to avoid it or at very least treat it with respect.
The album doesn’t lighten up at all until “Tiedon väri” [the color of knowledge], which is hardly lighter but does forefront the use of the oud more, which is wonderful—oud is not a commonly-heard instrument in Finland, but that just makes it all the more special and unique in this context. It does invoke a bit of an Eastern sound, mystical but not strictly unsettling or ominous—it’s one of those instruments that invokes a very shamanistic feeling.
However, “Kolme kohtaloa” brings back the apprehension with those loud, slow percussive notes. It’s worth noting that the song title translates directly to “the three fates,” but whether that invokes the Fates (Furies, Norns, etc.) is uncertain. This song does have clear lyrics that aren’t blended into the soundscape and is certainly the most unsettling of the tracks thus far. Then, the album concludes with “Minun ketoni on täynnä liljoja,” which loosely means “my meadow is full of lilies,” which is an unusual name but does indeed solicit a lighter atmosphere… perhaps the person has come out of the mystical forest and found a place of beauty on the other side? There’s more of a strict melodic flow, still wonderfully flavored with the oud and other instruments, with Saara’s soft vocals returning at the end of the song to bring things to its close.
Slow, mystical, and atmospheric are the three major adjectives I’d use to describe this upcoming release from Šamane. It’s the perfect soundtrack to any sort of chilling endeavor, whether you want to get in touch with nature and spirituality, go walking in the deep dark woods, write an ethereal story, summon an ancient creature, or if you simply want to have atmosphere for a game night or reading a good book. It’s exactly the kind of music that you need in special circumstances that require something subdued and mysterious—highly recommended and fingers crossed that they might be playing in Helsinki again sometime soon, perhaps at a Love Potion Club?
Tracklist
Kehrä
Se itkee sadetta
Solstice
Tiedon väri
Kolme kohtaloa
Minun ketoni on täynnä liljoja
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