One of the band members equates the opening pieces of this album to differing and developing landscapes. I translate that as soundscapes. It’s evident that Virta’s self-proclaimed atmospheric and cinematic music is geared to working with sounds, hence I suppose the tag “experimental” goes with it. A variety of instruments is used on “Horros” (Hibernation), but there is a strong bias towards electronica.
“It’s as if you are arriving on a strange planet” is the description that goes with the opening track “Aelita”. I am happy to endorse that statement. Its drifting waves and echoing background voice give the impression that we’re entering a parallel world. The sad and prolonged sound of a trumpet adds to the dreamy atmosphere. I’ll call it a trumpet but I do know that Virta use a flugelhorn, which has a similar sound. An electronic beat pumps out in accompaniment. Ending quietly amid waves, this is hugely evocative. We know where we are, even if it not our daily reality. Now is the time to embark upon the journey. The exploration begins with “Tunneli”. To a trippy electronic beat and background rumble, a distant dreamy voice guides us and hypnotises us. This time a fleeting saxophone sound adds spice to the pattering electro drama. It’s both mobile and haunting. The trumpet then plays morosely amid a discreet series of mechanical sounds, like metal upon metal. The electronic beat has the air of a dripping tap. But it’s the sheer and devastating melancholy of that trumpet which dominates “Sola”, and makes it both dreamy and nerve-jangling. What world are we in here? It doesn’t seem like a real one. Yet the trumpet bears the sound of the night, as it often does. Deep waves, obscure voices indicating there are people out there, pattering percussion and the soulful sadness of the trumpet …. “Millennium” is a vision of wonder. This isn’t just music. This is a deep experience. Fluidity of movement is not lost in spite of it being experimental. Virta manage to bring things to our consciousness such as the sound of children’s voices and seagulls and through doing so conjure up images as the electronic music moves on darkly. Such is “Toukokuu”.
A soft, haunting chorus accompanies the acoustic beat and trip-hop style. Bells ring to bring magic to the mesmerising “Sininen”. I crudely thought “world music” when I heard this. But what is most striking is how the range of sounds can create such floating beauty. Even the electric guitar enhances the calm. Deep rumbles and faint sounds of shattering penetrate the deep waves of “Tuuli Nousee”. The drum twitters urgently. The trumpet runs through its vein. It’s a kaleidoscope of sounds, truly experimental, lofty and spiritual and it seems to be speaking to us from an alien world. Typically sad, “Karhu” is slightly tame by comparison with the others. The rhythm is trip hoppy. The tune is unusually simple and, dare I say it, conventional. A haunting choral harmony appears. As I listened to the distant voice, I pictured a person alone on a hill. Oddly, the band representative states that the mood is warmer in the second half of this album. I didn’t find this but that’s just my interpretation. “Aamu” is the final chapter. The hypnotic beat is similar to “Sininen”. But now the sounds broadens as if to announce a new awakening. The electric guitar quietly plays a lush tune as the beat goes on. A comforting voice lingers and echoes as an array of beautiful electro-acoustic sounds once again brings colour and atmosphere to this captivating work from a wondrous world.
One thing I very much liked when I read about Virta is that they operate as a collective rather than relying on one dominant individual to dictate the direction. This is very clear thanks to the richness of textures. No single person could ever create this depth. “Horros” is wonderful. I felt this album. It’s like a flower bursting slowly into life in a cosmic way. It’s never overstated. Virta introduce sounds, make us think and move on, creating impressions and images in a subliminal way. Layers of sound are superimposed on each other without compromising fluidity while creating dreamy experimental soundscapes, but ones in which one is guided towards vivid images of an otherworldly nature.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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