Hungarian folk group Muzsikás have been around since 1973, but this song is much older. Dunántúli Friss Csárdások translates as “Transdanubian Fast Csárdás”, and “Csárdás” in turn refers to a Hungarian folk dance. It derives from an old Hungarian word for “tavern”.
It’s not always clear to me where exactly folk music comes from. Bands preserve it as best they can, but there aren’t exactly that many options for research. It’s not like we have a written record. What’s gone is gone. When the last village musician dies, hundreds, maybe thousands of years of musical tradition dies with him. With the aid of easy recording and generous grants, it is easy enough for what still remains today to be preserved (and more often than not exploited into that crime against culture we call ‘world music’), but at this point just how much is left? I don’t mean that to be rhetorical; I’d really like to know how modern folk and folk metal bands acquire their sources.
Dunántúli Friss Csárdások and the rest of the songs on this album are an exceptionally clear case. They result from the efforts of Béla Bartók (1881-1945), one of the earliest musicians to consciously recognize folk music’s peril and attempt to preserve it. Trained as a classical musician, from 1904 on he set his focus on Eastern European folk, not only transcribing it and incorporating it into his classical compositions, but also making over 1000 actual recordings, mostly between 1906 and the start of the war. A random example will more likely than not yield a bland 10 seconds of someone talking or humming, but after listening to twenty or so I found one that really impressed me:
Does Dunántúli Friss Csárdások and the rest of the Muzsikás album derive from one of Bartók’s field recordings, or from one of his original compositions based upon them? That I’m not sure about, but one could always just ask the band. Frankly I think it might be a bit more fun to dig through the full collection of Bartók recordings looking for them.
What I especially love about this song is the sustained, poor production quality noise. Utuk Xul, hailing from Cali, Colombia, are not a band to write home about, and The Goat of the Black Possession is not a particularly special album. One especially degrading review on Encyclopaedia Metallum gives it a lowly 25%, and I’m afraid there’s not much in the review that I can argue with. But what may well be entirely generic songs are masked by a really menacing and constant wall of sinister noise. The quality of the recording is spot on, whatever one might say about the song writing. On one hand “The Ancient God of Light (part II)” really captures the aural spirit of black metal. On the other hand it captures everything that’s especially cheesy about the genre it represents.
Kicking off with a liturgical ode to Satan, the album goes on to mimic every stereotype of the genre in fairly generic form. It’s impossible to tell whether the band is trying really, really hard to be evil or whether the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek a la Carpathian Forest, but unlike Carpathian Forest they lack the relative fame to make that distinction relevant. This song’s title refers to Lucifer–the band present themselves as devout Satanists of the literal Christian sort, not LaVey’s variety–and the lyrics are everything one could hope for in especially cheesy black metal: “Call the moon, Lucifer, the morbid star! The ancient god of the light, my force! Lucifer prince of the abyss! Morbid star, light of the abyss! The hell light of the storms!”, etc.
The one thing the 25% review got definitively wrong, I think, is in chastising them for buying into the Swedish scene he dubs “norsecore”. The term is an entirely appropriate insult for one of black metal’s weakest subgenres, but part of what makes most bands in the Swedish scene pretty bad is their refined recording quality; the blast beat ad nauseam routine isn’t an innately bad thing. On “The Ancient God of Light (part II)” (What became of “part I” is anyone’s guess. It doesn’t appear on this album.) I think Utuk Xul really nailed it. The atmospheric noise just screams evil here, and, moreso than other tracks on the album, this song is sufficiently devoid of attempts at song construction to function as one continuous, sustained explosion. I love it.
I actually find The Goat of the Black Possession as a whole fairly enjoyable for the same reason I like this song, but there might be a bit of nostalgia playing into that too. It was the product of one of my earliest completely arbitrary purchasing sprees in search of unknown black metal bands, and in 2003 I had a lot less to compare it to. “The Ancient God of Light (part II)” is the only track I’ll flaunt without reservations, but if you really enjoy its effects as a background piece then you probably won’t be disappointed by the rest.
Whether Utuk Xul really take themselves seriously is anyone’s guess, but intentionally or not they succeeded in producing one of the lamest photo shoots I have ever seen. Enjoy:
I’m going to keep it fairly friendly for these first few entries before I delve into the darker side of the scene. Today’s feature song is Tunteellinen Valssi by Karelian folk band Myllärit, appearing on their 1999 release In the Light of the White Night. Though this is the only album I have by them, the band have been around for quite some time. They first formed in 1992, and they have since released seven albums.
I am not particularly good at tracing older musical styles, and I don’t know if there’s any sort of precedent for waltzes in Finnish/Karelian tradition, but Tunteellinen Valssi and the album as a whole keep the instrumentation fairly local. In the Light of the White Night consists of a wide range of styles which nevertheless all fall within the broader category I’ve come to associate with Karelian folk. Unlike Poropetra, Myllärit have no ties to the metal scene to the best of my knowledge. I can only speak for one album, but from what I’ve read I gather they stick pretty consistently to traditional folk forms.
I think the majority of their songs are sung in Finnish, but their Finnish Wikipedia entry (yay Google Translate) claims that they also sing in Ingrian, a Finnic language only spoken by about 500 people in the Ingria region just south of Karelia. It always excites me to see modern folk and metal bands doing their part to preserve fading linguistic and cultural traditions.
“Tuatha Dé Danann” refers to mythological pre-Christian inhabitants of Ireland, and contestedly translates as “peoples of the goddess Danu”. If an entirely appropriate name for an Irish folk metal band, what makes Tuatha de Danann especially odd is that they hail from Varginha, Brazil. The band can, moreover, claim to be one of the earliest-formed acts to perform folk metal, dating back to 1995 (though they quite recently broke up.)
Tuatha de Danann are fundamentally power metal–the definitive metal genre of Central and Southern America (I was in Costa Rica when Iron Maiden played there in 2009 and you’d have thought it was a national holiday). I’ve never been a big power metal enthusiast, so I never had much of a desire to explore Tuatha de Danann’s albums further, but the opening track to Tingaralatingadun, released in 2001, does a delightful (and historically, exceptionally early) job of flawlessly merging power and folk metal in a manner somewhat similar to Elvenking during their finer years. It is a bit more earthy than Elvenking, much to its advantage, and the effect of the constant guitar solo doodling, whistle, and generally airy production creates a lighthearted, mischievous vibe that I would describe as more fantasy than folk–or at least, it invokes a more fairytale superstition of early morning magic. Follow these guys into a cave and you might find a few hundred years have passed on your way back out.
The biggest selling point for me in this song is the tone of the whistle. I cannot sufficiently emphasize my love for whistles. There is no instrument I enjoy more, either to listen to or to play (banjos get a close second, though I’d be kidding myself if I claimed I could play one). “The Dance of the Little Ones” is especially successful in generating a sort of ‘through the fog’ whistle tone which I’ve heard employed by such diverse musicians as Belarusian folk band Stary Olsa (Стары Ольса) and Japanese video game composer Miki Higashino, and which I desperately wish I knew how to reproduce.
October is a fine month for music. Everything from the cheesiest of black metal to the most ethereal of folk finds its home in a season which glorifies gore and the old gods together in a grand renunciation of conventional Christian values. I make an effort every year to present a sort of soundtrack to the season. Last year this amounted to a meager one post, but this go around I aim to do a song a day every day from now until the 31st.
The criteria will be two-fold: the song must be either dark, pagan, fantasy-oriented, or at least authentically folk; and I cannot have ever featured it on Shattered Lens before. It’s going to be an interesting ride. I feel at the moment completely out of touch with my music collection, and too hopelessly bereft of time to do anything about it. Musically, I spent the grand bulk of this year focusing on vgm. I must say the venture was eye-opening, and I have a much broader appreciation of video game music to show for it, but it’s a subject quite far from my typical focus. I will be putting my vgm series on hold for the month (it is incomplete anyway, and such a break will hopefully give me time to extend it), and focusing on music a bit more relevant to the season.
Today’s feature song is Tunturikukka by Finnish folk act Poropetra, taken from their self-titled 2004 demo release. While their full-length album features substantial rock influence, their demo is an outstanding example of uncompromised contemporary folk of the Finnish/Karelian variety. The band’s name is, according to Encyclopaedia Metallum, “the name of a mythological blue moose which travels through the sky”. Their founder, Juha Jyrkäs, has supposedly collaborated with folk metal legends Korpiklaani.
Tunturikukka is a track I’ve been keeping around for years now. I don’t recall when exactly I discovered the band, but I may have had it in my collection since the year of its release, and it still never fails to make an impression on me. I’ve always extracted a warm, sort of wintery vibe from the tune, and there’s something a bit reverent about it. From what I’ve read, I gather the lyrics pay ample homage to Finnish mythology, and on Tunturikukka most among the demo tracks I get a real sense of connection with the past.
The latest “Song of the Day” comes from a band that many haven’t heard of but should. It was fellow site writer necromoonyeti who first introduced me to their band of folk rock almost three years past now. It was their song “Requiem” that first got Altan Urag onto my music radar.
“Requiem” is a difficult song to categorize. It’s definitely traditional folk music in sound and gives hints of Altan Urag’s folk rock sound. It is also a song that cannot be called a ballad and too melodious to be a dirge despite the title. The video made for this song actually starts off with a young boy asking his grandfather a question. We don’t know what he asks but the song itself gives u s hints as to the answer. An answer that has notions of sorrow and hope, of death and rebirth.
We don’t get to hear the distinctive “throat singing” from the band in this song, but their use of traditional Mongolian folk music instruments like the morin khuur (horse head fiddle) and ikh khuur (grand horse head fiddle) could easily be heard throughout the song and gives the song it’s unique sound.
Altan Urag may not be a house hold name to the general public, but songs like this should give those who have never heard of them an idea why so many people hold them in such high regard.
Something quick and nostalgic for the latest “Song of the Day”.
I rarely put up hip-hop songs as “Song of the Day” since I rarely think back fondly on most of them, but this one I do think back and remember fondly. It’s one of those songs that just brings back memories of simpler days.
The track “Passin’ Me By” by the hip-hop group The Pharcyde came out in in the Spring of 1993 off of their full-length album, Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde and gradually rose up the charts that season until it reached hit status. The group never had as big a hit as this track though it will continue to consistently make good to very good records since. I think what resonated to me and many fans of this song wasn’t just the beats but the lyrics themselves. It’s a song about young crushes and infatuation ranging from one’s schoolboy days to young adulthood. It’s those very same lyrics which continues to make this song as relevant now as much as they did in 1992-1993 when the song came out.
Passin’ Me By
Now in my younger days I used to sport as shag When I went to school I carried lunch in a bag With an apple for my teacher ’cause I knew I’d get a kiss Always got mad when the class was dismissed But when it was in session, I always had a question I would raise my hand to make her stagger to my desk and help me with my problem, it was never much Just a trick, to smell her scent and try to sneak a touch Oh, how I wish I could hold her hand and give her a hug She was married to the man, he was a thug, His name was Lee, he drove a Z, he’d pick her up from school promptly at three o’clock I was on her jock, yes indeedy I wrote graffiti on the bus First I’d write her name then carve a plus, with my name last, on the looking glass, I seen her yesterday but still I had to let her pass
She keeps on passin me by…
When I dream of fairytales I think of me and Shelly See she’s my type of hype and I can’t stand when brothers tell me That I should quit chasin’ and look for something better But the smile that she shows makes me a go-getter I haven’t gone as far as asking if I could get with her I just play it by ear and hope she gets the picture I’m shootin for her heart, got my finger on the trigger She could be my broad, and I could be her (nigga) But, all I can do is stare… Back as kids we used to kiss when we played truth or dare Now she’s more sophisticated, highly edu-ma-cated not at all over-rated, I think I need a prayer to get in her boots and it looks rather dry I guess a twinkle in her eye is just a twinkle in her eye Although she’s crazy steppin, I’ll try to stop her stride Cause I won’t have no more of this passin me by
And I must voice my opinion of not even pretending she didn’t have me Strung like a chicken, chase my tail like a doggie She was kind of like a star, thinking I was like a fan Dude, she looked good, down side: she had a man He was a rooty-toot, a nincompoop She told me soon your little birdie’s gonna fly the coop She was a flake like corn, and I was born not to understand By lettin her pass I had proved to be a better man
She keeps on passin me by…
Now there she goes again, the dopest Ethiopian And now the world around me be gets movin in slow motion when-ever she happens to walk by – why does the apple of my eye overlook and disregard my feelings no matter how much I try? Wait, no, i did not really pursue my little princess with persistance; And I was so low-key that she was unaware of my existance From a distance I desired, secretly admired her; Wired her a letter to get her, and it went: My dear, my dear, my dear, you do not know me but I know you very well Now let me tell you about the feelings I have for you When I try, or make some sort of attempt, I symp Damn I wish I wasn’t such a wimp! ‘Cause then I would let you know that I love you so And if I was your man then I would be true The only lying I would do is in the bed with you Then I signed sincerely the one who loves you dearly, PS love me tender The letter came back three days later: Return to Sender Damn!
I will readily admit that I am a child of the 80’s. I grew up listening to 80’s music whether it was metal (though I didn’t truly listen to them until the 90’s), rap all the way to synthpop and new wave which became quite popular during the decade with groups such as Depeche Mode, INXS, Duran Duran and The Cure. One band which I listened to quite a bit during the mid-80’s was the British new wave band Tears For Fears. It’s from this band that the latest “Song of the Day” comes from: “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”.
The song is actually an 80’s classic that has stood the test of time and musical taste. While many scoff and ridicule most of the pop songs which blew up during the 80’s this particular song from Tears For Fears was never one of them. While the song does have a foundation in the synthpop sound of the time the song itself doesn’t really sound like most of the 80’s pop music. The lyrics are socially aware without being too preachy. In fact, if one was to listen to the song now it’s original message of limitless optimism in the future for everyone actually sounds a bit selfish in today’s social climate.
The song has been covered quite a bit by many singers and bands of different stripes from such groups as The Dresden Dolls, Clare & The Reasons and Dru Hill right up to the pop punk band Care Bares on Fire whose cover was used during the end credits for Season 5, Episode 9 of True Blood which used the song’s title as the episode title. I’m not a huge fan of that particular cover which made me decide to choose the original version as the latest “Song of the Day” to point out that the original may be old, but it will always be the best.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Welcome to your life There’s no turning back Even while we sleep We will find you acting on your best behavior Turn your back on Mother Nature Everybody wants to rule the world
It’s my own design It’s my own remorse Help me to decide Help me make the most Of freedom and of pleasure Nothing ever lasts forever Everybody wants to rule the world
There’s a room where the light won’t find you Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down When they do I’ll be right behind you So glad we’ve almost made it So sad they had to fade it Everybody wants to rule the world
I can’t stand this indecision Married with a lack of vision Everybody wants to rule the world Say that you’ll never never never never need it One headline why believe it? Everybody wants to rule the world
All for freedom and for pleasure Nothing ever lasts forever Everybody wants to rule the world
Slowly, but surely I’ll be posting more and more of my experiences over at this past Anime Expo 2012 and the latest “Song of the Day” was a song that began one of the highlights of the Expo.
The song is “The Battle Is To The Strong” by Japanese composer Yuki Kajiura for the anime series Fate/Zero. It’s one thing to listen to this song when it plays during the series and even when listening to it as part of the official soundtrack, but to hear it live in an auditorium was a different experience altogether. The song is a mixture of choral symphony with modern rock. Kajiura’s vocal quartet that she chose for her solo work with FictionJunction provided the vocals in the song with longtime band member Koichi Korenaga handling the electric guitar work throughout the piece. His guitar solo which begins around the 1:46 mark got a huge response from the audience.
What made this song stand out is Yuki Kajiura’s work as it’s composer. Unlike ome of her contemporary who have done soundtrack and score work for anime and video game she’s quite eclectic in her stylistic choices. This song is a perfect example of how she’s able to combine both classical styles and hard rock influences and make them work well together. She’s quite similar to one of the masters of the Japanese music scene in Nobuo Uematsu who also defies being pegged as just a composer who sticks to one or two styles.
The only thing that would’ve made this song sound even better and the experience infinitely more memorable was if the concert had been held at the larger and more acoustically sound concert venue in the Nokia Theater, but the X-Games had taken over the area (another reason why the X-Games was the bane of most of the Anime Expo attendees).
This weekend sees the conclusion of Christopher Nolan’s deconstruction of the superhero myth, especially that of the Batman/Bruce Wayne duo. I’ve never been a big fan of Hans Zimmer’s work as a film composer though he does have some very good work in his body of work down the years. When I found out that his co-composer from the first two Nolan Batmanfilms, James Newton Howard, wasn’t going to be involved in the third film, The Dark Knight Rises, I was very worried at how the score for that film would turn out.
Fortunately, there was one new piece of music from this Zimmer-composed soundtrack that I found to be great and my latest”Song of the Day”.
“Gotham’s Reckoning” is the leitmotif for the main antagonist of The Dark Knight Risecome in the form of the physically imposing but still devious and cunning Bane. Zimmer uses the now-recognizable ritualistic chanting that has been used over and over in the trailers and tv spots for the film. It’s only in “Gotham’s Reckoning” that we hear the chanting, but the tempo and tone created by the chants become the basis for Bane’s theme and could be heard throughout the film whenever the character enters the scene to do something important.
It doesn’t have the discordant sound that Joker’s theme had in the second film. Bane’s theme has a much more linear and organized quality to it while still retaining the primal qualities that describes Bane as a villain who wasn’t just more than a match for Batman physically actually surpasses him) but also a match for the Dark Knight in intelligence albeit with a huge streak of malice and ruthlessness. For those who have seen the film they might have noticed how Bane’s theme soon becomes a variant on the main theme for the whole trilogy. Will not spoil it for those who haven’t seen, but it’s very hard not to miss.
Through the Shattered Lens 