When I joined dark dose, I knew my first post would be dedicated to the Finnish band Tenhi because it strikes such a personal tone on me musically. Tenhi is a dark-folk band that emerged at the end of 1996 when Tyko Saarikko composed the first emotive Tenhi song. Currently, the band is a five member outfit with occasional session musicians (eg. the flute)

The official site describes them as:

The lyrics are written in Finnish, and they follow the musical themes;
esoteric moods, withdrawn feelings, fragility and the mystical side of nature

Depending what song I’m playing, it overwhelms me with emotion ranging from unease to comatose relaxation. This range made choosing a song a difficult task, but alas I decided on the closing track ‘Soutu’ from the album ‘Kauan’ because it’s somber. I’d describe ‘Soutu’ as the complete opposite of an upbeat experience with an eerie feeling to it created by the mix of strings and a persevering piano. A passage nearing the 3rd minute will give you a resting moment, but don’t expect that to last as the pressure will slowly begin to mount.

I’m urgently looking forward to the new full-length coming out this autumn by Prophecy Productions. The new record will be entitled “Tenhi III maaäet”, which can be roughly translated as “Mother Earth”.

Soutu (download)
Tenhi (artist)
Purchase CD