Oh, Regina

Really liking this new album by Scandanavian (I think) group Regina called Puutarhatrilogia.

I had heard previous single "Näinä mustina iltoina (Schmamix)" before, which is charming post-Studio boilerplate Balearic with female vocals (so, Taken By Trees territory basically).

I was expecting more of the same, and this is, sorta, but it also has all sorts of different sounds and ideas swirling through it. I hear snatches of Stereolab (bits of Music for the Amorphous Body Study Centre, Sound Dust etc.) and Saint Etienne's Sound of Water, underpinned by grooves that mostly sound like Claremont 56 material but sometimes wander into mid-00s Booka Shade or James Holden territory.

It's all very layered, to the point where it's very difficult to remember the melodies afterwards, but the listening experience is totally absorbing - layers of synthesisers, vocals, and, especially, pianos. Lots of dense, almost percussive piano lines, like some weird interzone between "Strings of Life", Steve Reich and Rachmaninoff - see for example the charming "Tapaa Minut Aamulla". Meanwhile the frenzied, maddened piano on "Saanko Jäädä Yöksi" reminds me of Orbital's "Kein Trink Wasser" (or at least the combination of same with a house groove).

But at the moment my favourite is "Terveiset Päiväntasaajalta", which has these floating, interlocking synth chords and harpsichord lines which make me think of hearing the Aeroplane remix of "Paris" through morphine-induced haziness in hospital.

Probably the "weak link" is the vocals - sweet and inconsequential - but in many ways that just adds to the sense that this is effectively magnificent mood-music.

Twee as fuck, but I much prefer their prior album Oi miten suuria voimia!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqI2kfH-EkQ

naina schmamix was a big hit for me last year (i might have posted it on the balearic thread?)--none of the rest of it moved me as much as that one did tho. excited to hear more.

theyre icelandic, im pretty sure

indeed. their previous album's on spotify - sounded OK. but there also appears to be a terrible Icelandic rap act called Regina.

pretty sure i'll love this

Regina is Finnish. when I went to Finland last year for a music festival, they were the highlight for me. Obviously, Dan from Friendly Fire felt similarly, signing them to his label.

iceland, finland, who can keep track these days, between different countries

haha i feel exactly the same about this as i do a lot of the stuff in similar vein 'taken by trees' or w/e ... its like, 'this is nice' & im intrigued by it & i love the aesthetic but i dont love the songs generally but i keep kinda trying anyway

weirdly i thought max had written they were Finnish first time

Yeah they don't really do "songs" particularly well...

weirdly i thought max had written they were Finnish first time

― mdskltr (blueski), Monday, June 14, 2010 8:01 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

nice try

i SWEAR

Listening to this for first time and it's great....reminds me a bit of Sally Shapiro, but more experimental and with better songs.

Couple of great songs from their latest album 'Soita Mulle':

Regina - Unessa (Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cYIruPwSxQ

Regina - Jos sä et soita (Audio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euSDOrDR3AM

Regina - Haluan sinut (Audio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuFyx_fQmrM

Outdoors recording from Suomenlinna Island, Helsinki:

http://offtherecord.fi/regina/