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Husky Rescue
Sometimes, you discover a band by serendipity, pure and simple. That kind of seems to be our theme for the day!
Husky Rescue, the Helsinki, Finland-based collective led by producer/multi-instrumentalist Marko Nyberg, was one of those serendipitous discoveries. I stumbled upon a mention of "Rainbow Flows" on the BBC music website in the fall of 2004. It sounded like just the thing for a mix CD I was constructing at the time. Intrigued, I sought out the song and was not disappointed.
I am a sucker for lushly cinematic and slightly sinister music with ethereal female vocals and strange samples. When I heard Husky Rescue's "Rainbow Flows," I discovered all these desirable qualities in one convenient package.
You may recognize the repurposed melody and fragmented lyrics on "Rainbow Flows" -- they're almost from Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," but not quite. It's sort of like if Lars Von Trier had, Dogme-style, demanded a remake of Mitchell's original with different (but equally absurd) lyrics, and this was the result. (In fact, Nyberg cites Von Trier as an influence, along with fellow filmmakers Wim Wenders, David Lynch, and Lukas Moodysson.) Singer Reeta-Leena Korhola's chilly vocals float above the warm, round beats, breathing new life into Mitchell's song.
In fact, the entire album has a very cinematic feel to it, almost as if each track were a tiny score for a short film -- you can almost see the soft-focus late-night driving in "City Lights," the Scorsese-meets-Hichcock-meets-Tarantino collision in "Mean Street," and the imaginary montage under the spoken intro to "The Good Man."
Finding a band like Husky Rescue on the SXSW schedule is such a treat -- it's widely acknowledged that the five-piece touring edition of the band puts on a spectacular live show. Seeing as how Austin is quite a distance from Helsinki -- well, I'm feeling pretty darn grateful that the band is making an appearance at the festival this year.
Husky Rescue - Rainbow Flows
Husky Rescue - City Lights
Husky Rescue's official website. Their debut album, Country Falls, on Manchester's Catskill Records, is available in the US as an import release only. Order it from Amazon. (nb: It's also worth seeking out the band's first few 10" EPs released in 2004, if that kind of thing is your bag.)
(And hey, if you recognize the sample at the beginning of "Rainbow Flows," leave a comment -- It's familiar, but I can't quite place it.)
Posted by Little Miss Rock'n'Roll at 02.08.05 at 1:15 AM
Comments
Posted by: oldking at 02.08.05 at 4:30 PM
Thank you, oldking!
Posted by: little miss rock'n'roll at 02.08.05 at 6:18 PM
Husky Rescue's "Country Falls" will be available on minty fresh with a DVD in the U.S. April 12. Check out www.mintyfresh.com
Posted by: HuskyFan1 at 03.14.05 at 10:17 PM
hey -- back when you posted this, you asked if anyone recognized the sample. I've been listening to this song since the early part of the year and can't place it either. I know it's some song from the 70s and it's driving me nuts. If you figured it out, please email me -- ari@inkbandit.com.
thanks
ari b
Posted by: ari at 11.06.05 at 11:44 PM
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