“Soikkola” is a transportive success from Van Sur Les, the Amsterdam-based project of composer Dmitry Surugin. Rooted in Ingrian heritage, the piece acts as a sonic reclamation, weaving traditional runo-song fragments into a contemporary tapestry of hammered dulcimer, felt piano, and expanding instrumentation. Through cross-continental collaboration, Surugin explores displacement and memory, crafting a ritualistic atmosphere that mirrors the misty trails of northern forests.

The track’s production dazzles in its book-ending elegance, propelled by dreamy piano trickling, and a flourishingly vibrant array of accompanying instrumentation elsewhere. Melancholic strings bolster the felt piano, moving into upright bass and gentle percussion, uplifting the initial neo-classical serenity into a jazzy sophistication. The dulcimer is interwoven beautifully as well, its plucky and melodic presence evoking the kantele in its nod to traditional folk. Glimpses of vocals appear within, as well, though largely the emphasis is on the colorful, dynamic instrumentation apparent throughout.

The track’s three-minute mark is especially invigorating, featuring a bustling energy as dulcimer and acoustic percussion intertwine for a gorgeously effervescent liftoff. Upright bass, an echoing vocal, and bouncing rhythms then conclude the track with satisfying, graceful precision, reminiscent of the beginning’s lushly transportive charm. “Soikkola” is a gorgeously crafted single from Van Sur Les, capable of gripping soundscapes that, in this riveting case, resembles a forest setting in its all-out melodic mystique.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

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