Venla Ilona Blom

Venla Ilona Blom, the powerful vocalist and beatboxer and member of the acclaimed Finnish folk-hop vocal ensemble Tuuletar, releases her long-awaited folktronica solo debut album “Nevrak.” The musician embarks on a journey to the green borderlands between sleeping and waking, where we can explore the fantasy land of Nevrak! Blom impresses on her debut with an unusual mix of classical, folkloric, and electronic sounds.

The Finnish artist draws inspiration from musicians like Enya, Kate Bush, and Eivør Pálsdóttir, yet finds her own unique voice on her solo debut. “Nevrak” thrives on its wonderful vocal harmonies and emotionally touching string arrangements. It is unmistakable that neo-classical heavyweights such as Ólafur Arnalds and Max Richter and film music guru Vangelis have influenced the album. “Nevrak” is thematically driven by the legends, myths, and stories that Blom has collected on her travels around the world. The musician also addresses serious topics such as the lack of humanity, widespread rootlessness, escape, and death, but also the beauty of life and its imperfections.

The album continually surprises with unusual soundscapes: Blom has collected sound samples from diverse locations such as the Lofoten in Norway and Kathmandu in Nepal over the past years. Influences from Nordic folk traditions, film music, and electronic music are woven into the songs along with beats created from samples of Blom’s own beatboxing. The album was produced by Joonas Saikkonen. Guest musicians include kantele virtuosos Maija Kauhanen and Jutta Rahmel, as well as American actress Geneviève Andersen as a spoken word artist.

In the single “Good Night, Laura Palmer,” Blom draws inspiration from the classic series “Twin Peaks,” connecting the fate of the dead heroine Laura Palmer with influences from dream pop and neo-classical choral music. “I wrote the song while researching the relationship between humans and nature and the concept of immortality in Nordic mythology. It focuses on a dialogue between the human spirit and the voice, nature, and the increasingly chaotic outside world. The song is an ode to the soul’s journey and a love song to imaginary worlds,” says Blom. The lyrics of the balladic track “Sea of Sensations” are by the Greek artist and musician Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis, whom the artist met ten years ago.

Venla Ilona Blom has already had a remarkable international career with her band Tuuletar. The band has performed in nearly 30 countries on five continents and has received numerous important awards both in Finland and abroad. Blom’s singing was featured in the trailer for “Game of Thrones.” As Finland’s only professional beatboxer, Blom also composes and produces music for several artists and bands.