Paavoharju: the Finnish collective who turned a wasp in a matchbox into music
Experimental music is often given a hard time. Many people view experimental music and post-modern art similarly, meaning that just because the creation is odd and could be done by the person admiring it, it loses credibility. However, experimental music is one of the most necessary components of sound.
Even if what an individual or a band do in a bid to create experimental music doesn’t take off, the fact that it has been attempted will somehow influence all music to come in some way. Outfits will take influence from various aspects of experimental music and use them in something more accessible, so forms of music usually found on the outskirts of what people listen to will steadily work their way into the mainstream.
Consider noise, for instance. Noise music was previously used to express socio-political unrest as the inaccessible sounds represented the world surrounding the composer. At the time, it had an underground following but was in no way used in other genres; now, it can be found in rock, rap, and even pop music, as Self Esteem uses noise music to put together a feedback-heavy chorus on hit single ‘Prioritise Pleasure’.
As such, thanks to how vital the ability to experiment in music is, bands that are bold enough to make experimental music should be held on a much higher pedestal than they are. One of these bands is Paavoharju, who was able to take inspiration from various aspects of their lives and their country to create dynamic music in innovative ways.
One of the band’s most notorious forms of making music includes using the buzzing of a wasp trapped in a matchbox. They took the buzzing sound and paired it with a combination of rhythms using tracker programs, essentially having the buzz act as a natural fuzzy bass, which is different to anything heard before.
This method for making sound might be silly on the surface, but it can make an impact when used correctly. Billie Eilish and her brother are famous for implementing these different methods for creating noise for their music. They used a dentist drill at one point and a crosswalk sound effect to make the high hat on ‘Bad Guy’.
The founder of Paavoharju is Lauri Ainala; he was living in dilapidated houses in Savonlinna, building sauna huts from waste material and mourning the constant demolition that seemed to surround the city. His hometown had a profound impact on him, and using that as an influence, along with the various other emotions he associated with his upbringing, he started experimenting to try and make sounds that reflected those emotions. This led to the experimentation present within the band.
While experimentation can sound good, it can also create noise that the listener hasn’t previously come across, invoking feelings of love, anger, anxiety, and all things in between, whatever the artist is trying to convey. The sound of Paavoharju is massively important, and their innovation as a musical outfit continues to inspire many to this day.
If more artists opened their minds to what experimental music offers, it would be easier to convey different emotions in sound.
