Transkaakko is a Finnish group that experiments with Balkan rhythms, folk styles and rock music. On
their fourth album, Kulo (‘Fire´ or ‘Dead Ground That Is Uncovered in the Spring after the Snow Is
Gone’), Transkaakko moves slightly towards folk psychedelia and progressive rock. Instead of just
reviving these genres or other music traditions, the band looks for the spirit of originality and
excitement. Is ‘new music’ still possible?
The history of the band goes back to the early 1980s when a few young amateur musicians based in
Turku were drawn to playing folk songs from Southeast Europe and the Middle East. In 1995, the
band changed their name to Transkaakko (‘southeast’ in Finnish). The songs of Kulo are written by the
band. The album is the first release of Transkaakko’s own label, Aarnihauta (‘Buried Treasure’).