Regina

Puutarhatrilogia (Friendly Fire)

By Amanda Stovall
Published: July 16th, 2010 | 7:00pm

Electronic folk-pop trio Regina— comprised of Iisa Pykäri (vocals), Mikko Pykäri (bass, guitar, programmer), and Mikko Rissanen (drums)—hails from Helsinki and creates, to an American ear, an interesting blend of Elizabethan England harpsichord sound effects, Japanese pop vocals, and synth beats. Puutarhatrilogia‘s lead single, “Totuus minusta,” while sung in Finnish, speaks the international language of electro-pop dance—complete with a video featuring 20-somethings dancing in a Nordic snow storm while donning bear costumes—making their European hipster appeal and potential to translate to their American counterparts stand without need for explanation.

Pykäri’s voice is high pitched and melodic, carrying the sounds of piano keys and various effects throughout the album, leaving the listener to wonder if this is actually a grown woman or a Japanese pre-teen singing on a television show. Songs like “Sinun tässä salissa” take on a worldly vibe, mixing elements of traditional Indian vocals, sitars, and hand drums.

While the band occasionally slips into the danger zone of sounding too much like elevator music with over-simplified background gimmicks—especially when the lyrics rely solely on the emotion of the music to convey their meaning—they cleverly throw in a surprising tinkle of hand bells, the soft tone of wood blocks, or reverberating beats to steer clear of being forgettable. Bands like Delorean and Cut Copy, who rely on their ability to make feet dance, better watch their backs as Regina begins to make waves outside of their hometown.

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Regina official Web site

Regina MySpace page

Friendly Fire Recordings