Amsterdam-based artist Van Sur Les crafts music like memory, fragile, layered, and haunting, and โSoikkolaโ is a striking example of that vision in motion. Sitting at the crossroads of cinematic electronica and neo-classical minimalism, the track is a conventional song and more like a slow, unfolding narrative. Drawing from a deeply personal exploration of Ingrian heritage, Van Sur Les builds a sonic world where history, displacement, and identity drift in and out of focus. With collaborators scattered across continents and sounds pulled from both studio sessions and nature itself, โSoikkolaโ becomes something intimate yet far-reaching.
Right from the start, โSoikkolaโ eases in with a gentle, felt piano rhythm, soft and deliberate, like footsteps on unfamiliar ground. Strings begin to writhe and stretch around it, while delicate piano notes trickle through the gaps. Itโs subtle at first, almost suspended in time, but then, bit by bit, the track starts to breathe. Light percussion taps in, followed by a deeper, rumbling drum presence, grounding the piece without breaking its spell.
As the layers build, thereโs a faint, almost ghostly female voice hovering in the background, barely there, yet emotionally piercing. It lingers like an echo, reinforcing the trackโs sense of distance and memory. Meanwhile, the hammered dulcimer flickers in and out, shimmering like light on water, adding texture and movement.
Then comes the shift. The rhythm picks up, drums becoming more insistent, percussion jingling with a newfound urgency. The strings glisten brighter now, pulsing with a restrained energy. It feels like motion without arrival, a journey that keeps unfolding but never resolves.
โSoikkolaโ doesnโt just tell a storyโit feels like one. Itโs immersive, meditative, and devastating.
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Review by: Naomi Joan