Finnish psychiatrist-musician Pauline Kauppila’s (whose stage name is Px3Kauppila) music is filled with movement and social awareness. With the release of her second full-length album, ‘KEN TÄSTÄ KÄY…’ (translated into English, it is called ‘ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE…’), Kauppila had delved into a larger-than-life project. But the way Kauppila chips at the stone, it is obvious that over time, she is able to carve out her ‘David,’ just like Michelangelo did during the Renaissance. The meticulous way she addresses the project is just incredible. Just the backstory to ‘ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE…’ alone is overwhelming. Kauppila wanted to shed light on Finland’s history with women’s health and psychology overall, particularly the state of the women’s hospital on Seili Island during 1889-1962.
The lyrics themselves discuss the prejudice women had to face in these hospitals and the societal pressures that force them into these institutions in the first place. Musically, the recording itself is filled with field recordings from MRI machines, the clatter of a train, escalators, a bridge construction site, the bubbling of an oxygen tank, the meal bell of Seili, factory sirens, public percussion instruments in Ruoholahti—along with Kauppila’s beautiful vocals and electronic embellishments as well as organic instrumentation which help shape this wonderful record.
The album starts off with strong synergy right from the beginning with “Lennä lempeni! / Fly My Love!” Percussions set things off that are eventually joined by choral vocals. The chants liven up the atmosphere. Then Kauppila’s vocals enter the mix. The drumming beat and instruments coalesce together, and I was instantly reminded of music you could probably hear from a Cirque du Soleil show. The mood would be serious at first and then gradually make way for something celebratory. Yet it is the lyrics that point to a more somber approach. Lyrically, this song is about the disparity between sexes, but it waxes heavily on how love is free and shouldn’t be bound by conventions. Toward the middle of the track, there is a quote from the Finnish Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination and sexual harassment based on gender.
The transition to the next track is smooth. On “Oot ajaton / Timeless You Are,” we hear Kauppila’s whisper some spoken word. Next, a saxophone comes in. Kauppila continues with more of her spoken word-like vocals that come across sounding like a witchy incantation. I felt chills run up and down my spine from the eeriness of the vibes. The strands of saxophone continue throughout. The lyrics themselves reminded me of a lullaby that perhaps the Grimms’ brothers would’ve written.
“Suden suutelemat / Kissed By Wolves” starts off with field recordings of dogs barking. This seemed to be a playful track right from the start, as bouncing balls create a quirky atmosphere. Despite the playful, fun vibe in the beginning, the ambience itself takes on a much darker ambience later on. The lyrics talk about witches and the wolves that had begotten the child. The imagery of fields and dark woods set the tone for what eventually becomes an edgy track.
On “Elämästään karkoitetut / Banished From Life,” voices overlap for an overwhelming feeling. As different voices talk over each other, some organ sounds out for a truly gothic-like atmosphere. Then Kauppila’s whispery vocals add a chilling to the overall emotional palette. The chorus is a series of chants that I thought was very exciting. Thematically, this song talks about the kind of things a mental patient would have to deal with while inside a mental hospital like the one in Seili Island. It talks about mental ailments as well as treatments like shock therapy and cold baths, and what it feels like to be abandoned by friends and family.
“Niin hirveä hiljaisuus / The Silence Is So Frightful” acts like an interlude piece. At only 1:49, it is a spoken word-like piece where Kauppila half-sings and half-speaks the lyrics filled with eerie static-like field recordings. Here, Kauppila conjures the life of a patient in a mental institute and their tattered mind-state as they waste their lives away day after day in this sort of mental decline. It is a short but compelling piece.
Toward “Akanmäen lapsentappaja / The Akanmäki Child Killer” some sax comes in for a searing tone. Next, I hear a fiddle, taking the soundscape and giving it a folksy feel. Here, a narrator narrates a story about a woman who killed her child and what happens when a hunter comes across her ghost. Truly spellbinding stuff!
On “Arkkiveisu sterilisaatiolaista Vilho Itkosen (1872 – 1918) muistolle / Ballad of the Finnish Sterilization Law in Memory of Vilho Itkonen (1872 – 1918),” a male guest singer sings with feeling on this track that reminded me of an old folksy song you’d hear from the old country. The song itself is about the sterilization laws, which took away women’s right to reproduce, just because they were mentally ill. The injustice of such acts is unparalleled, especially since they were ongoing until recently.
On “Gommeuses Epileptiques á la mémoire de la Mélinite (1868–1943),” we get a beautiful piano intro that feels haunting in vibe. The piano continues for a good portion of the song. During the piano interlude, I could hear some rustling and movement. Next, the haunting piano melody becomes more playful. There are sounds like chalk on a chalkboard and beeps from a machine. There are also some chiptune sounds. The lyrics are enigmatic, and they are apparently about a woman called Mélinite who was alive during the late 1800s.
“Henkensä hukanneet / Lives Forfeited” creates a scenic vibe of mountains and streams, with a wind instrument intro. The sound continues for a while. Then chant-like vocals come in from Kauppila. This song talks about the untold lives, the silent stories that perhaps no one knows about. This track raises awareness for these people.
Last but definitely not least, “Tintinnabula Sonant! / Kellot soivat! / And The Knells Ring in Ernest!” Slowly, some bell tones sound off here. The sonic textures are eerie and resonant. This track is a slow burner. It takes its time unfolding. There were no lyrics here, and I felt this was more of an ambience piece, where Kauppila is allowing the listener a moment to reflect and contemplate on their listening experience. Great eye-opening stuff!
Kauppila has done something truly magnificent here. The songs were arresting in every sense of the word. ‘ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE…’ unfolds like a movie. There is a beginning, with a strong hook, characters who set the stage, a story and conflict, somewhat of a resolution, and finally, a compelling ending. Because of this, the record was a cinematic masterpiece from start to finish. I could sense that a lot of work and detail went into the making of this album. Kauppila, who writes and composes this release, oversees every component, and it is her thoroughness that makes this record so fascinating.
SCORE/Outstanding: ‘ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE…’ is a masterfully done piece of work. At times, I felt this record would’ve fit right in as the background music for a Cirque du Soleil theatre piece. Musically, I thought it fit the bill for such theatrical shows. However, the lyrics were a different matter. The seriousness of the lyrics points to topics like mental health, gender disparity and prejudice, and the unfairness of sterilization laws. I felt the record does a good job of maintaining social awareness without being too heavy-handed. The music had everything in it: a bit of darkness, a bit of theatrics, with glimpses of the celebratory. I thought this was a brave effort, and I commend Pauline Kauppila for taking on such a big project.
[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]
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