Tyhjä risteys by Pakasteet ja Draama-Helmi

On their fourth album Pakasteet operate at the apoplectic end of the avant hip hop spectrum. The duo project of Ektro-entrepreneur Jussi Lehtisalo and filmmaker Mika Taanila collaborate this time with the rapper Draama-Helmi. Tyhjä risteys (”Empty Crossing”) expands to wildly intimate, isolated surroundings. With echo location set to a cooling mode, Draama-Helmi’s no-nonsense recitals scan dense emotional landscapes with spot-on conviction while the experimental electronics give way to field recordings of squeaky hinges, a floating jetty, an approaching metro and restless bird calls. Tyhjä Risteys is among the most insightful and exciting albums to come out on Ektro Records in 2019.