Völuvala is music group from Matar, founded in May 106. Combining elements of rustcore and neoTrad, Völuvala is the defining example of the hakaia genre in contemporary Matari music.
Philosophy and political stanceThe guiding philosophy expressed in Völuvala's music and public statements is that the ritual of the voluval is what binds the Matari people together, regardless of their birth, background or other differences. This sidesteps potentially fraught discussions of ancestry, political leanings, systems of belief or lack of belief, or even clan affiliation. The group has stated that the preferred place for the voluval is within a clan setting, but that providing the voluval for the Returned is one of the highest civic responsibilities, ranking with providing physical sustenance. Völuvala has also advanced the idea that evidence of a properly-conducted voluval should be a requirement for full Matari citizenship.
History and membersVöluvala began when soundsmiths Hon Andomer (
Vh. Tatoum; Vh. Windwalker: vocals, pipes), Karin Sistran (
Br. Nalenki; Br. Truron Isenulf: vocals, oud, soundboard) and Olerund ("Ol") Person (
Kr. Homent: vocals, percussion) met though the Culture Revival group at Pator Tech (Ingun campus) on Matar. The trio played in the student kena halls as a neoTrad acoustic act before Karin Sistran's interest in new and revived electronic music led to the introduction of members Freydis Undelar (
Se. Maa'Tushindor Cuthill; Se. Audartin: soundboard) and Tro Herda (
Se. Ishorfrod; Se. Mentari; Br. Nalenki; Kr. Lamaia: soundboard, vocals), and a change in the group's musical direction.
The first work released by Völuvala was the 28-minute single track
Keiklaar ("Bright flower"), an anthemic retelling of the well-known folk tale. The length of the original release initially limited its commercial exposure, although it developed a following in the mansa dance culture.
Völuvala's second release, in 107, was a collection built around the track
Um'shah, a reworking of a very old chant of uncertain origin. Variants of the chant are widely distributed among Matari peoples, being recorded particularly as work chants and as lullabys, but the meanings of the words -- if they ever had any -- have been lost over time and the syllables have diverged widely. The crying baby which famously introduces Völuvala's version leads to a lullaby rendition of the chant which then builds to a full work- or war-chant. The collection was a modest success for the group.
Völuvala's third collection,
Marks, was released to a growing and appreciative audience in 108.
Marks made explicit the theme which would underpin Völuvala's subsequent work: that the rite of the voluval is the shared underpinning of Matari experience, regardless of circumstances of birth or other life experience.
Klaarmint and "Blueklaar"
Late in 108, Völuvala achieved widespread publicity with the allegedly-unauthorised use of the refrain and melodic hooks from Keiklaar in a viral advertising campaign for Klaarmint spray breath freshener. The ads were very popular, in large part due to the soundtrack, and it appears that a settlement was reached between Völuvala and Klaarmint's makers, Brinklaar&Tosh.
The association of the band with the breath freshener became a matter of comment soon after, when it became widely known that the spray was being used by partygoers as a carrier for various narcotics and boosters. Klaarmint spray bottles are easily opened, the Klaarmint breath freshener solution is a particularly effective solvent for Crystal Egg and Blue Pill, and both drugs are easily absorbed through the membranes of the mouth when dissolved in this way. The use of "Blueklaar" -- small, pump-action bottles of Klaarmint containing a dissolved tablet of blue Crystal Egg, Blue Pill, or more rarely a quantity of Soothsayer or Mindflood -- has become a feature of rustcore, mansa and hakaia dance scenes.
Brinklaar&Tosh has refused to modify either the formula of Klaarmint or the design of its packaging to make it harder to open and refill the reservoir, citing Republic re-use/recycle regulations. It has pointed out that the practice of doping its product is universally legal so long as the synth version of the drugs is used and there is no misrepresentation or lack of consent.
Völuvala hasn't commented on the use of Blueklaar at its concerts, except to advise that tools for spiritual exploration are best used under the guidance of a competent shamanic authority.
Voluval, released in 109, continued the group's emphasis on the role of the Voluval ceremony, with tracks such as
Good Mark/I Am and
Two Thorns Tell My Soul. This year saw the group touring heavily throughout Matar and making their first tours off-world to play in Huggar.
"No Mark: No Entry"
At short notice, Völuvala responded to concerns about young children attending their concerts alone by requiring that attendees display their own voluval marks as well as their proof of concert registration to gain entry. This caused an outcry and much debate, since as well as excluding those who were below their clan's age for voluval it also excluded a substantial number of Returned or urbanised Matari who had not undergone the voluval, as well as Gallente and other non-Matari. It slowed entry checking, and there were some claims that guards conducting the mark checks behaved inappropriately.
Völuvala was unrepentant and has retained this approach to crowd-checking ever since, with the modification that "children" -- people without voluval marks -- may be admitted if they are in the acknowledged care of, and marked with the name-mark of, a voluval-marked "adult".
110 -
Bloodtruth was released in the year band coordinator Karin Sistran gave birth to her first child and band member Ol Person died suddenly, apparently from complications following gene therapy. The orchestration, mastering and presentation are highly polished, reflecting the extra time the group spent recording that year, although some critics questioned whether the work itself suffered from not having been tour-tested before recording, which is Völuvala's usual approach. Despite this, popular reception was excellent, with tracks
Firestorm,
Bloodright and
Inheritance all charting. The ballad
Spirits Move Among Us is widely believed to be a response to Ol Person's death.
When Völuvala resumed touring, Ol Person was replaced on percussion by Tennios Wekstan (
Kr. Wayland).
111 saw two releases. First came
Essence, a collection of remixes of Völuvala's previous work. While this is often noted for its extended, slow-trance lullaby rendition of
Um'Shah, it was a pounding remix of
Good Mark/I Am that met with particular commercial success.
The second release of 111 was
Songs of Blood and Stone, a strong and polished collection featuring
Kindred,
Love Rusts and
Now I Sing the Waters.
There has not yet been a release in 112.
Logo and imageryVöluvala's visual identity is characterised by the use of the voluval marks of the group members. This has seen changes to the group logo with the changing membership, most notably when the Bull mark of Tennios Wekstan was first added alongside and then replaced the original Blazing Star of Ol Person after Person's tragic death.
Great expectationsGiven his ancestry, mark, and the preoccupations demonstrated in his lyrics, it is widely expected that Hon Andomer will train as a shaman at some point. In an apparent contradiction of Völuvala's espoused philosophy, a number of fans have declared their intentions to delay their own voluval ceremonies in the hope that they'll be able to have them officiated later by Hon Andomer himself. That the group considers them to be choosing to turn away from adult responsibilities in favour of protracted childhood doesn't seem to deter those who are drawn to this.
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