Stokes' and Kankkunen's Nadir - "Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone"

 

Nadir - "the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization". 

Two of my very favorite bands in the German heavy underground music scene are the classic stoner rock group Transonic Science and the progressive/psychedelic rock band Mouth. As luck would have it, sometimes the members of these bands (who also happen to share a rehearsal space) come together to create musical projects that are affectionately referred to as "Mouthsonic Science". One such offshoot is called Stokes' and Kankkunen's Nadir, a duo composed of Nick (the drummer of Mouth) and Markus (the guitarist for Transonic Science). 

The often-melancholic sound that emanates from Nadir might surprise you if you are at all familiar with the bands from which the duo's members originated. However, upon learning how Nadir came to be, the name, style, and thematic choices make more sense. Says the band:

"[We] came together for the rehearsals to the memorial service of Gerald Kirsch. Gerald was the bassist with both Mouth and Transonic Science. [We] were asked by the widow to perform Motorpsycho's 'Vortex'. Those times were regarded as rock bottom for many, so 'Nadir' seemed only natural."

Nadir's style is very much singer/songwriter: stripped-down and inarguably bare bones in nature, but that's the point, and really, the best way to achieve the very specific mood the band creates on their debut album Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone. The duo elaborates:

"'Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone' was recorded and mixed at The Essence Cabin, using ribbon microphones, valve equipment, an analog tape machine, and analogue plate reverb. Mastering was carried out by German legend Eroc. Most songs were recorded live and without a click track - with the exception of 'Death and the Lady', which features several instruments."

For me, Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone was highly evocative from the very start, its darkly moody yet strangely soothing tones bringing to mind memories of damp Autumn mornings, misty forest hikes among trees entering their seasonal slumber, emerald green moss underfoot, contentedly watching raindrops trailing down windowpanes, the acrid smell of woodsmoke, grayscale skies, and warm teacups clasped in cold hands to name a few. Perhaps the comfort I quickly found among these haunting modern folk melodies stems from the traditional songs I heard while growing up in the Appalachian Mountain region of the United States, ballads that I always found eerie but utterly captivating. This style of music sparks cozy nostalgia, reminiscent of the culture of home, yet the tales themselves often speak in no uncertain terms about the hardship and loss endured by a historically unbreakable people. Of course, being from the other side of the pond, Nadir is influenced by European folk music - a markedly different style, but the end goal is the same: telling story through memorable song. 

While Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone is strongly inspired by folk music, with the songs following a typical folk structure, it's constructed around so much more - dark psychedelia and "post-everything" to name a few. Nadir's musical inspirations include all of the typical suspects including the Beatles, Black Sabbath, and Motorpsycho, but the band is also influenced by some unconventional styles (in the realm of stoner/doom, anyway). These include traditional/folk music from Finland and Greece, jazz, Townes van Zandt, Nick Drake, Robert Wyatt, Bert Jansch, surf, Brit pop. classical music, trip hop, and big beat. While you won't hear all of these styles present on Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone, it's evident that in general, Nadir is an outlet for these multifaceted musicians to express themselves in ways that they don't get to do in their "loud" bands.

Stokes' and Kankkunen's Nadir - 

Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone

Track Listing

1.) Saiho

2.) Scowl

3.) Godspeed, Farewell

4.) Death and the Lady

5.) Saints

6.) Nadir 

With little more than six- and twelve-string electric guitars, a reed organ (which makes its starring appearance in the eerie instrumental interlude Scowl), an autoharp, and some good old fashioned hand clapping and finger snapping, ghostly melodies emerge on the aptly titled Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone in a slow and shadowy yet organic and moving manner. This creates a most authentic listening experience, ideal for taking in the album's caliginous narratives. 

The vocals are primarily cautious and hushed but in a most soothing and hypnotic way - all the better at entrancing the listener, drawing them even further into the darkly captivating tales and calming gray notes. 

That's not to say that this album is deadpan or a collection of lullabies...far from it. In fact, just as one example, there's a moment near the end of the utterly heart-wrenching first song Saiho in which both vocals and instrumentals suddenly intensify, bleeding with palpable emotion and drawing appreciative, empathetic chills and goosebumps from this listener. 

However, it's Nadir's rendition of the English folk song Death and the Lady that truly represents the folk heart of the album for me, paying homage to the genre's history, storytelling component, and bleak nuances from which the band takes considerable inspiration. In the case of Death and the Lady, a simple but thought-provoking narrative is relayed about an unexpected meeting with Death while out on a winter stroll. Wouldn't you know it...Death, that stubborn old curmudgeon, couldn't be persuaded to grant out dear lady any additional time in the corporeal form. Says he, upon being presented with her bribes of physical finery: 

"'I want no gold, I want no pearls

I want no fine silk to wear

I cannot grant you one season more

Nor give you some time, your life to amend...'

Three days later, that lady died

'Carve this upon my tomb,' she cried

'As I am now you will be one day

Your clothing made of the cold red clay...'"

(Lyrics vary slightly from version to version, but these are taken from the 2021 Clifton Hicks rendition). 

Nadir begins their take on this folk song with their trademark steady, morose tones, but the stride is increased to a near jaunty pace during the instrumental outro, assisted by the additions of a drum set, violin bass, pocket trumpet, alto saxophone, piano, baglamas, and electric guitar. 

From the vibrant ending of Death and the Lady rises my favorite song on the album, the nearly cheerful albeit bittersweet Saints, a short but infectious melody with sweet harmonies and a pleasant and singable chorus: "No one's to blame, it hasn't rained in years..." 

From this sunny tune, the storm clouds return to usher in Nadir, the band's namesake and the album's closing song. This somber track wraps up Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone in much the same way it began: sepulchral with peaks of emotive overspill. 

My favorite thing about this delightful little album, aside from its well-executed and thoughtful aura of eeriness, is its striking intimacy. Of course, this coziness stems from the folk framework utilized on Ballads of Birdsong and Brimstone, but it's very meaningful, particularly in the rather cold modern times we live in. As you listen to the album, you get the overwhelming sense that you're right there in the room as the band plays, feeling your body physically react to the enigmatic but stirring songs. In this way, it feels like being part of something very special, a direct connection between musicians and listeners. 

Nadir in Their Own Words

"We love playing. And we love singing... We enjoy playing without bleeding ears, for an audience that stands or even sits close by and listens. We know we don't meet everybody's musical taste, but this is what we are and what we do. We're not folky enough for folk, we're too odd for singer/songwriter, we're not loud enough for rockers, but we think we fill a gap for those who put their Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man next to any rock or electro album. We know we satisfy just a few people with what we do, but those who love it love it deeply. So, we don't aim for the big numbers, we are happy to play small gigs, be the first act or the soft one past curfew, we love thinking of people listening closely while looking at the vinyl cover." 

More About Stokes' and Kankkunen's Nadir

You can follow Stokes' and Kankkunen's Nadir and listen to their music at the following links: 

• Bandcamp
  
• Instagram

A massive thank you to the band for sending me a vinyl copy of this lovely album, and for being incredibly generous with answering my questions!