I've been waiting for the release of this CD-R for a long, long time. Ever since this all-girl Finnish group, led by the irreplaceable Jonna Karanka, self-released an album full of magic and lore, I have longed for an official offering such as this. Leave it to the good folks at Audiobot, who never cease to impress these days, to be the ones stuffing it in our ears. "Ilola" is everything I could have expected.

Opening with the whistle-laden "Maap??," Kukkiva Poliisi gently brings you into the fold. This is a soft, wheezing tale asking you to sit tight and prepare for the real show ahead. As the track moves forward, you can feel the birds taking flight overhead. Repetitive gong blasts are proof that you're just in the foothills, but the real hike is about to begin.

With songs like "V?h? - Hatti," "Rapatasku," and the epic "Pahasuo" turn up the mysticism and let the gnomes run free in the sprawling woods. Discordant webs of acoustic information line the moss on the forest floor, simultaneously making the edges of the music soft, but keeping the wholly in-tact. Instruments that never seem quite in tune mingle with jangly chromatic percussion in ritualistic glee. Sitting around the campfire, being possessed by earthly spirits has never seemed this great. These five girls are magicians.

At their quieter moments, like the hypnotic "Paskolampi," Kukkiva Poliisi complete their seduction. This sounds like the innerworkings of a music box, subtly catchy but intricate all the same. It will lull you into a state of total relaxation with its minimal plucking. And at their most tribal, Kukkiva just run you over completely. There's no time to get out of the way or take cover, you just have to be anihilated. It's wonderful. As their voices sing, screech, and spring forth on the memorable "Musula," you are totally encompassed.

Kukkiva Poliisi are another in a long list of Finnish groups that are making fantastic, psychedelic-tinged music. These mystic, acoustic pieces are spellbinding and downright wonderful. It is easy to get lost in the cacaphony of sound. Listen and love it because it doesn't get much better than this. 9/10 -- Brad Rose (29 June, 2006)