Palindromes are cool, no matter what language they’re in.

The word “Puuluup” comes from the Estonian word for tree or wood: ‘puu’, and ‘luup’ is a fortuitous re-spelling of the English word ‘loop’. The beautifully weird Estonian duo of Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson do a lot of looping. They’re exponents of a Neo-folk talharpa revival with a touch of surrealism and happy absurdity. Talharpa — that four-stringed Baltic bowed lyre that looks so similar to the Ethiopian krar — has a traditional susurrus sound that, combined with effects and loops, creates a fascinating backdrop for their songs.

The lyrics and melodies are a mixture of musical memories and improvisation, and the inspiration is drawn from Finnish jouhikko repertoire, Sahel blues, chastushkas and other elements from musical traditions around the world — Marko Veisson is an anthropologist who did extensive field work in West Africa. All kinds of random sources of inspiration are similarly important – unexpected excerpts from Polish TV series, old Estonian punk, and sweetbread from Vormsi Island.