Estonian Duo Puuluup Revives Ancient Talharpa in Vermont Show

Oct, 3 2025

When Ramo Teder, a multi‑instrumentalist and looping pioneer, took the stage alongside Marko Veisson, an anthropologist with a knack for West‑African rhythms, at the Chandler Center for the Arts concert on October 3, 2025, the audience in Randolph, Vermont got a front‑row seat to a sound they’d never heard before.

The concert, part of the neo‑zombie‑post‑folk tour that has whisked the Estonian duo across the United States since early September, was priced on a “pay‑what‑you‑can” basis, ranging from $10 to $40, with kids admitted for free. The venue, located at 71 N Main Street, filled quickly, and the duo’s black‑suited silhouettes soon filled the room with loops, echoes, and the haunting sighs of an instrument that barely anyone outside Estonia had ever seen: the talharpa.

What is a Talharpa and Why It Matters

The talharpa, a four‑stringed bowed lyre dating back to the early Middle Ages, survived longest on the western islands of Estonia before vanishing from mainstream awareness in the early 20th century. Its horsehair strings produce a raw, resonant timbre that, once paired with modern effects pedals, can sound both ancient and futuristic. Puuluup (the Estonian word for “wooden magnifying glass”) has turned this relic into a centerpiece of their live shows, directing vibrations through loopers, reverb units, and even a vintage cassette delay to create layers that feel like a choir of ghostly strings.

Music historians note that revivals of forgotten folk instruments often hinge on a charismatic advocate. In this case, Teder’s two‑decade mastery of looping and Veisson’s ethnomusicological eye have given the talharpa a brand new cultural context.

From Pastacas to the U.S. Coast‑to‑Coast Tour

Before forming Puuluup in 2014, Teder earned a reputation under the solo moniker Pastacas, experimenting with field recordings and minimalist drone. Veisson, meanwhile, spent months conducting fieldwork in northern Ghana, absorbing rhythms that would later surface in the duo’s rhythmic patterns. Their combined backgrounds sparked what they call “neo‑zombie‑post‑folk”—a self‑coined genre that stitches together medieval Nordic sonics with electronic glitch aesthetics.

The tour kicked off in New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on September 12, 2025, then hopped to Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, Washington, DC’s 9:30 Club, and Seattle’s The Showbox before landing in Vermont. Each stop featured the same “pay‑what‑you‑can” model, a nod to their belief that folk music should remain accessible, regardless of wallet size.

Backstage Stories: Choreography, Costumes, and Linguistic Play

Audience members often comment on the duo’s odd choreography—sharp, almost robotic gestures that contrast with the fluid motion of their bowing. “We dress in black suits to warn people we’re serious about the silliness,” Teder laughed after the show, a remark that perfectly captures their paradoxical aesthetic.

Lyrically, Puuluup sings in a mash‑up of Estonian, English, and a made‑up language they’ve dubbed “Puuluupese.” The words rarely tell a linear story; instead, they serve as atmospheric textures. Influences range from Polish TV jingles to Antonio Vivaldi’s violin concertos, and even the creak of a windmill’s gears—sounds collected during Veisson’s field trips and fed into the band’s sampling library.

Eurovision Spotlight and International Accolades

In 2024, the duo teamed up with electronic act 5MIINUST to represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest. Their performance, featuring live talharpa loops under dazzling LED lights, secured ninth place out of 25 finalists—a remarkable feat for an act that still sings in a fictional dialect.

Since then, Puuluup has collected a string of national awards: Best Band (2022), Best Ensemble (2023), and Best Album for “Echoes of the North” (2024). Their discography now spans five albums, each pushing the talharpa further into electronic territory.

Why the Talharpa Revival Matters to Vermont and Beyond

For many locals in Randolph, the concert was the first encounter with a talharpa. After the show, a teenager named Maya snuck a recording onto her phone and uploaded it to TikTok, where it quickly garnered over 200,000 views. Within days, a local school music teacher reached out to the duo, asking if they could conduct a workshop on ancient string instruments.

Such grassroots buzz reflects a larger trend: audiences crave authentic cultural experiences that feel fresh. Puuluup’s ability to blend the medieval with the modern makes the talharpa a symbol of cultural resilience—an artifact that refuses to become a museum piece.

Looking Ahead: Next Stops and Future Projects

The U.S. leg wraps up in Seattle on October 20, 2025, after which Puuluup will head back to Europe for a festival circuit that includes the Tallinn Music Week and the Edinburgh Folk Festival. They’ve also hinted at a collaborative project with a Finnish Sámi joik singer, slated for release in early 2026.

Meanwhile, back in Estonia, the duo is lobbying the Ministry of Culture to fund talharpa workshops in public schools, hoping to cement the instrument’s place in the national curriculum.