Puuluup

Estonian musicians Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson formed Puuluup in 2014. They play their own compositions on the hiiu kannel, a traditional bowed lyre popular in Europe in the early Middle Ages but all but extinct by the 20th century. The duo direct the vibrations of the hiiu kannel’s horsehair strings through effects pedals and loopers until their instruments sound like nothing else in folk music. The mellow sounds of the hiiu kannel are paired with electronically amplified echoes, knocks, creaks, and crackles, while still maintaining the instrument’s natural sound. They play with words as much as they play with music—sometimes creating their own language.

Puuluup’s unique approach to the traditional instrument has won the duo several music awards in Estonia and has even carried them into the Eurovision Song Contest finals.