Sisar - Valo valtaa vielä kaiken
Dream Pop / Heavy Dream Pop / Shoegaze / Alternative Rock – Helsinki, Finland – November 6, 2026 – Svart Records
Every now and then, an album appears completely out of nowhere and reminds you why discovering music remains such a wonderful experience. There is no recommendation from a friend, no carefully planned search, no particular expectation. You simply stumble across something, press play, and suddenly find yourself transported back to a musical world that once meant a great deal to you.
That is exactly what happened to me with Valo valtaa vielä kaiken, the debut album from Finnish duo Sisar, released on November 6, 2026, through Svart Records.
And it all started with one song: “Lohtu.”
As someone who fell in love with the Cocteau Twins and the extraordinary musical universe of the 4AD label many years ago, I found something immediately familiar and deeply affecting in this composition.
The floating vocals, the enveloping guitars, the almost otherworldly melancholy and that wonderful sensation of music existing somewhere between dreams and reality brought back memories of a period when discovering a new record could feel like entering an entirely different world.
“Lohtu,” which translates from Finnish as comfort, certainly lived up to its name.
It was enough to make me want to explore the rest of the album, and what I discovered was a fascinating combination of delicate dream pop, industrial textures and surprisingly heavy guitars.
Based in Helsinki, Sisar is the musical partnership of Nora Moberg and Remi Rousselle, two experienced musicians whose different backgrounds contribute significantly to the project's distinctive identity.
Moberg handles vocals and bass, while Rousselle is responsible for guitars and drum programming. The pair previously worked together in Keho & Mieli, and when that project came to an end, they decided to continue their musical collaboration in a more personal direction.
Moberg has also been involved with the Finnish indie rock band Rohkeat Kuvat and her solo project Kulta, while Rousselle brings experience from the heavier and more experimental world of Hebosagil, a band originating from Oulu.
These contrasting musical backgrounds help explain the unusual balance at the heart of Sisar's sound.
The duo describe their music as “heavy dream pop,” a term that makes perfect sense once you become familiar with their compositions.
Imagine the ethereal vocal arrangements of the Cocteau Twins surrounded by the mechanical rhythms and abrasive guitar textures associated with Godflesh, with occasional reminders of the melodic heaviness of Deftones.
There are also moments that evoke Slowdive, particularly in the way layers of guitar gradually build around the vocals, creating a dense yet strangely comforting atmosphere.
It is an intriguing combination, and one that gives Valo valtaa vielä kaiken a personality of its own.
The album's title can be loosely translated as Light Will Still Conquer Everything, a fitting description of a record that repeatedly explores the relationship between darkness and hope.
Throughout its compositions, Sisar address love, loss, death, change and the emotional weight of memory. Images of nature, changing seasons and landscapes also appear within the lyrics, reinforcing the music's sense of melancholy and reflection.
Yet even when the subject matter becomes particularly sombre, there is often a feeling of warmth beneath the surface.
That tension between opposing emotions is central to the album's appeal.
The guitars can be enormous, sometimes approaching the weight of atmospheric metal, while the programmed drums introduce a cold, repetitive quality reminiscent of industrial music.
Above these heavier arrangements, however, Moberg's voice floats with remarkable delicacy, transforming the atmosphere and giving the compositions a dreamlike character.
And nowhere is this more captivating than on “Lohtu.”
Interestingly, the song also played a decisive role in defining Sisar's musical direction.
During an interview published by Finnish music organisation Gramex on November 6, 2026, Rousselle explained that working on “Lohtu” helped the duo discover the combination of baritone guitar textures, drum machines and elaborate vocal arrangements they had been searching for.
The influence of Elizabeth Fraser, the extraordinary voice of the Cocteau Twins, was particularly important during the recording process.
Rousselle encouraged Moberg to experiment with vocal ornamentation, improvisation and multiple overlapping melodies, drawing inspiration from Fraser's distinctive approach to singing.
The results helped shape the rest of the album, with some compositions eventually featuring more vocal tracks than instrumental ones.
For someone who grew up listening to the Cocteau Twins, this connection is particularly meaningful.
One of the qualities that made Elizabeth Fraser such an extraordinary singer was her ability to communicate emotions through the sound and movement of her voice, sometimes making the literal meaning of the words almost secondary.
There was something magical about that approach, particularly on records associated with the classic 4AD aesthetic.
Listening to “Lohtu,” I recognise something of that same emotional language.
The Finnish lyrics add another dimension to the experience. Even without understanding every word, the melody, vocal expression and atmosphere communicate something deeply affecting.
The voice becomes another instrument, moving through the arrangement with a sense of fragility that contrasts beautifully with the darker guitar textures.
It is the kind of song that can make you stop whatever you are doing and simply listen.
Elsewhere, Valo valtaa vielä kaiken reveals different aspects of Sisar's musical personality.
“Nälkä,” released as a single on May 29, 2026, explores themes of loss and the end of human life.
Its darker atmosphere reflects the emotional weight of the subject, yet the composition also carries an underlying sense of hope, demonstrating the duo's ability to find beauty within difficult experiences.
“Aurinko nousee illalla” takes a more immediate melodic approach.
One of the earlier songs introduced by Sisar, it combines a stronger sense of rhythmic movement with accessible melodies and a more energetic arrangement.
The contrast with the album's slower, more contemplative passages highlights the duo's ability to explore different moods without losing their musical identity.
“Liekki,” unveiled in September 2026, introduces a more openly defiant perspective.
Described as a form of gentle revolution, the song reflects on resistance against forces that threaten life and the importance of protecting a fairer, more compassionate world.
Its accompanying video was created by visual artist Tekla Vály, whose work also contributes to the project's visual identity.
The album opens with “Linnut lähtee,” where imposing guitar textures provide the foundation for Moberg's fragile melodies.
It is an effective introduction to Sisar's musical universe, establishing the contrast between heaviness and delicacy that runs throughout the record.
At the opposite end of the album, the title track, “Valo valtaa vielä kaiken,” brings proceedings to a slower, more reflective conclusion.
Its melancholic atmosphere reinforces the record's recurring themes of memory, change and the passage of time, leaving behind a lingering sense of nostalgia.
The production plays an essential role in bringing these different elements together.
Rousselle generally develops the initial instrumental ideas, which Moberg then expands through vocal melodies and improvisation. This process allows the arrangements to evolve organically, with the vocals becoming an integral part of the compositions rather than simply sitting above the instrumentation.
Mixing and mastering were handled by Tommi Langen, helping establish the depth and separation required for music that frequently combines dense guitars, electronic rhythms and numerous vocal layers.
Before the album's release, Sisar had already begun attracting attention within Finland's independent music scene.
Their early singles received radio exposure, and in February 2026 the duo were selected for YleX Noste, a music discovery initiative organised by Finnish public radio.
For live performances, the project expands to a three-piece line-up, allowing the musicians to reproduce the weight and complexity of their recorded arrangements.
What I particularly appreciate about Valo valtaa vielä kaiken is the way it connects different generations of alternative music.
The influence of the Cocteau Twins is unmistakable, particularly in the treatment of the vocals and the emotional qualities of the melodies. Yet the industrial rhythms, baritone guitars and heavier instrumental arrangements introduce a very different dimension.
There is a genuine sense of exploration here, with Sisar taking elements from dream pop, shoegaze, industrial rock and atmospheric metal and combining them into something both intimate and powerful.
The result is an album that can feel dark and imposing while remaining strangely comforting.
And perhaps that is why “Lohtu” affected me so strongly.
After decades of listening to music, it is easy to imagine that certain sounds and emotions belong to a particular period of your life. The records that accompanied your younger years become part of your personal history, and sometimes it feels as though nothing new could possibly recreate that same sensation.
Then a song arrives unexpectedly and proves otherwise.
For me, “Lohtu” brought back the atmosphere of those early encounters with the Cocteau Twins and the remarkable catalogue of 4AD, when voices, guitars and studio experimentation seemed capable of creating entire worlds of their own.
More than thirty years later, it is wonderful to discover musicians who understand that musical language and are finding new ways to develop it.
With Valo valtaa vielä kaiken, Sisar have created a remarkable debut album, combining the emotional beauty of classic dream pop with the darker textures of industrial and alternative rock.
The contrast between Nora Moberg's ethereal vocals and Remi Rousselle's powerful instrumental arrangements gives the record a distinctive character, while its themes of love, loss, memory and hope provide an emotional depth that extends beyond its musical influences.
For anyone who has ever loved Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, the 4AD aesthetic or the more atmospheric side of alternative music, this is an album that deserves to be discovered.
And if you only have time to listen to one song, start with “Lohtu.”
That is where my own unexpected journey into Sisar's music began.
Sometimes the most memorable musical discoveries are the ones you never went looking for.
© Thusblog
