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‘Dollavárri’ music video is a collaboration with poet, musician Niillas Holmberg, music producer Jukka Backlund and production company Playart Productions. This monday is the first day of Sámi Language week and Dollavárri video premiere is a part of Sámi Language Week’s programme; to view the whole program click here.

In collaboration with PLAYART PRODUCTIONS

Music video trilogy pT II

out soon

Dollavárri

10/19/20

CINEMATOGRAPHY by ANTTI KOKKOLA

song lyrics by NIILLAS HOLMBERG

MUSIC PRODUCER JUKKA BACKLUND

About five years ago I reached a point where everything started to shift and I needed to integrate. I took a break from music and from everything. I moved out of the city, I stayed in the woods, I traveled, took my time. I started to make an album, hoped to combine my passions relating to music and visual arts. I changed the ways I was living, eventually ended up changing the ways I was operating as a music maker, artist.

Now looking back I see how for many years I struggled with courage; as I grew up and got more experience as a musician and artist I slowly took on a pressure of ‘fitting in’. Years passed and I started to drift from my voice and my heart.. From my nature.

This all happened around 2016. After taking THAT break from Helsinki—where I had once moved to study music and where I had worked as a musician for years – – and after slowly moving back—I was invited to perform at a big private new year’s party. I hosted a free singing performance; all the party guests sat on the dance floor with me, under the disco lights, in silence, till we sang together eyes closed. After the collective singing ended we celebrated till morning. At this event we met first time with the founder of PlayArt Productions.

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I grew up spending a lot of time in nature, and I got to grow up with people who taught me how to listen to nature. I also grew up in a city environment surrounded by urban influences. One catalyst for the upcoming album and to all these upcoming videos was the need to combine these ‘different knowings’. I felt like an outsider in Finland–I didn’t like the political atmosphere and it was hard to land, to find any ground. I had the urge to sing about nature, nature connection, and not care about fitting in.

Around 2017 I was lucky to find a music producer Jukka Backlund who shared my inspiration and after a lenghty 2 year period of writing, recording and mixing the music we had made an album. Last year I was lucky to connect again with PlayArt Production‘s people.

During year 2019 we started to get to know each other with the PlayArt crew. Me (working as an artist, writer and creative director), with director Hedda Halinen and production manager Laura Kangasniemi, after many weeks of talking and sharing we started to reach out for cinematographers, editors.. And slowly it happened that we filmed three powerful, beautiful music videos together. (Yes, they’re on their way out, wait for a bit more!)

During end year of 2019 we went for our first location scout, Laura, Hedda and me.

Me and director Hedda Halinen sat down many times to drink tea or coffee or what ever and I was able to share about my story and about my passions and we talked about nature connection, about rituals and so many things, we were framing what we wanted to express. ..And what was not inside the frame to us. All this time production manager Laura was with us, near or far, giving her comments and hearing us out.

The creative process of these videos has been very unique. When we made the album music with music producer Backlund I was so deep in the process that I hardly understood what we were creating; it felt really good, all the songs, but I had a hard time putting it to words.. Creating these videos with PlayArt Productions crew has been my ‘gateway’ back from the underworlds (or other worlds, or life force) that I’ve tried to express on the upcoming album.

For the longest time I was on the path of ‘trying to build my identity as a musician’ till it all came crumbling down and I started to hear my heart, my soul and with it all I gave away that ‘outer eye’ to my soul. I found a way back to music, to creating, and felt it like I felt it as I found it when I was a child. ..Before any schools, before any single one of industry meetings.. Cause you know.. Creativity isn’t about the schools you get in, about the exams that you take, about the papers you can sign or show—it’s about courage and authenticity, it’s a challenge worth living. When expressing life force there’s no two alike. So in a way, there’s really no competition.

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Now, as we’re slowly wrapping up all the video productions with PlayArt crew and with everyone involved, I’m pausing for a moment to thank all this creativity and all these wide visionary souls that I have the joy of knowing and working with. PlayArt Productions’ big passion is nature and nature connection and it has been great working and expanding with them. Very unique.

Album is not out yet, but it’s on it’s way. First the videos. Yes, this has taken quite some time. Yes, this has been worth it.

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If there’s someone thinking that it’s foolish to take big risks or make big investments in creativity, in life, my comment is that one should not think of it in relation for ‘the award that might come after’—it’s important to create, if it is who you are; to take the jump of starting and creating bit by bit for that is your life, that is who you are and that is how you’ll find your tribe. It’s not about some moment in the future where you’d receive an award for your work, it’s about living fully, being the life force that you are and if you’ll do it well that itself, the doing of it will fill you, award you and celebrate in you. It is for sure wonderful if the work reaches many people, and gets a lot of love, but the ‘after party’ should not be the motivation for creating.

So yes, some years ago I gave away all my belongings and moved into woods for a while. Stopped doing gigs and went to other professions. I took a bank loan to start this creation, to birth my upcoming album. I don’t regret it. When I begun I had no knowing of ‘how’. I saw videos with my soul’s eye, relating to the album, and those videos were telling beautiful natural ritualistic pathways, I had no knowing of ‘how’ to birth them. I wanted to create something beautiful, something that would ‘kiss your soul’.
This has been a very hard challenge, and a long process, and I’ve learned new professions along the way just to keep my head above the water. And I’ve found wonderful new people, new dear friends, new tribes, and I’ve grown so much.

I could have never made these steps without all the absolutely amazingly creative people I’m surrounded by. Near and far. Creativity is a wonderful, blissful, feisty play and this has been—and will be, a mysterious path. I thank the PlayArt crew with all my heart. I thank all of the people involved with all my heart, you know who you are. And of course, huge, HUGE, thank you to music producer Backlund.

Stay tuned.

#Behindthescenes pictures above taken by Ville Juurikkala, Laura Kangasniemi and Elvi Keränen.

Last week we filmed the second album music video with PlayArt Productions, and soon we’ll be wrappind also the third video. Three years ago this time we had just finished the first album recording session. To me, this time of the year often offers deep and luminous shifts: endings and beginnings, hightened nature connection and a lot of creativity.

I’ll be sharing some inspiring and educative links at the end of this post.

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In Finland we have many names for this celebratory summer time: Ukon juhla (Ukko’s party, Ukko means the god of the weather), Päivättären juhla (Ms. Day’s party) and many more. I enjoy calling this celebration ‘Summer’s Thanksgiving’ as we have enjoyed the growth season of summer and soon we will be transitioning towards the mystical renewal of winter. Day and night are holding hands in the summer solstice. We are right there in between summer and winter. Right now we are also with the solar eclipse and the new moon.. We are in a powerful time.

Last week we filmed the second album music video with Antti Kokkola and the PlayArt Productions team (director Hedda Halinen and production manager Laura Kangasniemi). We had two days of intense shooting and I believe we were all quite spaced out afterwards; it was very hot, we had quite a few locations and some peculiar surprises along the way.

The second album music video is to a song ‘Dollavárri’ that I composed with music producer Jukka Backlund. Poet, activist, musician and actor Niillas Holmberg wrote the beautiful, powerful North Saami lyrics. I cannot wait to share it all with you a bit later..

During the coming week we’ll be diving into the next music video shooting with PlayArt Productions, and with some other wonderful people, and I’ll share more about a bit later.
We are making a three video series relating to the upcoming album and all the videos (and the album music totally) is inspired by nature connection. I’m thankful that I’ve waited and waited with releasing this music, since all the collaborations have needed their own time to appear and this spring has deepened the original message of the whole album. All this video art will be coming out at the right time, later this year, and soon after that it’s time to release the whole album.

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When I started working with the album – and actually a long time before that even – I had thought a lot about aesthetics and awareness, natural impulses, connection to nature etc. relating to creativity. I did a lot of work going thru my ‘creative insides’, I had a deep calling to find a more true ‘voice’, my real voice. I spent a lot of time by myself; I was puzzled about different forms of cultural conditioning and how it all could affect one’s creativity. I had been through a lot in the ‘creative industry’ and I needed to re-route. I was wondering what was really worth doing, what felt right, what was fair and truly passionate.. And how much creativity was too much creativity and who was the judge of these things if not me? I thought a lot about many things, aimed to clear my insides. There’s a lot I’d like to say about these things.. This debut album project is inspired by all of this. Stay with me, the wait is worth it.

Wishing you a powerful, calm, beautiful summer solstice!

RECOMMENDED RECOURCES:

» ‘THE VOICE PROJECT‘:

“In the fight against oppression and injustice, the first step is having the freedom to speak out, to raise one’s voice. Often it’s artists and activists who sound the alarm and call others to join in action. These early responders to injustice and oppression need to be able to do so free from persecution and prosecution. Movements and issues ranging from the environment to equality and fighting global poverty are dependent on the individual’s ability to advance these causes via this foundational human right; freedom of expression. Our goal is to be on the front lines defending those who use their voice to speak out.”

» ‘Say it in Saami‘ -website:

“Say it in Saami features the first online Saami phrasebook on the Internet containing informal language, and its goal is to help the endangered languages. You can listen to the phrases in North, Inari and Skolt Saami. The website also features five short documentary films, a quick guide to Saami culture and a soundboard in North Saami.”

» ‘The danger of a single story’, TEDTalk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie:

“Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice — and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.”

» Anti-Rasicm Resource list

» ‘Ancient Wisdom for a Modern World’, by Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey:

“Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey is the first female fellow in the history of the National Geographic Society. Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey wants the world to remember the people who came before us. The actor-turned-anthropologist has made it her mission to find, preserve and share the knowledge and traditions of indigenous populations before they disappear.”

» About equality in music industry, awareness, respect, true creativity #sharethemicnow with India Arie, relating to #showmustbepaused and true allyship:

“This has been very heavy on my heart. This is a #sharethemicnow post in partnership with Angelica Ross and Hilary Swank. Listen with an open mind and heart. Love to all.”

Dear album baby has reached mastering. It’s a joy to have Jaakko Viitalähde / Virtalähde Mastering in the album team. ⋅ ⊥∇ ⋅

Virtalähde Mastering Studio is located on the calm countryside of Kuhmoinen and if you visit the place by public transport from Helsinki it takes about 5 hours to reach.

I left Helsinki early morning and took a train to Tampere and from there I took a bus to Kuhmoinen. Kuhmoinen is a really small town and all the people at the Tampere-Kuhmoinen bus knew each other. The bus driver told me I should get some sleep if I’d like to, she’d let me know when we’d reach my stop: “You can just relax.” What a very cute bus ride. Viitalähde came to pick me up from the bus stop at Kuhmoinen (a gas station next to a field) and from there we continued further to the woods, to his studio and started working.

First time I heard about Virtalähde Mastering was when he was collaborating with Lake Jons on their first album. I got to know ‘the Jons guys’ during music study years in Helsinki and for a long time I had no idea that they were creating this wonderful band project; as they started putting Lake Jons music out I really loved it and can still remember how enthusiastic they were about collaborating with Virtalähde Mastering.

I’ve followed Jaakko Viitalähde’s work projects for years and it was clear to me that I’d like him to do the album mastering.

Virtalähde Mastering was started 14 years ago and Jaakko Viitalähde used to live and work in Helsinki. Eventually he moved away from the capital to a calmer setting. I respect his way of doing things; he now has his own countryside mastering studio and lives near his studio with his family, dog, cat, chickens, roosters etc. And there’s no hassle, no hurry.

I enjoy being present there in the mastering process; it’s a big thing to hear all the music in the mastering phase, go through the elements and meditate with the balance of it all.

I have a not-so-common way of hearing music and sound; sometimes it’s shapes or colours or some sort of visual thing and luckily this was not at all a strange approach to Viitalähde. There’s not that many professional audio engineers that I would feel comfortable of giving some weird drawing (ha, oh yes) as a guide line relating to the overall sound. But it’s just great fun doing that with someone like Jaakko Viitalähde – – and the fact that he happens to get it is even more joyous.

I was back in Helsinki thru Jämsä and Tampere, it was quite late of course and I felt tired but it was a big thing to realize that the album is now on it’s way out. Bear with me.

When we were wrapping things up Jaakko said: “I think people will be surprised when they hear this album.” I think so too.

A lot has happened during the past three years and I will share more relating to that a bit later. Close calls and interesting negotiations. This album creating journey started very intuitively and all the turns have taught me more than I could’ve ever imagined. And the best part is that this journey is not about money, attention or those things. This is about music, about communication and about being alive.

Good things take time.

It’s time to get to know the sound engineers; meet Oona Kapari and Tommi Vainikainen.

Kapari joined the team during the sessions at Finnvox Studios and Tommi Vainikainen has sort of been with us ever since the very beginning of the project. Vainikainen was the one who introduced me to music producer Backlund years ago.

Both of these humans are my old friends – happy to introduce them to you!

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OONA KAPARI, recording & sound engineering at Finnvox sessions
I could write about the years we studied together, or how we used to spend hours and hours going through our projects and trying to learn as much as we could.. Or how it is instant appreciation, open communication, honest feedback and laughs every time we meet..
Next level professional skills, big heart and fast wit; Oona Kapari.
Kapari was the one who did the recording during our sessions at Finnvox. Kapari is a musician and songwriter and she works as a sound engineer at a legendary recording studio Finnvox. Kapari is also making a great career as a music producer.
A lot of planning was done before the sessions but also a lot of space was left open for creativity and for the team work that would happen when we all would be in the same place together. When it was time to hit the studio I made sure that everyone had something to eat during the days (creativity comes easier when there’s a decent amount of proper food around) and experienced how the music came alive. I will share more about the sessions, a bit later, and in that video I’ll tell you more about everything that happened during the Finnvox week.
Kapari is precise, positive, fun, solid, efficient, down-to-earth and it’s a true joy to know her and to create with her. She can easily and in a very calm manner understand what is going on during a studio session; of course relating to the music technology but also relating to the communication, energy levels and all the challenges that might arise during the recording session days.

TOMMI “MASTER FADER” VAINIKAINEN, mixing
I could write about the epic rhytm music summer camps where Vainikainen worked as a music technology teacher and how he played many great albums to us young music students then years ago, or how amazing he is in his ability to respect and bond with all the various music lovers he meets.. Or how many times we have talked about songwriting and about bands and about great country music and politics, or how he is fearless in his thinking and how inspiring it is to have a great conversation with him..
Next level professional skills, big heart and fast wit; Tommi Vainikainen.
Tommi Vainikainen is a freelance sound engineer, producer and a musician and he teaches music production and sound engineering at Sibelius Academy and Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory. He has studied drums in the jazz department of Sibelius Academy and before becoming a freelancer he worked years as a producer / sound engineer at Music Makers Finland. When this album project started to happen it was clear to me that he should join the team. Vainikainen introduced me to Backlund then almost ten years ago and I knew he would get the aesthetics in this music — it made perfect sense that Vainikainen should be the one taking care of the mixing. It was a wonderful moment when I played the preproduction demos to Vainikainen; he was really excited about the songs and all the different vibes that the songs had.
One of the latest albums Vainikainen has mixed is Von Hertzen Brother’s War Is Over and he is working with various pop, folk-rock, tv projects. Check out this smooth video he made with Tuomo, Felix Zenger, Tapio Backlund, Antti Kujanpää and Eliel Viitala. Vainikainen’s skill set is beyond comprehension and it has been amazing to sit with him and dive deep into the songs. He is of course such an epic professional but besides that he is such an supportive, real person.

Working with the right producer is the most inspiring thing. That right producer will pull the music out of you, all that is still somehow hidden – – and on top of that fresh and new possibilities will arrive.

When you find the right match for you the collaboration will help you with songwriting, with your instrument, with creativity and confidence. It has been a priviledge to collaborate with music producer Jukka Backlund.

 

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To find out more about Backlund’s projects etc. check out my previous blog post about songwriting. It’s right under this post and he’s the top dude on the list. >>>

About working with a music producer:

There’s a lot of talk nowadays about everybody being the producer and that a producer would not be needed if the music is good enough so to say. I’d say that as much as good actors or good writers need to team up with a good director on the movie and theatre side, a good music producer will only make the whole musical world even more clear and deep and simple and epic. What happens thru that is inspiring, it’s real, and you know when it’s real – – music doesn’t get lost in it but it only gets found.

Producer can do many things. Different producers have different strenghts in their craft. For example:

a) producer might help the artist to find confidence, that own voice, that core creativity and solid vision,

b) producer might write songs, compose, arrange with the artist,

c) producer might also work like a studio engineer, figure out how the recording could go and what sounds are needed and how those sounds can be crafted in the actual studio sessions.

Backlund is very skilled in all of the areas that I here mentioned.

In our collaboration he has guided me in finding “my voice”, helped me in songwriting and he has pushed me beyond my limits as a vocalist.
When we did the vocal sessions I felt like my ears got tuned in a new position; I started to connect my hearing and singing in a much solid way, something just clicked and as I had the patience to openly be “where I’m at” in the end I was flewn to a totally new place inside the music.

Producer is not a machine. Producer is someone who has that special skill set (or the passion to always learn more about it) that makes that person a great producer; that is art, great music producing is art. I will be writing more about this (creative process between an artist and the producer) in the future.

And I need to add. The thing is.. The world is full of people – – they might not all be the perfect creative fit for you but still – – if you love the craft of art there is a lot of people in the world and you can learn from all of the steps you take. Trust in your own ability to go out and find new horizons – – get together with other crazy ones and make something together; get as ambitious as you can get and enjoy the creativity.

When I started to make this album with producer Backlund, when we were at the point that we had all the songs ready he couraged me to think of the musicians I’d like to ask join the album sessions. I made a list of my old band and gig mates, old teachers etc. and gave them a call and during summer 2017 we all went to studio together and started making some real music magic. This group of people makes me very happy and very humble. ⋅ ⊥∇ ⋅

Oskari Lehtonen (percussion, drums)
To learn more about Lehtonen, check out the previous post about album songwriting. Oskari has been a band mate for many years now, in various different projects and I’m very happy to have crossed paths with this hardworking and fun human. Lehtonen plays in various different bands and also has a solo project. Check out Okra Playground’s new live video. >>

Aino Kurki (kantele)

You can also find more about Kurki from the previous post. She’s also been a very important part of the album songwriting process. So very happy to collaborate with this great musician and friend. Listen wonderful Aino play with wonderful Macoumba Ndiaye and Sonja Korkman in Senegal. >>

Antti Kujanpää (piano)

For a very long time one of my favourite bands has been Kvalda (Young Nordic Jazz Comets Finland -award, 2014); a jazz quartet formed by Kujanpää and his peeps from Jyväskylä. Kujanpää is a jazz pianist, composer, educator.. Kujanpää has released an album with Louhivuori, Little Blue (2012), and that album has been in my player a lot. Kujanpää playes in various different ensembles, f. ex. he’s a member of Auteur Jazz. It’s been awesome to start playing with Kujanpää relating to this album and also relating to other gigs. Check out this beautiful tune by Kujanpää and Louhivuori. >>

Olavi Louhivuori (drums)

Louhivuori is a jazz drummer, composer, producer and he’s also a member of many great bands like Ilmiliekki Quartet, Elifantree and his own special ambient-experimental-whatnot-jazz group Oddarrang. Louhivuori has been touring the world with many different projects; you might have seen him with for example Lee Konitz, Tomasz Stanko Quintet, Piirpauke..
He’s produced Eva & Manu‘s music, worked a lot with kids and teaching improvisation, he has been awarded many times from his work as a composer and as a musician. Louhivuori is now being nominated for Teosto Prize. Get to know Louhivuori’s art from the following video. >>

Ape Anttila (double bass)

Anttila has collaborated with various jazz, pop, folk artists / ensembles as a musician, composer, producer.. He teaches in Helsinki University of Art’s, in Sibelius Academy, and I got to be his student a long time during a summer music camp; he was a big help when it was time for me to start my music studies in Helsinki; with his help I got in touch with a couple of Swedish jazz musicians, got to learn more about vocal jazz music. Under Bar Himmel – taivasalla is one of my favourite folk music albums (Maans, Kalaniemi, Anttila), give it a spin. Hear Anttila play a beautiful tune with Eliina Mäkiranta Quartet. >>

Jouni Järvelä (saxophone, clarinet)

Järvelä is a multi-instrumentalist whose main instruments are saxophone and clarinet. He is a composer, member of UMO Jazz Orchestra.. Järvelä has collaborated with legends such as Lenny Pickett and Audun Kleive and it is hard to describe how awesome it is that he came to play with us. One of my all-time favourite albums is Jouni Järvelä Group’s Lento. Järvelä also works as a producer and he has produced Marouf Majidi’s first solo album – – he also playes in Majidi’s ensemble. Check out Järvelä’s collaboration with Majidi. >>

Tero Hyväluoma (violin)

Hyväluoma is a composer, violinist, producer and he leads his own ensemble Hyväluoma Group. He works as a session musician and tours a lot in Finland and abroad; plays with Frigg, Snekka, Topi Saha, Haaga Folkmachine, Korpiklaani.. He has edited a book about Finnish traditional fiddler music (“Vetelin viulumestarit”, 2011) and his knowledge about Finnish folk music is quite massive. Hyväluoma plays various instruments and has collaborated with Kimmo Pohjonen, Ismo Alanko.. What a joy to have him on board in this album – – and what a joy to know this human. I’m really a huge fan of Hyväluoma Group’s music and you can get to know their vibe from the video below. >>

Harri Kuusijärvi (accordion)

Kuusijärvi is an accordionist who has worked with many different musicians, in various performance art projects and within many different music styles. He has a wide knowledge about the contemporary accordion music, improvisation and how to combine these two in his work. He is a composer, musician, educator and leads his own ensemble Koutus. Kuusijärvi and Hyväluoma play together in many occasions and you can find Kuusijärvi also from the video above. Very happy that Kuusijärvi is playing with us on this album we’ve all created. Get to know his solo playing from the video below. >>

Jussi Jaakonaho (guitar)

Jaakonaho is a guitarist, producer, sound engineer who has worked with numerous Finnish singers (pop, folk-rock, rock..), bands, projects and songwriters. He has produced some of the most loved Finnish alt pop-rock albums and he has his own mix room studio. He released a solo album that’s now been reviewed internationally and you can get to know his amazing discography here. What to say; been listening albums that he’s produced while growing up and he came to play with us on this album..! Sweet. Get to know his solo album from the video below. >>

Mikko Heikinpoika (throat singing)

Heikinpoika is a singer, producer, looping artist who has specialized in throat singing and he has travelled widely to gain knowledge about the ancient music traditions of the world. Right now he’s getting ready to release his new album. He has collaborated with f. ex. Hilda Länsman.
His musicianship and passion for throat singing was awarded in 2015 at Tuva (home of throat singing) when he performed at The Khoomey -throat singing festival and won the 3rd prize in the modern category. It’s great that I happened to get to know him and his work; we met during the album process, when I began collaborating with Niillas Holmberg. It’s a huge joy that he visited one song, one rrreally special song. Just wait till you hear all this music.. Get to know Heikinpoika’s vibe from the video. >>