Samuli Mikkonen & 7 HENKEÄ AJAN AALLOILLA

The project "Ajan aalloilla" is our thorough investigation of a "Finnish sound" in improvised music. By studying and playing the music of Finnish late 19th and early 20th century composers we search means to mine our cultural past, utilize the musical roots of our culture in this ever more globalising world.

The objective is twofold: as citizens of the Globe we have more to give to the others, if we preserve our contact to what is special and essential in our local culture - and on the other hand, sticking to our local heritage is a quiet protest to the estetics of the strongest, the proliferation of the banalities of current mass culture, along with "democracy" and neo-liberal ideals throughout our world.

Musically, the material we have chosen is a mixture of solo instrumental pieces, lieder and works for mixed chorus. From a vast library of material, I personally chose some 30 to 35 pieces to be worked on more closely, including classics such as Souda, souda sinisorsa by Sibelius or Heino Kaski's Prelude in Gb, and less familiar unique pieces, for example the haunting Ilmari Hannikainen piano miniature Hämärän ääni alike.

The lineup of our band for the Ajan aalloilla project is Mika Kallio, Uffe Krokfors, Pentti Lahti, Sonny Heinilä, Sakari Kukko, Pepa Päivinen and Jorma Tapio.

The composers involved are Jean Sibelius, Toivo Kuula, Oskar Merikanto, Ilmari Hannikainen, Yrjö Kilpinen, Leevi Madetoja, Armas Järnefelt and Heino Kaski.

As a sample, here's our version of Toivo Kuula's Metsän kuninkaalle, Sakari Kukko soloing on tenor saxophone.