Album Review: Maa Ilmasta - Iso Yö (2021)
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| Picture Credit: Onni Nieminen |
Maa Ilmasta - Iso Yö
Release Date: May 07, 2021
Label: Luova Records
Format: Cassette / Digital
Length: 32:39
Genre: Post Rock
Origin: Jyväskylä / Helsinki, Finland
Before properly starting this review, I want to apologize to Benjami, Aapo, Aapo, and Jussi. I promised to post this review quite some time ago. It was mentioned in the announcements, and then somehow got lost. I can imagine that when I deleted the line containing another release that was already reviewed, accidentally "Iso Yö" got deleted from the list, too, but I cannot tell for sure.
Nevertheless, here it is, the first album by Maa Ilmasta. The band was founded in Finnish student town Jyväskylä in 2016 and has moved to the capital Helsinki in the meantime. The quartet is known for their stunning live shows and artistic music videos. Together with guest musician Matias Naskali, Maa Ilmasta (Finnish: The Earth from the Air) have recorded their first album "Iso Yö" (Finnish: "Big Night"). The eight-track release can be read as a coherent series of stories - or rather paintings. The four musicians musick different places of their home country by letting reality and fantasy merge. The presented images of the stunning Northern countryside are full of portals and doors to the world of dreams and fantastic stories.
Music-wise, Maa Ilmasta's colourful narratives are as versatile as the stories themselves. Predominantly, the soundscapes are defined by Cinematic Post Rock with deeply atmospheric beauty. A constant company to this close-to-nature sound is a sweet impact of Northern Folk which invites the audience into the deepest woods, to the coldest lakes, and to the barren tundra of Finland. Towards the end of the album especially, the Prog Rock influence is increasing.
You might not play this cassette on your ride to work or at the next party. But when you light a candle or a camp fire, commence a meditative session, or just want to escape the stressful everyday, "Iso Yö" is the perfect fit. Recommendation: listen to the whole album in one sitting.
Music from every post will stay in the MangoRotation playlist for 14 days.
Maa Ilmasta Online:
Homepage (Luova Records)
Facebook
Instagram
Bandcamp (Luova Records)
YouTube
Spotify
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