Yli-salomaki, Aki
Jai Mieleen
Finnish neoclassical composer Aki Yli-Salomaki stretches sparse compositions towards oceanic and blurred parameters on 'Jai Mieleen'. The first three tracks see heavily sustained bows of cello and violin rise and fall around melancholia, sometimes finding disharmonic notes. However, Yli-Salomaki leaves these more complex intuitions to subtlety, emphasizing arid and emotive landscapes akin to those found in Northern Suomi. The album gets more experimental with spidery electronics crawling across frenzied pizzicato strings and subtle ambiences to chilling effect. Continuing with a droning and nightmarish foray into the album's deeper recesses, before concluding with a glacial mound of synths, screeching strings, and textures that culminate in a profound observation. The album ends with gentle tones, transitioning from orchestral seriousness into a cosmic and rose-eyed proclamation of the dream-like potential of music.