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Sontag Shogun & Lau Nau : Valo Siroutuu (to be released on 25th March, 2022 / digital platforms, available on 8th April)
A gentle and magnificent masterpiece, wrapped in the pale light from a Nordic country.
On the 25th March 2022, we will release the first collaboration album, 'Valo Siroutuu’, by the New York based neo-classical ambient music trio, Sontag Shogun, who express an individualistic beauty featuring a combination of lovely piano melodies, ambient, analog musical electronics such as a tape machines and a modular synthesizers, sound effects made from everyday items such as rice, chopsticks, and spoons, and edited vocals like clean air from Finnish female vocalist, Lau Nau, aka Laura Naukkarinen.
'Valo Siroutuu' which, in Finnish, means 'The Light Scatters', is a collaboration album that traverses borders. Firstly, the basics of the vocals were recorded by Lau Nau on the island of Kimitoön in Finlad, then members of Sontag Shogun over-dubbed their various instruments in Montreal, New York, and Los Angeles. Culminating in a silk-like beautiful stratum weaved by Lau Nau's melancholy voices in Finnish and a vocalist of Sontag Shogun, Jesse Perlstein’s, gentle voice in English. A spacious sound played by acoustic instruments such as a piano and guitar, and analog musical electronics such as a tape machine alongside modular synthesizers. The sound of the wind and sea waves, the chirp of small birds, which were field-recorded on the island of Kimitoön accent the music and give the final touch. Its fluent beautiful and spectacular sounds pull on the heartstrings of all fans of artists from Northern Europe such as Sigur Ros, Olafur Arnalds, and Múm.
In addition, the Japan-edition includes two bonus remix tracks by Japanese artists, Haco and FilFla. By adding those two rearranged songs featuring lovely vocals from Haco and Moskitoo, you can enjoy not only songs in Finnish and English in the main tracks in the album, but also the soft sounds in which the Japanese language has its own originality.
This is a wonderful masterpiece that not only goes beyond borders, but also musical genres such as ambient, electronica, neo-classical, folk, and experimental, which was made through the collaboration between two international artists who performed not only in North America and Europe but also in Asia, and were praised by famous music medias such as Pitchfork and The Wire.
The album 'Valo Siroutuu' will be released on number-limited 15cm square-sized box version designed by Anna Bernhardt, who is a graphic designer based in Berlin. It includes a 16 page booklet with handwritten comments in Finnish and English, analog-tasted photos with Lau Nau and Sontag Shogun, and lovely illustrations with a motif of nature, together with a copy on compact disc and a visual card. The compact disc includes two CD-version-limited bonus tracks rearranged by Haco and FilFla.
We hope you feel the gentle and magnificent soundscape through your own eyes, ears, and heart with this booklet.
| 1. Badminton Motif | Laura Naukkarinen: Vocals, Violin, Modular Synth, Glockenspiel | |
| 2. Leikkikalu | Jesse Perlstein: Vocals, Synths, Field Recordings, Toys, Tape | |
| 3. Dusk Bells | Jeremy Young: Guitar, Oscillators, Radio, Amplified Objects, Tape | |
| 4. Valo Siroutuu | Ian Temple: Piano, Moog Minitaur | |
| 5. Suddenly, This Darkness Comes Over Your Face | ||
| 6. Hämeentie | ||
| 7. On Perceiving Time | ||
| 8. Aaltoja | ||
| 9. Hidas Laulu | ||
| 10. Kuiskaan Itselleni | ||
| 11. Hares Motif | ||
| 12. Trampoliinilla Ikuisuuteen | ||
| 13. Haruno Nokorika (Haco Remix) | Bonus Track for Japan Edition Only | |
| 14. Leikkikalu (FilFla Remix) | Bonus Track for Japan Edition Only |
| Composed by Laura Naukkarinen, Jesse Perlstein, Jeremy Young, Ian Temple |
| Recorded in Kimito, Finland in 2019, with overdubs and arrangements produced in Montreal, New York, and Los Angeles in 2020 |
| Mixed by Seth Manchester at Machines With Magnets |
| Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studios |
| Artwork and Layout by Anna Bernhardt |
| Art Direction and Design by Anna Bernhardt |
| Executive Produced by Andrew Neerman |
| Released by Beacon Sound, Ricco Label |
Free Download / Name Your Price
| Leikkikalu |
| https://riccolabel.bandcamp.com/track/leikkikalu |
Online Store
| http://www.fleursy.com/riccolabel/store.html |
BandCamp
| https://riccolabel.bandcamp.com/album/valo-siroutuu |
