Kiiltomatolyhty/Utupuu

2011 - Joonatan Elokuu - Earth, Sky, Moon and Sun (Maito Records, mai005)

2011-11-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

'Earth, Sky, Moon and Sun' by Joonatan Elokuu available from Maito Records at http://maito.hear.fi/mai005.html

You can download the free digital EP from their site, or from this url: http://www.hear.fi/~elokuu/utupuu%20releases/

The EP has one track, which is divided into 3 parts.

1. Mother Earth - Father Sky
2. Dans van de Slakkengeliefden
3. Sister Moon - Brother Sun

‎"'Earth, Sky, Moon and Sun' was recorded and mixed in the Dutch countryside, and mastered at Maito Records. It's perhaps the most personal piece of music I've ever put down on tape. The songs were written while I was hospitalized because of a serious illness. During the ambulance ride I was given a heavy dose of morphine, and while drifting in and out of consciousness, I had a vision of an angel with a peacock's features. I also heard the sound of animals, birds and wings flapping all around, mixed with the drone of the engine (which morphed into a weird harmonic layer of sound) while the chatter of the paramedics faded slowly out. The first ten minutes of the album were definitely influenced by this experience. It's definitely not a happy album, but a very spiritual and personal one. I hope that the album could serve as a reminder of the beauty and fragility of our existence, and that there is a light at the end of even the darkest road. I recorded the music on a handheld recorder as I started my recovery from the operation. While I was really happy to be alive and well, I had to deal with thoughts of death and loss not only because of my own experience, but because my father was also seriously ill during this time.

I have started recording the new album, and it might take quite a while until it's ready for release. I want to record the album in a proper studio with plenty of time, because it will feature some of the best songs I've ever written. After 2012 we will disappear into Asia for a long time, and I hope I have the chance to record the album before this. It will be available as a CD on a different label, more info on this will be available in time. Meanwhile, there should be a compilation release coming out on Hear Records, let's hope they'll have this out at some point."

-Joonatan

News 18.07.2011

2011-07-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

NOTE: CDrs are not available at the moment, so bear with the free downloads. Handmade items will be available again when we have settled down properly. We are currently residing in the Dutch countryside & busking in Amsterdam area, many countries apart from our earthly belongings.

If you enjoy the free downloads, feel free to say hi to us at kiiltomatolyhty(nospam!)gmail.com or donate a sum of your choosing via Paypal to the same address. All donations will be used to further our agenda of offering free downloads of Utupuu releases & making handmade items available.

Utupuu/Kiiltomatolyhty on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Utupuu/101752999886145

Black Deck - "Black Deck EP" now available via Utupuu

2011-07-18T03:36:00.001-07:00

Black Deck, the project of Olli Niemitalo & Joonatan Elokuu has a new EP available as a download via Utupuu.

2011 - Black Deck - Black Deck EP (UTUPUU04)

1. I - Spore Transmission
2. II - Smoke Signal
3. III - Telephone

Olli Niemitalo - Black Deck, field recordings, electronics
Joonatan Elokuu - electric guitar, vocals
Kata Havahu - saxophone
Helena Halla - additional vocals

Lyrics on "II - Smoke Signal" were taken from the song "The Nights" by Lee Hazlewood.

All music on this EP was created by Black Deck in early 2011.

Mixed & Mastered by Olli Niemitalo

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://www.hear.fi/~elokuu/utupuu%20releases/

*** More information on the project can be found from http://yehar.com/blog/?p=1398 ***

Black Deck EP

2011-04-18T01:46:00.000-07:00

Black Deck - "Black Deck EP" available soon as a download / CDr from Utupuu! Running time ~23 minutes. A collaborative effort from O. Niemitalo (Black Deck, field recordings) & J. Elokuu (electric guitar, vocals), Black Deck EP documents a musical expedition in the realm of DIY electronics & psychedelectric folk drones.

Utupuu group in facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Utupuu/101752999886145

Contact address update

2011-04-04T13:01:00.000-07:00

Contact kiiltomatolyhty(nospam)gmail.com for bookings & inquiries.

For orders from Utupuu, contact info(nospam)utupuu.fi

Utupuu is still recovering from the move from our former home to the New Country, so albums are only available as a download for the time being.

-Utupuu

Joonatan Elokuu & Mossycoat (UTUPUU03, 2011)

2011-01-26T08:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends,

As some of you might already know, we are leaving Finland for good in a month or so for a new home somewhere South. For a long time now, we've been occupied with making arrangements and selling our belongings while sharing flats with our beloved friends & families. I even had to part with some of my beloved instruments...

It would be problematic for us to carry copies of our albums with us, so we've decided to make all of them available as a free download from this address. Including the brand new album 'Joonatan Elokuu & Mossycoat'.

This doesn't mean that the handmade CDrs are no longer available; we simply cannot guarantee that we can send them on time, nor that we would be carrying enough copies with us to meet with the demand. You can inquire our situation from info(nospam!!!!!!at)utupuu.fi; we might be able to send You a copy, if not now, maybe sometime in near (?) future!

Sincerely,
Joonatan

P.S. The info above applies also for Utupuu jewellery at www.utupuu.fi. In near/distant future the jewellery will be available internationally through Artfire. All items will be unique from now on!

P.P.S. Here's the the new album:

***DOWNLOAD MP3/320***

"Joonatan Elokuu & Mossycoat" (2011, Utupuu)

1. Prayer of the Mushroom-Eater
2. Autumn
3. Owlsong
4. Mountain of the Moon
5. Lantern in Her Hand
6. Roots
7. Matkalaulu
8. Prayer for Dying Trees
9. On the Shoreline
10. Leaves of Life - Elon Lehdet
11. Boat of Flowers
12. Amanita
13. Sininen Uni

Songs written & performed
by weary travelers laying low for the winter season 2010-2011.

Tracks 3, 5, 11 were written by Mossycoat (Helena Halla), and track 13 is a rendition of an old Finnish song originally written & composed by M. Haavio and T. Rautavaara. All other tracks were written by Joonatan Elokuu, except track 9, which was co-written by Mossycoat.

Instrumentation & Vocals - Joonatan Elokuu (guitar & Portuguese guitarra, harmonica, electronics, minstrel banjo, melodica, flutes, indian harmonium, cittern and mandolin) & Helena Halla (melodica, electronics, guitar)

Mastering - Mikko Määttä

From Psyche Van Het Folk:

"Joonatan Elokuu & Mossycoat (FIN,2011)****/*****

Stylistically Joonatan continues with his new album with intimate minstrel music, led by a whispery warm male voice in the vein of In Gowan Ring and a gentle female voice which gives beautiful alternation. The songs rooted in a bond with nature, mystics and the art of love and care, are accompanied by nylon string guitar strums and pickings, ghosty background sounds, a minimum of electronic pulses, small moody flute arrangements, a touch of organ, some mandolin, and a bit of mouth harmonica. Music to learn to use the imagination proportionally, make thoughts balanced through concentration thanks to the purpose of silence to make the senses available again."

Foxy Digitalis review HERE

Joonatan Elokuu - 'A Vagrant's Whim' (UTUPUU02, 2010)

2010-08-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

***DOWNLOAD MP3/320***

We are happy to inform that 'A Vagrant's Whim', the new album by Joonatan Elokuu is now available! Those fluent in Finnish can order it via http://www.utupuu.fi (the site does not yet feature English language). English inquiries can be made by contacting info(nospam!!!at)utupuu.fi.

Tracks:

1. A Song Writ on Leaves
2. Rishikesh Song
3. Wicker Girl
4. Silk Road Sunrise
5. A Dream by the Arabian Sea
6. Montsegur
7. Born Again with a Hedgehog's Heart
8. Nancy
9. Valencia
10. Brother Sun
11. Like Christ and Osiris
12. Galilee

Playing time ~46 minutes.
Mastering by Mikko Määttä.

The CDr comes in a handmade, nature friendly packaging. The price is 8e (+2,40e postage).

The album is a collection of songs composed during various seaside drop-outs in India, France, Spain and Portugal (2008-2010) and finally recorded & finished once safely back home in Finland (...after a perilous journey through the Balkans & East Europe, including desperate hitchhiking and traveling with a French circus troupe...but that's another story, folks!)

The songs here are presented in a rather stripped-down and raw form; compared to the debut album 'Mushroom Heart' (2009), the instrumentation on 'A Vagrant's Whim' is much more dependant on just guitar & voice. Other instruments include cittern, harmonica, melodica, sitar, indian harmonium and portuguese guitar.

Released through Utupuu, limited to 300 hand numbered copies.

Phil McMullen from Terrascope wrote:

"Staying in Scandinavia, it was good to receive the latest full-length limited edition release from Finland’s Joonatan Elokuu, entitled “A Vagrant’s Whim”. For the most part this follows a simple formula of guitar and Elokuu’s soothingly soporific baritone, supplemented here and there by wife Helena on vocals and occasional other accompaniment. There’s not much to choose between the songs, all of which will delight in a lo-fi, late night, mellow sort of way. “Born Again with a Hedgehog Heart” features some sampled dialogue, possibly from a film (now that could be the quiz question this month), and “Nancy” continues with the spoken-word (Elokuu’s this time) while introducing some understated but evocative electronic backing, whilst “Like Christ and Osiris” features sitar and Indian Harmonium (and probably other things). Elokuu’s evidently an interesting and widely travelled chap with many a tale to tell, and this is all very pleasant and a fair enough if not quite essential contribution to the wyrd/alt/psych/whatever folk canon."

A short review from Psyche Van Het Folk:

"The second album by Joonatan Elokuu reminds me even more of In Gowan Ring, singing minstrel-like songs in his own modest way, with a warm introspective expressive way of singing with two acoustic guitars and accordion, and with the addition of some second female voice (Helena Halla) here and there. Only after a few songs different arrangements occur, like some flute with echo on “Silk Road Sunrise”. Special to hear also is the “Born Again with a Hedgehog's Heart” intro with a dialogue from a movie of someone seeking for birds/nature-like spiritual freedom. “Nancy” is expressed with more spoken word with warm ambient electric piano and synthesizer. More stretched in acoustic improvisation with harmonium, zither and sitar is “Like Christ and Osiris”. The last track concludes the album by adding whistling. Another good one from this new psych-folk artist. Released as a CDR in an envelope with some artwork."

Oscar Strik from Evening of Light wrote:

"After several years of building up steam as Aura Shining Green, it seems Joonatan Elokuu has recently settled into a relatively steady rhythm of writing and recording songs. Mushroom Heart was a very pleasant album from 2009, and this one, self-released in late 2010, is its equally fine successor.

Even more so than the last time around, travels form the inspiration for this collection of singer/songwriter folk pieces. The road took Joonatan and his wife Helena through Southern Europe and Asia, as we can see from titles like “Montségur”, “Valencia”, “Silk Road Sunrise”, and “Rishikesh Song”. This, however, hasn’t resulted in an overload of oriental and raga influences, as has been a fairly common occurrence in folk music since the 60s. Though certainly inspired by all kinds of vagaries from modern folk, guitar and voice dominate practically everywhere on these songs of Joonatan’s, and frankly, he needs little more to make perfectly enjoyable and intimate songs.

That’s not to say there isn’t some variety to be found. Melodies are executed with flair and diversity across the different tracks, and in some places intensities of arrangement highlight the flow of the music, such as in the rich “Wicker Girl”, where multiple guitar lines and additional vocals by Helena fill up the sound perfectly. At the other end, there is the ambient spoken word piece “Nancy”, a brooding track based on soft organ chords in the background, some use of samples, and introspective text. I wouldn’t have minded even more of these experimental sojourns, and perhaps it would have made the album more balanced and powerful.

As it stands, though, A Vagrant’s Whim is another nice album from a warm voice among the underground folk wanderers of today. Joonatan and Helena are on the move once more, but there are plans of rereleasing remastered version of the Utupuu albums in the future. Until then, the two have made all of their recent albums available as a free high-quality download on their website here, so there is no excuse for not checking their material out right now, and if you like what you hear, I’m sure they might have some physical copies available for sale."

1.4.2010 - 26.8.2010

2010-07-26T02:09:00.000-07:00

Portugal, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Germany...and now back to Finland. Five months on the road less travelled, Joonatan has now returned to Finland to finish 'A Vagrant's Whim', and to play two shows in Oulu (http://www.taistelu.org/veljesiltamat/)

Travelling in a colourful company of other misfits and minstrels (and a French circus troupe...) the foundations of yet another solo album by Joonatan were conceived during this period of busking, aimless wandering and vagrancy.

'A Vagrant's Whim' should/could be ready by 21.8.2010.

-Kiiltomatolyhty

New album, situation update etc...

2010-03-31T00:58:00.000-07:00

'A Vagrant's Whim', the new album by Joonatan is ready musicwise, but the cover art design is still in progress...

The release date for this album is somewhat unclear, for Helena & Joonatan are (once again) heading South for an extended period of time. The album will see daylight once they manage to set up a semi-permanent HQ somewhere...be it Portugal, Nepal...or once back in Helsinki. The delay therefore can be attributed to their seemingly perpetual vagrancy.

This period on the road less traveled is expected to come to an end before next Christmas.

Meanwhile, you can listen to some of the new songs here: http://www.myspace.com/kiiltomatolyhty

-Kiiltomatolyhty

Heathen Harvest Review

2010-01-04T03:48:00.000-08:00

This CD-R, limited to 100 copies marks the debut work of solo folk artist Joonatan Elokuu, a man of Finnish origin shrouded in mystery. This CD-R documents the travels of this bard and poet into the British Isles, into India, and in social isolation in his native Finland. Apparently every song was recorded at different times in different locations, sometimes accompanied by his wife Helena, who occasionally accompanies him in his live performances.

This marks also the first release on his own family-run label Kiiltomatolyhty. Quite a nice website they have there, dedicated mostly to his own work. Hopefully it will grow in time with his own exposure and growth as an artist.

The music we are presented with is a relatively pure ode to British folk music, to nature, and to the nomad who wanders. The songs are kept very straightforward and in effect rely on strength of song and heartfelt melody to convey their individual beauty. There is a bit of neofolk-ish experimentation with extra synths and ambient/atmospheric effects that crop up here and there, mainly in the opening and closing tracks. However, most of the songs are kept pure, relying solidly on strength of song and emotion to carry them through, composed mostly on instruments such as acoustic guitar and accordion.

The vocal work of Joonatan is remarkably beautiful and pure in it’s melancholy and passion. I would guess these songs were composed or performed only while Joonatan was at his most emotional or spiritually inspired highs and lows, and the way he uses his own voice as an atmospheric instrument to visually convey these songs is moving indeed. At this album’s deepest moments, one is moved to tears and feels the same pain one would feel stranded and abandoned as a wanderer in a foreign land, without roots, without companionship, with only your music as company, and only music to tell your tale as a traveler lost.

We start off with some sweet a capella provided by Joonatan and his wife, as a traditional English folk song unfolds, telling the tale of a lonely Finnish immigrant, far from home and forced into captivity, with former riches now reduced to mere essentials of survival. As the song progresses into more environmental ambience, the song is followed by a mournful Eastern-reminiscent dirge on acoustic instruments, giving one the feel of wandering a desert, with no hint of an answer in sight. This next song is quite a jarring transition from the lonely to the wistful and sweet, and is definitely a tear-jerker for romantics. The heartbreaking melody and lyrics are most definitely suitable for a rainy afternoon, with a glass of wine, losing oneself in memory. If one has ever wandered the streets of an old English city in autumn, I also suggest they do so while listening to this song in their discman. Next, we go into a sad acoustic ballad sung in Finnish, with the sounds of a nearby river and night sounds of creatures stirring. This is a song to play around a fire at night, as the night slowly comes to life around you, and the ghosts of nature call you into their arms. Dark, passionate, full of native spirit.

The first well-known cover song comes next(if you don’t count the first song, based on a traditional folk song), this time of British 1960s folk rock artist Donovan, who could definitely be cited as an influence here. In fact, this whole release contains just a bit of Donovan’s wistful musings on the world today. That pure, natural feeling is definitely here in strength. From here, we go one more step into blues and country territory, though still not quite into rock territory as of yet, as Joonatan’s singing takes on more of a western swagger, and the acoustic strumming comes back with more vigor than before, playing out almost American-inspired melodies.

The next song ventures back into fragile ambience and natural beauty, as that ever-calming sound of water makes its return back into the soundscape of ringing chords to fill out this rather Dead Can Dance-inspired composition, fading back into a heartbreaking beautiful folk tune lulling us to tear-filled sleep. The next song is a more earthy folk song, reminiscent of a hermit singing an ode to his forest abode, beckoning the lone weary traveler to join him for awhile, and drink to the beauty of solitude. We go back into sad beauty for a bit, joined by a mournful harmonica, flute, and watery sounds for a final Finnish ballad before finally being taken into the high point of this album.

The conclusion is well worth the wait, a dark extended rendition of “Solomon’s Song” by British folk rock artist C.O.B. Quite a different take on Clive Palmer’s classic, extended into some more lonely singing in Finnish, for a deeply ambient lonely outro and ode to the loneliness and solitude as life reaches it’s final chapter, and as an old man you finally return to the womb of nature which spawned you. This is a song I often play and listen to while walking through the forest at night and lose myself in the beauty around me, as the beauty of this song is seriously overwhelming, and the sheer sadness of the artist’s tired voice almost makes you want to be lost yourself, to the infinite splendor of earth.

This is a definite recommendation for fans of pagan folk music, neofolk, psychedelic folk, or just plain good songwriting, and definitely music to play alone while out in the elements. Beautiful atmospheric music for the romantic hippie in us all. I would still like to see these songs developed further and more refined for a future release, but if this is any indication, I think we can expect great things from this artist.

link to review: http://www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20091226145501287

Foxy Digitalis review of 'Mushroom Heart'

2009-09-18T03:04:00.000-07:00

Joonatan Elokuu "Mushroom Heart" CD-r
Kiiltomatolyhty / Hear

Having never heard of this wandering psych-folk visionary before, I was absolutely blindsided by the first song on this extremely limited CD-R. “Adieu to Old Finland” (a recontextualization of the traditional prison ballad “Adieu to Old England”, popularized by Shirley Collins) is an utterly haunting and mesmerizing duet between Joonatan and his wife Helena. While already perfect as a strictly vocal piece, the duo is gradually supplanted by a brilliant coda of menacing ambiance, somber banjo, and a strangled, nightmarish guitar. The pair later achieve a similar, albeit somewhat lesser, feat on the more sprawling bookend “As Fair as Gilead” (a cover of “Solomon’s Song” by Incredible String Band defector Clive Palmer’s remarkably obscure C.O.B. project). Elokuu has quite a knack for unearthing and revivifying great lost songs.

The rest of the album never quite equals the achingly beautiful opening, but it’s still quite memorable. When Joonatan is the sole vocalist, he sounds a bit like some of Death in June’s more inspired moments (especially during “Rain Falls Hard on Camden Town”), yet warmer and more timelessly rooted in traditional music. While his songs are quite strong to begin with (most are originals, though he also covers Donovan’s “The Little White Road”), they are often inventively enhanced by subtle intrusions from field recordings and psychotropic electronic drones and hums. Elokuu displays a rather unerring intuition for the perfect balance between mind-warping experimentation and song craft, as well as an ear for augmenting his organic, uncluttered songs with beautiful harmonies and splashes of color from a wisely employed array of flutes, accordions, and other instruments.

Interestingly, this album was recorded over a period of three years, during which Elokuu traveled around Finland, the British Isles, and India and used whatever instrumentation was available. Despite this rootlessness and the ever-shifting circumstances involved in its conception, “Mushroom Heart” is thematically coherent, well-produced, and meticulously constructed and sequenced. Equally surprising is the fact this is merely the debut release for this project (Joonatan was previously involved in the more free-form Aura Shining Green), yet it already sounds lived-in and fully formed. That said, it has two minor weaknesses: Elokuu’s originals are not quite as strong as his covers (yet) and Helena’s captivating vocals are woefully underused. Nevertheless, this may very well be the greatest album ever recorded by a peripatetic Finnish folkie (and it is certainly one of the year’s most pleasant surprises). I can’t wait to hear more. 9/10 -- Anthony D'Amico (17 September, 2009)

http://www.digitalisindustries.com/foxyd/reviews.php?which=4829

Terrascope review by Phil McMullen

2009-08-21T04:08:00.000-07:00

JOONATAN ELOKUU – MUSHROOM HEART

( CDR from Kiiltomatolyhty )

Given that this album was recorded at various times during wanders around the British Isles, holed up in a cabin in Northern Finland and time spent contemplating the Himalayas, this is an astonishingly coherent and competent collection of folk improvisations and free-form drones from Finnish multi-instrumentalist Joonatan Elokuu, ably assisted on vocals here and there by his wife Helena Halla, most tellingly on the gorgeous intro ‘Adieu to Old Finland’ (based, needless to say, on the traditional song ‘Adieu to Old England’ rendered immortal by Shirley Collins – as an aside, the song was collected originally by Cecil Sharp during the 1950s in Westhay, Somerset which also happens to be my own place of birth – hardly surprising then that the song has a particular resonance for me!). What marks this as unique, special and very, very memorable though is the way the song evolves: from the traditional folksong intro, Joonatan then pulls the listener headlong into the world of Six Organs of Admittance, with lush psychedelic drones fronted by electric stringed instrumentation (banjo, guitar, God knows what).

The influences throughout are as varied as the paths trodden in the making of the album. ‘As Fair as Gilead’ which closes the album is a C.O.B. cover, here stretched and pulled into an eleven minute epic worthy of the United Bible Studies (yes, it’s that good). There’s two songs sung, fittingly, in Finnish, entitled ‘Purjehduslaulu’ and ‘Solmu Loputtomalla Langalla’ – it’s a beautiful language which, like Welsh, reads like it must be unpronounceable and yet somehow lends itself exquisitely to being sung. ‘The Calling of Crows Beckons Us Home’ is distilled Davey Graham, with Donovan-esque vocals and busily plucked acoustic backing. There’s more Donovan with a cover of his ‘The Little White Road’. ‘A Hushed Lullaby’ continues the sterling work begun on the ending to ‘Adieu to Old Finland’, with the sound of lapping water serving as a backdrop before launching into a song which stylistically nods towards the Kitchen Cynics in delivery.

Altogether this album is a stone-cold beauty which is deserving of being more widely heard. Definitely an artist to follow, and you can be sure we here at the Terrascope will be keeping a weather eye open for more in a similar vein... (Phil McMullen)

http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Reviews_August09.htm#Elokuu

Review of 'Mushroom Heart' from Gerald Van Waes's psychedelicfolk.com

2009-07-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Joonatan Elokuu : Mushroom Heart (FIN,2009)****

I received this privately released cdr of 100 copy limited edition only, which its small amount of copies is a bit a shame. This reminds me a bit of early The Owl Service, which deserved also wider recognition, and luckily their release was taken up by Leaf records afterwards, I hope the same will happen with this one.

The tracks have just a few returning harmonic drones, a trippy harmonic bass drone (with breathy wind effects or accordion or textured organ and peddling water sounds,..) starting and ending the compilation, like breathing in and out, with some picked and electric improvisations with psychedelic effect, the acoustic picking songs that lead the tracks are mostly in the British folk tradition (from old flavours to new territories). The first song, “Adieu to old Finland” is based upon the British traditional, first sung solo by Helena Halla, then with second voice by Joonatan. Most songs are kept relatively in its basic expression, with subtle arrangements of acoustic guitars, melancholic accordion and voice, while when with (the sweet second voice) Helena Halla and the beautiful textures it sounds even more complete. Beautifully different, also in use of language, sounds “Purjehduslaulu”, the only Finnish song sounding very close, in singing, language and accompanying style, to the acoustic, Welsh band Pererin at its best. Also included is a rather English tradition styled “The Little White Road” by Donovan. “The Calling of Crows beckons us home” is a bit bluesier, just with two acoustic picking guitars. “As Far as Gilead” from C.O.B. is stretched to an 11 minute song, slowly and moodily, but arranged with the necessary elements, and a beautiful outro. A beautiful album.

Info & audio : http://www.myspace.com/elokuut

link to review: http://www.psychedelicfolk.com/finland2.html#anchor_193

Joonatan Elokuu - Mushroom Heart: limited handpacked CD-R released.

2009-06-16T10:22:00.001-07:00

***DOWNLOAD MP3/320***

In cooperation with Hear Records, we have released a limited CDr version of 'Mushroom Heart'. This edition comes in handpacked nature-friendly cardboard sleeve with alternate cover art. Not only does the cover art & packaging differ from the version that will be released by Hear, the songs on the limited edition are mixed differently. Numbered 1-100. This release will be sold through Kiiltomatolyhty, at shows & during our wayward adventures from August onwards, for the meagre price of 8e (+2e postage).

"Mushroom Heart was recorded & finished during years 2006-2008. The recording process was divided in to three sessions; the first (roughly around 2006) was connected to a period of vagrancy & wandering around Scotland/British Isles, while the second session (2007) was inspired by time spent in hermitage in a cabin by a small lake in Northern Finland. The third (2008) was connected to a longer drop-out in the Himalayas in North India, where the ideas for the next album were also conceived. The album was recorded in various different locations, and the instrumentation was largely dependant on what was available at the time. The songs on the album have evolved from the work Joonatan did with his previous project, Aura Shining Green. The album documents a transition from improvised, free-form acoustic music towards a more structural and song-based approach. The CD-r edition is limited to 100 hand numbered copies. Mushroom Heart will be followed by a LP exploring this sound further, and an EP of more minimalistic songs with a single instrument/voice, in vein of the live shows Joonatan has been playing with his wife Helena."

Tracklist [extended]:

1. Adieu to Old Finland - Trees, Stones, Earth
2. Rain Falls Hard on Camden Town
3. Purjehduslaulu
4. The Little White Road
5. The Calling of Crows Beckons Us Home
6. A Hushed Lullaby (To the Old Windmill)
7. Hedgehog Sanctuary
8. Willowisp Lantern
9. Solmu Loputtomalla Langalla
10. As Fair as Gilead - Anneli

'Adieu to Old Finland' is based on a traditional song
'Purjehduslaulu' lyrics were written by Maija-Liisa Kauppinen
'The Little White Road' lyrics by Thora Stowell, music by Donovan P. Leitch
'As Fair As Gilead' is a rendition of 'Solomon's Song' by Clive Palmer (C.O.B)
Cover artwork & additional vocals by Helena Halla
Mastering by Mikko Määttä.

This is the first official release available through Utupuu.

Small beginnings, greater ends

2009-06-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

After years of self-imposed hermitage, and random periods of wandering through Europe and India, we return. The Kiiltomatolyhty-blog will serve as the headquarters for songs of Joonatan Elokuu and various kindred artists/musicians.

Albeit 'Mushroom Heart' is still waiting for the proper label release, a new album is well underway. Here you will soon find songs from these two releases, and have the chance to order future releases. We have decided to take care of the releases/distribution by ourselves after 'Mushroom Heart' is out.

Before we set off in the beginning of August towards Gibraltar in hope to find a quiet and warm resting place to work on unfinished songs, we are busy finishing several releases for Autumn.