Nordic Guitar/Accordion Duo Thrives Under the Midnight Sun
On the Bothnian Bay, right around the 65th parallel, lies the city of Oulu, Finland. This is the home of guitarist Heikki Ruokangas and accordionist Anne-Mari Kanniainen. From this remote location they’ve formed a unique musical bond and a body work that bridges two musical universes.
Right Brain Records is thrilled to announce the release of Heikki’s and Anne-Mari’s new album, Äänisauna, which exemplifies the duo’s range and talents. Listen to it on Bandcamp or Spotify.
Meet Heikki and Anne-Mari in this episode of the Right Brain Music Podcast.
Using their simple two-instrument format, Heikki and Anne-Mari combine Finnish folk music influences and free improvisation, creating a surprising palette of sounds. They sometimes build free pieces off the framework of traditional tunes. In other cases they find inspiration in familiar mechanical devices, say a train or a coffee maker. They also build compositions spontaneously with no ground rules or stated intentions. The results are fresh, unpretentious and musically challenging.
Matt Benham of Lotus Lungs offered that “Äänisauna floats between the tonal and textural, like two breathy beasts preparing for a brawl that devolves into a beautiful dance.”
Let us know what you think!
Learn more about Heikki and Ann-Mari and link to more audio and video here.