'Mushroom Heart' available through Sideways Through Sound on December 1. There are still a couple of the limited ecopack edition left. More info:
http://kiiltomatolyhty.blogspot.com/2009/06/joonatan-elokuu-mushroom-heart-limited.html
'Animalspeak', the forthcoming album is well underway, and Joonatan hopes to have the recording finished by Yuletide.
REVIEWS:
Newest review from Evening of Light: http://www.eveningoflight.nl/2009/11/27/review-joonatan-elokuu-mushroom-heart-2009/
Insiders in the modern psychedelic and alternative folk scene might have become acquainted with the Finnish project Aura Shining Green over the past few years. By now, names and project concepts have been changed, and Joonatan Elokuu has released this new full-length album under his own name, though bringing back a couple of songs from the older period.
For those new to this Finnish songsmith, I can say his sound is informed by psychedelic folk both from the early period around the changeover of the sixties and seventies, as well as later and contemporary psychfolk artists. In particular, Joonatan’s sound can be compared to that of In Gowan Ring and Stone Breath, though without being altogether unoriginal.
Mushroom Heart itself is a very pleasant and successful debut album, containing a varied mix of acoustic songs. It opens up traditionally with Joonatan’s wife Helena Halla intoning “Adieu to Old Finland”, which soon becomes a duet and then morphs into a psychedelic misty piece with a banjo lead. “Rain Falls Hard on Camden Town” is a classic track from the Aura Shining Green days; another duet with a great melancholic atmosphere and rich sound structure. Other highlights include the americana-ish rendition of Donovan’s “The Little White Road”, and the final track, a version of C.O.B.’s “Solomon’s Song” that transforms into a marvellous ambient folk drone. In general though, the album is strong and varied, finding a perfect balance between folk from different eras and continents, and a music that breathes a spirit of freedom, travel, and spirituality.
It seems Joonatan and Helena are all set to release more music, under both their own names, so there’s much to look forward to! Until then, this edition of CDr copies is bound to sell out fast, so be quick if you are into psychedelic folk, because this is an underground album to cherish.
Reviewed by O.S.
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
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.htmElokuu
Review of 'Mushroom Heart' from Gerald Van Waes's psychedelicfolk.com
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.htmlanchor_193
Joonatan Elokuu & Helena Halla | Arkadaşlar (En İyi 13)
Joonatan Elokuu & Helena Halla, 222 kişiyle arkadaş.
.. the only people for me are the mad ones.. the ones who are mad to live.. mad to talk.. made to be saved.. desirous of everything at the same time.. the ones who never yawn or way a commonplace thing.. but burn burn burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centrelight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"
Morjens. Piti käväistä kuuntelemassa mitä uutta olitte saaneet aikaan. Pari ensimmäistä tuli tuossa töiden lomassa kuunneltua tuosta soittimesta ja sen mitä muistan jostain vuosien takaisesta aiemmasta kokemuksesta, niin hyvänlaatuista muutosta oli tapahtunut. Törmäsin tuossa H:kin yolla yks päivä (kumpi teistä nyt sitten sattuukaan tätä lukemaan). Hyvät jatkot. ~mm
really a lovely album you have. It should get wider recognition. It reminds me a bit of early Owl Service. I hope your story will be the same. Their album was re-released on CD/LP by Leaf records. I can recommend some labels : Locust Music,Borne rec.,Leaf,Ecstatic Peace. Please try them..
Kiitosta! Pistä minut vain tuohon listaan ja laulua toki saa soittaa, jaettavaksihan ne on kirjoitettu. Jännittävää olis varmasti myös kuulla sinun versiosi :) Ja tosiaan, vietän kesää melko lähellä hesaa, ja paras kiitos olis kyllä päästä soittamaan, eli jos on jotain keikkapuuhaa ja mukaan mahtuu, niin osallistun mielelläni niin järjestely kuin soittohommiin.
Sisu ja Nosturi tarjoaa mahdollisuuden päästä keikalle Nosturiin!!
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http://www.suomalaistasisua.fi/sisullastagelle
Hi Joonatan & Helena! I made it to scandinavia for the first time this year, oslo & Gotenburg - was really lovely... Maybe I can get out to Finnland next year or so... I was doing a version of 'Mad Michael' at some shows as well! Best Regards, B'ee
