Hannu Karjalainen

Hannu Karjalainen’s new LP Railo is an audiovisual project which consists of vinyl/digital album released on Signature Dark label as well two video art works released online, ”Railo” and “Musta Jää”.

The video of ”Railo” depicts a constantly mutating snowy landscape while the crackles and rumbles on soundtrack take us seemingly inside the ice. the third album to be released on the Signature Dark label, first digitally and later on vinyl. The album features seven electroacoustic ambient soundscapes.

The music was composed during the winter months in Helsinki, Finland in 2019-2021. Railo (finnish for “a crack in the ice” or “crevasse”) can be seen as on ode to winter, the richness of the seasons and different weather conditions which have been an inspiration to Karjalainen’s work.
The arc of the album follows seasons from autumn to spring, starting from cold autumn winds (Viima) and ending to the melting of the ice (Sula). Different winter phenomena are explored on the way, including ”Routa” (finnish for “ground frost”), ”Kuura” (rime) and ”Kelirikko” (a term known especially in the archipelago meaning a time at the end of winter when the frozen sea does not support transportation anymore but boat traffic is neither possible). Yet, the album is being suffused with a sadness stemming from the threatening permanent changes in the diversity and balance of nature trough the climate change caused by us.

The video of ”Railo” depicts a constantly mutating snowy landscape while the crackles and rumbles on soundtrack take us seemingly inside the ice.

Listen and buy Railo on BANDCAMP