Lauri Ainala — Orpokotijuhlat Saarella

Lauri Ainala is know as the man behind the group Paavoharju. For his debut solo this Finnish artist has drawn on the 2015 Pietistic convention held at Saari in Eastern Finland. This has been held annually since 1916 and consists of Eucharist, prayers, sermons, bible lessons and hymns.

Whilst at the 2015 convention, with his family, Ainala recorded the hymns and has subsequently mixed and molded these into this album of ambient soundscape pieces.

This album, consisting of 10 untitled tracks, begins with the only audible bass / tenor voice and quickly becomes a wall of ambience and washes of white noise with occasional female voice drifting in and out. It’s gorgeously haunting track that immediately captivates you before ending abruptly. This sets the scene for the remains of the album, however the subsequent tracks are all a subtly different experiences.

Each track is a beautiful exploration of the zeal and fervour found in religion. The call to prayer and and repetition of such celebrations all apparent in each track. However the nature of the album ensures you are not listening to any one persons prayer but a beautiful cacophony of voices, organs and atmospheres as each vies subtly for centre stage. The whole becomes exponential, as with all religions, the experience of this album is greater than the sum of its parts.

In conclusion, this is a beautiful piece of audio artwork. Its a cathedral of peace and tranquility, serenity and piety. A wonderous representation.