“After a seven year hiatus, Mikko Joensuu released his long awaited double album ”Long Ark”. Enthusiastically received by media and public alike, the 10 song album’s release was celebrated this past February with an acclaimed 15 piece band performance in Helsinki to an audience of 1200 people. Mikko Josensuu has spent the summer playing festivals around Finland.
Ahead of an Autumn tour, Mikko Joensuu shares the Ezra Gould directed video for Long Ark’s lead track “The Beast And Me”
“Both the song and the video contain many layers of meaning for me and their interaction and entwinement surprised me in ways that feel hard to pin down.” Joensuu explains. “ I guess they both try to search for the acceptance of one’s own struggle and one’s own being. A quest which is both necessary and probably inevitable but which in a way also seems quite futile. An impossible job.
To describe the video in more simple terms; it’s about a man collecting bodies with his dog in a dystopian world.”
I recently came across a press release featuring a quote about the lead single and video from a new album by a Finnish artist. Although I don’t typically gravitate toward alt-pop music, this particular song and video had a profound impact on me, prompting me to share it. After delving into the full album, I found myself convinced that it deserved more attention.
We don’t often feature music from Finland on our blog, so discovering and promoting such talent always excites me. At the moment, I’m sitting in a hotel lobby during a weekend getaway with my wife. We decided to take a break after a hectic summer, and it’s been refreshing to finally experience pleasant weather following a few days of rain and flooding in the Czech Republic, where we’re currently staying. Gazing out the window, I can’t help but feel rejuvenated by the hopefulness of the weather after enduring some challenging days and hearing about people losing their homes or being evacuated due to the floods.
Amidst such distressing news, music acts as a soothing balm for my soul. It offers respite and allows me to momentarily escape from the turbulence around me. The album, which infuses folk-inspired alt-pop with powerful songwriting and exquisite craftsmanship, features beautiful melodies and mesmerizing piano parts that have the ability to transport me to another world.
Prior to receiving this submission, I hadn’t heard about this artist or their hiatus, yet the timing seems serendipitous, given the album’s sheer beauty that seamlessly complements the mountains and blue sky in my current view. It enhances the beauty of this moment, making it even more enjoyable. I’m deeply grateful for opportunities like these, where music becomes the perfect soundtrack to my experiences, enabling me to soothe my soul and immerse myself in its beauty, almost like a breath of fresh air laden with the earthy scent of trees.
Reflecting on my privileged existence in central Europe, surrounded by breathtaking and mystical nature, I often find myself taking it for granted. Nonetheless, encountering exquisite music like this helps me acknowledge and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me.
Mikko has crafted a stunning album that serves as a profound statement and beckons for revisitation. Although the lead single stands out as the album’s strongest track, the entire collection deserves to be experienced from start to finish. Imagine yourself in a verdant forest, listening to birdsong, basking in the warm sun, and relishing the sheer beauty of life. Let’s embrace such moments and treasure them dearly.
Written by Filip Zemcik
