In the Land of the Blind

This is Mika Vainio's 3rd solo CD for Touch, after Kajo and Onko. Best known as one-half of Pan Sonic (Blast First), Mika is from Finland and now lives in Berlin. Generally speaking, contemporary musicians produce too much stuff. It is easy to do. But if you feel like sighing, 'Oh, it's another Mika Vainio CD', then Mr Vainio himself has anticipated such sentiments with the opening track, a 2 minute blast which sounds like an angry animal breaking free of it's cage. What follows is probably Vainio's most accomplished work to date, a series of rich soundscapes whose beauty is always on the edge of darkness. Not wanting to bang a drum, anyone who has been invigorated by the work of Mika and Ilpo in Pan Sonic will be keen to hear these more pastoral takes on their more propulsive sound - in places, being reminiscent of Artemyev's recordings for Tarkovsky films, in others, suggesting sound recordings of frogs and insect life. All framed by the distinct touch of Mika Vainio, who confirms his long standing reputation as one of the most acute musicians of our times.