With the exception of his 2001 collaboration with Noto and a 12" in 2003, the otherwise prolific Mika Vainio has kept his most respected moniker all but dormant for roughly eight years. Yet 2005 served as a year of resurrection for Ø, with a vinyl reissue of the classic Metri and this curious collection of material recorded during the interim. Coming into this reasonably familiar with Vainio, I find it difficult to consider Kantamoinen a proper album, as Ø or otherwise. Several of the tracks bring to mind solo material under his real name for labels like Touch as opposed to the intelligent electronica of this project's previous albums. Droning, shimmering ambience acts as a common thread through much of these sixteen pieces, yet fails to take away from the lingering impression that these are somewhat unfinished ideas. Still, being that Vainio is arguably one of the finest experimental electronic musicians/composers today, even his assumed demos have value and undeniably more depth than many of his contemporaries' finished works.
Among the highlights is "Shells," which relies largely on freeform melodies played on an organ of some sort, supported by soft tones best described as cloudlike. The criminally brief "Winter Spirit" flourishes with beautiful crashing waves of overwhelming sound that mysteriously drop out in the final half minute to reveal something icy and detached. That latter feeling returns later on another short take entitled "Night Frost."
The thematically linked handful of percussive tracks, like "Last of Catfishes," and the fraternal twins of "Sunfish" and "Swordfish," allow melody to take a noticeable front seat and stick to minimalist blueprints instead of building into more intricate and complex structures a la Pan Sonic. Album closer, "To Home," utilizes a sparse two beat sequence dominated by an accompanying accordian, representing a suitable end to all this aural uncertainty.
Vainio completists will likely already own Kantamoinen, as it has been available through some channels for several months now. Those primarily exposed to his work in Pan Sonic or expecting a return to Metri may find the warmth of these mostly beatless compositions surprising and even alien. By no means should this album act as a suitable or accessible introduction to Vainio's vast catalog.
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