Description
Meriheini Luoto – Talven uneen vaipuen (Falling Into Winter’s Sleep)
Falling Into Winter’s Sleep is a ten-part composition and album written for four acclaimed Finnish quartets — Awake Percussion, Luoto luonnos, Saxtronauts, and Signe. Performed by a 16-member ensemble, the work brings together strings, winds, voices, and percussion to create rich, multi-layered soundscapes inspired by the northern winter. The acoustic timbres, subtle textures, and vivid details invite the listener to pause and immerse in sound.
Originally premiered in January 2024 as a site-specific performance to glowing acclaim, the album presents a more intimate interpretation of the work, offering shifting perspectives that move between the landscapes of the mind and the landscapes of winter. Frost crackles, the wind howls, and the ice creaks as the listener journeys from autumn toward spring.
“The process began in 2022 with winter-themed improvisations — one ensemble at a time, overlapping, interlacing, and influencing each other,” Luoto explains. “I let my imagination blend the timbres and the fragments of these improvisations. Gradually, a portrait of winter began to form — a journey from autumn to spring, sometimes pausing to observe small details, sometimes falling almost into sleep.”
Meriheini Luoto’s previous works include the Metsänpeitto albums (Teosto Prize nominee 2018), commissioned works for the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, The Guards Band, and music for the Finnish National Theatre’s Prima Facie. She is also one half of the experimental folk duo Akkajee, named Folk Music Creator of the Year 2022.
The ensembles involved represent the forefront of Finnish contemporary, jazz, and folk music — each known for their distinctive sound and fearless artistry.
Meriheini Luoto: Talven uneen vaipuen
(cd, digital, LUOCD-03)
1. Kätköt / Stashes
2. Ensilumen alta / Beneath the First Snow
3. Hitaasti haukotellen / Slowly Yawning
4. Kylmyydestä hytisten / Shivering with Cold
5. Unessa, lumessa / In a Dream, in the Snow
6. Talviunia / Winter Dreams
7. Kun toiset yhä nukkuvat / While Others Still Sleep
8. Ritisee, rätisee / Crackles, Creaks
9. Kevät kuohuu ja kohisee / Spring Roars and Rumbles
10. Kuu kiurusta kesään / One Month from Skylark to Summer
Composed by Meriheini Luoto & performers
Performed by:
Awake Percussion
Petteri Kippo, Lauri Pekkarinen, Jerry Piipponen, Walter Witick: percussion
Luoto luonnos
Minna Koskenlahti: wooden flutes, percussion, Meriheini Luoto: violin, Iida Savolainen: viola, voice, Tiina Vaskivaara: violin, voice
Signe
Kaisa Mäensivu: double bass, voice, Riikka Keränen, Selma Savolainen & Josefiina Vannesluoma: voice
Saxtronauts
Anna-Sofia Anttonen: baritone saxophone, Nanna Ikonen: baritone saxophone, Nanako Lammi: tenor saxophone, Sikri Lehko: tenor saxophone
Recorded & mixed by: Kaj Mäki-Ullakko
Recorded in Jan-Feb 2024 at IMU-Inkoon musiikki Studio
Produced by: Meriheini Luoto & Kalle Vainio
Mastered by: Jaakko Viitalähde, Virtalähde Mastering
Cover art by: Kalle Vainio
Graphic design by: Seidi Guzejev
ISRC: FIMEH2500001–FIMEH2500010
Distribution: Alba Records
Supported by: Kone Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Eloa Culture Company
