I studied nature studies during years 2003-2006 in Osara nature school near Tampere. Near by school there is legendary Frantsila herb farm, where our studies also happened. Over there I found one huge Angelica (Angelica Archangelic, Väinönputki) plant. I knew that it is nontoxic and in Lapland people have used plant as food and medicine.

I was all ready been interested about Zen and Dao. In Japan Zen buddhist monks has used Hotchiku flutes as meditation (Suizen, blowing zen meditation) tool. Hotchiku is Shakuhachi like bamboo flute. Shakuhachi can be seen pretty standardized musical instrument. Hotchiku not. It is usually left with out final polishing, tuning can be what ever and instrument is kind of just taken directly from nature. As natural and free as possible.

According to one story monks gave their flutes to kids and ask them to thrill the holes to flutes. After that flutes were ready.

In my diploma work I wanted to study could it be possible to do similar flutes in Finland. Because bambu isn’t growing in Finland, I started to use Angelica for this project as it´s also hollow from inside. Angelica can grow more that two meters tall and thickness in bottom can be more than 10 centimeters.

I started to make flutes from Angelica with great success. Because Angelica is a way more softer than bamboo, the sound is different. But it is possible to make flutes with same method and style for sure. It seems that these kind of instruments hasn’t never been done in Finland before, or at least theres no marks of it.

During the years I started to collect bigger Angelicas to storage.

Year 2017 I made installation Metsän Harmonia, Forest Harmony to Sinne Gallery Helsinki. This record is recorded during the exhibition, by walking around the gallery with Soundman binaural microphones in ears. Installation had 9 tuned Angelica pipes and electric blower. There was also slowly changing light installation at space.

Pipes for installation was made with same philosophy as Hotchiku flutes are traditionally made, with out much pushing, trying and polishing. I made the first pipe. I made another pipe, tuned it (made it shorter a bit) if needed and so on. Often any tuning even wasn´t needed. There really wasn’t any goal or anything in my mind. Just to get natural chord in the air.

Installation has presented:

Tampere Biennale 2018
Pitkä nyt -ambient Parainen 2018
mÖrkö Taalintehdas 2017
Sinne Helsinki 2017