Debut concert / comissioned work 'Chimeraxis'

Koncertkirken Vinterjazz, 2025

”The Finnish artist Johanna Elina Sulkunen, who lives in Copenhagen, seems capable of handling anything that appears new, different, and avant-garde. More than that, she can effortlessly combine seemingly incompatible elements on a personal, individual level in an organic way.  Algorithm-assisted digital composition, traditional jazz vocals, free improvisation, highly reflective sound abstraction, and an entirely unprocessed voice—often all within the same track. On her third solo album, Coexistence (Tila, May 24), Sulkunen adds yet another level of complexity to her electronic avant-garde pop by skillfully integrating documentary interview recordings and samples of precarious, unheard voices into the mix. ”. Frank P. Eckert 26. Juni 2024. Motherboard

”In this third part of the Sonority trilogy, she listens to marginalized voices—migrants and homeless people. These are individuals who imagine a reality where coexistence is not associated with trouble, where borders are not boundless. Voices dreaming that "Home" and "Happiness" are not unreachable in "Beyondlands.".  Bad Alchemy. De

”The sound texture weaves together electronics, electroacoustic elements, minimalism, playfulness, sunlit ambient music, glitch, and techno-logos with a sparkling effect of natural connection. The coexistence addressed is a political issue. The one question was asked: “What would you say if the whole world would listen?!” Vibrant with voices physiologically fused with the music, the questions and answers (beyond linguistic comprehension) resonate strongly when played through a good sound system at a high volume — more recommended than listening through headphones. It is precisely the human presence that we follow, and that follows us throughout the entire listening experience. The two minutes of 'What Do We Do For Others' fade out, leaving us in a silence laden with questions hanging in the air, unanswered but urgent." Dionisio Capuano. Blow UP. It. 

• XIV Beyondlands on BBC Radio 3’s Night Tracks

• The Wire. Charts/ MAY issue 2024. 

• Loop (Chile) an interview.

• Resonance FM (UK) interview - aired in June 

È un contributo all’umanità il nuovo album della compositrice e producer Johanna Elina Sulkunen. L’intervista Read the full interview https://www.artribune.com/arti-performative/musica/2024/05/nuovo-album-johanna-elina-sulkunen/

Capitolo finale di una trilogia attraverso cui l’artista finlandese sperimenta i diversi livelli di risonanza della voce “Coexistence” parla di temi universali come la felicità, la casa e la corporeità.

di Carlotta Petracci

PURCHASE HERE: https://johannaelinasulkunen.bandcamp.com/album/coexistence

Looking forward to playing with IKI as part of the Theater Hotel Pro Forma's performances 'Flammenwerfer' in 2024! Music by Niels Frahm and on stage Blixa Bargeld & IKI.


World Premiere
March 8 - 9, 2024
Malmö Live Konserthus
Buy ticket

Danish Premiere
August 30 – 31, 2024
The Concert Hall of Aarhus during Aarhus Festival    
Buy ticket

Copenhagen
September 26, 27 and 28, 2024 
The Royal Danish Theatre
Buy ticket

21- string Koto - vocals and electronics! Very excited about this!

It's been busy times in the studio for the past weeks and months and feels like it's time to wake up after a long winter hibernation... hope to see you at the concerts!

Seoul Music Week 26/8 - 28/8

Looking very much for the coming concert at Seoul Music Week on the 27th August! 

Stay updated for possible additional concerts! 

Japan Tour

After KOREA we'll be continuing to Japan... last time I played in Japan was in 2018, so very glad to return!! Concerts will be solo with electronics and wonderful visuals by Tapani Toivanen http://www.tila5d.com  

SEE YOU!!

Find the track in all digital platforms and purchase in BANDCAMP!
https://johannaelinasulkunen.bandcamp.com/track/xiv-beyondlands

We're currently touring with the project that I named as 'Imminency' -  a hybrid presentation of nature and technology, organic voice, and electronics.  It is a cooperation with the visual artist Tapani Toivanen. And we are performing the piece at the concerts under the nomadic traveling festival  Lux Boreal.

27.4. Sibelius Museum, Turku - Finland 
29.4. Dokkhuset - Trondheim- Norwary
10.5. Victoriateatern, Malmö - Sweden
11.5. Helsingør Teater/Radar,  Arhus - Denmark 
12.5. Dexter, Odense - Denmark 
13.5. Xenon, Huset - Denmark 

The looming threat of climate change, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and the recent events of war and pandemic have deeply affected us, leaving our bodies and minds in a state of alarm as we anticipate the realization of dystopian visions. 

These tumultuous times have caused artistic practices to undergo various stages of evolution, even prompting us to question the meaning of it all.

As far back as 1962, Rachel Carson's groundbreaking book 'Silent Spring' paved the way for the environmental activism movement with its poetic approach to science. Yet, despite our technological progress, our behavior as a species continues to contribute to destruction.

The role of technological innovations in our current state is a topic of polarizing debate. The fear of a singularity, where machines take over, has left us pondering whether technology is the solution or the cause of our challenges. Can technology offer answers or insights that may be beyond our grasp, helping us create solutions?

In Johanna's latest album, TERRA, she invites the listener to question our modern life and its often destructive relation to nature. As a continuum to the album, 'Imminency' approaches the concept of hope and its implications as a balance between dystopian visions. Through the audiovisual universe, 'Imminency' goes beyond analytical thought, utilizing pre-composed material and fragments of texts inspired by Rachel Carson's work and responses to her text, evoking moods and meditations.

As we navigate the complexities of our times, we must strive for a balance between hope and dystopia, utilizing technology and artistic expression to seek solutions that may still be beyond our current reach.

On the visual side, Tapani describes his work: 

"Using a fungal growth algorithm guided by footage from both nature and urban environments, this generative artwork captures the complex relationship between humans and the natural world. Created through creative coding, the piece is powered by the Swift and Metal API, resulting in a hyper-detailed, monochromatic real-time display." 

Very honored and happy to be among the nominees for Danish Music Awards!      'Jazz album of the Year' 2022.

It was a blast to play at Spot Festival! More exciting news coming soon! 🌏 

”Although highly original and astonishingly innovative, there’s also a quietly classical sense of respect and reverence to Sulkunen’s ambient masterpiece. I can touch and feel the echoes of nature’s elements re-emerging from a long distant past, living and breathing peacefully within the composer’s borderless music.”  Mike Gates. Ukvibe. Read the whole review herehttps://ukvibe.org/album_reviews/johanna-elina-sulkunen/

BUY IT HERE:  https://tilarec.bandcamp.com 

FIND IT HERE  https://orcd.co/xiicountingofdays  

✨ SINGLE 'XIV Terra' is OUT!! ✨

Find it on your favorite digital platform.

The draft of this piece was made already over 2 years ago. It has traveled through various stages from the first intuitive spark, meeting crossroads, and taking many turns. 

Originally the plan was to record the naked nature, ambiance, and sounds in Iceland's nature. And as a continuum to my Sonority project, to play with nature with my voice and electronics. 
Just two weeks before my trip, the lockdown hit, causing a chain of changes in plans. But since improvising is part of life and my music, who knows, maybe it was a 'meant to be' situation for this music to become end the way it ended up to be.  It has, in any case, been a transformative journey for this piece until now. 

Cover art by Tapani Toivanen indicates something disturbingly unnatural,  yet natural landscapes. Just like in my imagination.  Human- and machine-made, at the same time. 

Thank you for your beautiful photos Julie Montauk, Thank you Halvcirkel, Aske Zidore, Nick Martin, Thomas Vang, and the planet Earth for having me here!

Working on the theater - compositions,  sound design and performing - with IKI for the play TERROR / IS / ME by Sargun Oshana. On every performance I get amazed of the talented actors and the whole play. Grateful to be contributing!

It's running until the 2nd of October @ Odense Theater, Store Scene.

https://orcd.co/xihumanantitouch

“One of the most impressive figures in the lively North- European improvised music scene. Unique and profound, Aika’s music runs through the freezing lands of Scandinavia, lays down on abstract land where jazz minimalism glazes in the dark stems from and abstract atmosphere that melts into cinematic images, where silence is a pure dialogue between electronics and new dissonances… 
 

 “… The lunar sound of Southern Light, indie Planetary electronics or Phases jazz noisec where David Sylvian’s refined genius is seen in the distance, eager to musically push into unkown territories. Sophisticated and experimental” (Windout. Italia)
 

Sulkunens vokal passer perfekt inn i de sporene hvor hun medvirker, og hennes stemme er nesten som skapt for dette ensemblet. Toldams pianospill er, som alltid, perfekt. En større og mer inderlig lyriker innenfor den nyere jazzen skal man lete en stund etter, og Toivanens bass-spill er originalt og fint, og trekker mye av musikken framover på en strålende måte. Og bakerst sitter kanskje den mest spennende trommeslageren fra Finland, Olavi Louhivuori, og holder det hele sammen på en fin måte. (Salt Peanuts, Jan Granlie)
 

 

 

Amazing to get to play live again!! The Copenhagen Jazz Festival is almost here. I will play the following concerts with different groups and settings. 

2.7. KAHINA ORCHESTRA @ Koncertkirken kl 19:00 
6.7. SOLO with VISUALS @ Xenon, Huset kl 20:00
7.7. IKI Koncert @ Bronshøj Vandtorn kl 19:00 
9.7. IKI MASSES II @ Thorvaldsens Museum kl 19:30 
10.7. IKI MASSES II @ Thorvaldsens Museum kl 19:30 feat. Maria Faust
11.7. IKI MASSES II @ Thorvaldsens Museum kl 19:30 feat. Marilyn 
Mazur     

HOPE TO SEE YOU! 

There is no such thing as absolute time. The present may be influenced by the future. The two major physics theories of the 19th century, general relativity and quantum physics,  as well as the cosmic movement that emerges between the cosmos and ourselves, have been the cornerstones of inspiration for our debut album 'TILA' with AIKA (=meaning TIME in Finnish). 
 

The seed for this album was a moment of improvisation 14 years ago. We envisioned it would become an album when ‘the time is right'. After some years of waiting for the right time,  we realized that there is no such thing as ‘the right time’.  Because there is no such thing as absolute time… 
 

“The pace we move, and that things move around is, is the result of our own relation to it. Time is made of events, not things. The world is not so much made of stones as of fleeting sounds, or of waves moving through the sea.  A piece of music is an event, not a thing.”   (Rovelli, 2017)
 
Music is time. Time is movement. We are the movement. We are time.
 
BIG THANKS to Olavi Louhivuori and Simon Toldam who took on this evolving journey. What a dream team!! Thank you Tapani Toivanen for the joined journey in music and life. 
 
Thanks to Thomas Vang for the good vibes and wonderful studio! Thanks to August Wanngren for committing to the mixing process! Thanks for the great book: ‘The Order of Time’. Carlo Rovelli. 2017.
 
Have a listen, and order the album from me/ vinyl or CD! Let it resonate with the cosmic time and you. 
 
 Available on all digital platforms! 

 Johanna Elina Sulkunen (Fin/ Dk) - vocal / composition
 Tapani Toivanen (Fin/ Dk) - bass / composition
 Simon Toldam (Dk) - piano/synths / electronics
 Olavi Louhivuori (Fin) - drums
 
 Bandphoto: Andreas Omvik
 Coverphoto: Anders Blomqvist

We have just played 11 school concerts with IKI, and we'll continue the tour next week! How lucky it feels to play again! :)

Værket Kahina er inspireret og navngivet efter den arabiske kriger-dronning, Kahina, et navn der også betyder “sandsigerske” og “heks”. Således vil dette værk være en hyldest til Kahinas magiske kræfter og kvaliteter ved at oversætte dem til musik. Lige så vil modsætningerne dominans/modstand, mandlig/kvindelig og profan/sekulær være genstand for Pontoppidan og Sulkunens kompositoriske undersøgelser og improvisationer med Kahina Orchestra: 10 hverdagskrigere. 
 
På finsk betyder 'Kahina' rusten eller hvinende lyd, der appellerer til de to komponisters hver især elektro-akustiske praksisser, hvor arbejdet med lyd baseres på en helt særlig opmærksomhed over for detaljen.
Sulkunen og Pontoppidans individuelle praksisser er kendetegnede ved at udforske stemmens mange facetter og virkemidler i gennem maskiner som modular synthesizere, loop-pedaler og effektpedaler. Kompositionen til Kahina Orchestra vil være karakteristisk ved ikke at benytte sig af disse vanlige elektroniske hjælpemidler. I stedet vil komponisterne benytte stemmer og instrumenters naturlige effekt og funktion med kompositionsformer, som Sulkunen og Pontoppidan har udviklet igennem maskiner.

Kompositionen vil tage lytteren på en vibrerende rejse gennem musikernes individuelle udfoldelses-spektrum, hvorfor soloer vil boble ind og ud af det fælles værk. 

Alt i alt vil værket af Sulkunen og Pontoppidan med Kahina Orchestra tage publikum med på en intim udforskning af musikalsk råstof, der lader musikere og lyttere flyde sammen til én organisme i det levende soundscape. 
I februar 2020 havde værket sin debut på Klub Primi under Vinterjazz og blev anmeldt bade i Politiken med fem hjerter og en strålende anmeldelse i SaltPeanuts.
”Jeg tog mig selv i at svaje fra side til side, forført af det smukke lydbillede, mens koret messede, og hårene rejste sig på mine arme…. Infernalsk eksplosion af lyd”. David A.Dyrholm Nielsen/ POLITIKEN ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

  “Dette er et verk som snarest bør finne veien ut til de store massene ute i Norden og Europa, for en bedre kobling mellom et vokalensemble og instrumentalister, skal man lete lenge etter. “ Jan Granlie/  SALT PEANUTS
 
Orkesteret er fornyligt sammensat af stærke kvindelige profiler inden for improvisationsmusik med ønsket om i fremtiden at løfte genren til nye højder.

An evening with three concerts at klub Primi/ H15.   The first set was an acoustic duo with me + Randi, the second, was a concert with IKI and the third concert was a new piece for a band called KAHINA that was composed by me and Randi Pontoppidan.  

Started recording n my next album!! Such a joy to work with this crew! Strings and horns and  drums.. and also some voice and electronics...;) To be continued.... 

It’s so great to be back in Japan!



I recorded parts of my solo album here, and now playing a tour with this project feels like some circles are closing. (While some new ones are opening!)

A challenge facing every contemporary artist is to constantly be able to push the status quo that is either associated with their own work or that is accepted as the cultural norm.

Renewing oneself is the task every artist should, in my opinion, take seriously. I took the chance in this project to reach to the unknown, posing questions instead of finding all the answers.

As a parallel to the task of asking questions as a means of renewal, I have used texts - that are in Zen practice known as Kōans - as materials and a source of inspiration. A Kōan is a paradoxical anecdote or riddle without a solution, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and provoke enlightenment. 

Voice belongs to everyone and everyone has access to his or her own voice. Voice is inseparable from the body. The body cannot work without the mind and mind cannot work without the body. We use our voices and bodies as the most natural way to connect with each other.

The human voice has a special status among the different ways of producing sound: it is also used as the primary means of communication through language. Our bodies produce small granules of resonances, microtextures, phonemes, that together form larger entities, syllables, words, and sentences. This collective outwards resonance connects our bodies to collectives and societies.

Voice is private in the way that we may not separate it from the person. Voice is always both private and public.

The close collaboration with the visuals is finding new ways of realizing the concerts as well. And it feels great to get The visuals to follow the musical resonances and the idea of microtextures, fragments, and layers. We are developing our co-operation constantly and every concert is a unique experience where the location is also part of the outcome.

After Japan, we go back to my roots... Finland. There is a great festival We Jazz  where we play on the 4th of December!

TOUR SCHEDULE:

21/11 20000 den-atsu, Tokyo
23/11 Otooto, Tokyo
24/11 Yellow Vision, Tokyo
25/11 Environment Øg, Osaka
26/11 Big Apple, Kobe
27/11 Socrates, Kyoto
4/12 We Jazz Festival, Helsinki

We are so happy to be nominated in two categories for Danish Music Awards!

'The vocal album of the year 2018' and 'A Special Release of the Year 2018'.

We are looking forward to 12th of November at Bremen Theater!

LINK: Nominees for DMA 

"A very fascinating album from an artist who dares to take the step far beyond the established." 

Read the full review: HERE

So glad that the album has been so well received! Looking forward to the next concert at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival on the 11th July! kl 20:00 at Literaturhaus!LINK





“Traditional melody singing is rare, the voice is more like an element from which the multilayered colourful and often dramatic whole. … again the name of Johanna Sulkunen is a guarantee for attractiveness and high quality. “ Pentti Ronkainen, Suomijazz

"Johanna Sulkunen har lavet et album, der er gådefuldt og mystisk. Der er en dragende stemning, hvor Sulkunen formår at fange os ind som lyttere. Ude fra set er det måske bare en omgang avantgardistisk vokaleksperimenteren. Bruger du tiden på projektet og kommer ind i det, så er det her, der sker noget. Et “noget” der ikke kan eller vil eller skal forklares." 
Niels Overgård. Jazznyt

“ Her new found language and manipulated voice are used as a provocative Kōan. Forcing the listener to adopt a fresh, a deep listening-meditative approach, sometimes even dream state of mind to language and voices.” Eyal Hareuveni. Salt Peanuts. “Koan that is recorded partly in Japan, Sulkunen has moved far from her excellent previous two albums... Koan invites the listener to be also a questioner and especially to question a way how to listen." Harri Uusitorppa. Helsingin Sanomat.

So happy to have the album out and soon playing a series of concerts!

You can buy the album HERE!

Johanna Elina Sulkunen - voice + electronics SOLO

I will release the first album on my SOLO PROJECT 'Sonority' on the 11th Mai 2018 on ILK.
It's only voice and the machines and it is very exciting indeed! I will tell more about this soon!

IKI will release their third album 'ORACLE' on the 23rd of March 2018. The album is produced by Mike Sheridan and we will be playing release concerts starting from March!

Copenhagen Jazz Festival is around the corner! It will be a very inspiring program for me this year!

Johanna Elina's "Belonging" (Anders Filipsen, Henrik Olsson, Håkon Berre) will perform on the 14th of July at 20:00 @ Vanløse Kulturhus. Before us performs the Norwegian talent Natalie Sandtorv, who is going to release her Debut album in October!

Buy TICKETS HERE:  kulturstationlive.dk 

You should absolutely check out these great projects!

Joel Illerhag &  The Nephilim Ensemble

11th July @ Blågårds Konsertkirken at 19:00
13th July @ Huset Magstræde at 14:30

IKI 

10th July @ Literaturhaus at 19:00

Hope you can join us, it'll be great!

Hi from Japan!

I'm currently working on field recordings for a new project here in Japan, which I'm looking forward to telling you more soon... Until then you can still buy the latest album "Belonging" for example iTunes or here!

BUY BELONGING HERE 

On the 9th February we'll play with the Finnish group Plastic Island in Copenhagen Vinterjazz. 11th Johanna Elina "Belonging" group takes to Switzerland to play at the Norkdklang festival - Cant' wait! Another concert with Johanna Elina will be close to home at Kvarterhuset - Amager. More info on the "calender" section: http://www.johannaelinasulkunen.com/calendar/

You can hear some music from the new album! I'll be there at 23:00.
FM102,9 or www.radiojazz.dk

Welcome to visit my new web page and happy New Year!

Very soon I'll start the recordings of the new album and I'm looking so much forward for you to hearing the result!

It's getting together!  Feeling inspired!

We will play a release concert in Dome of Visions in Copenhagen on the 11th of November at 7.30pm.