Aki Rissanen is a pianist of formidable talent and one of the most praised and highly regarded jazz musicians to emerge from the super-creative and original Finnish Jazz scene. As a leader he has released three albums with his long standing trio: Amorandom (2016), Another North (2017) and Art in Motion (2019). With Divided Horizon, he’s chosen a more sophisticated and solitary path, focussing on solo piano and the unique instrument, the Omniwerk.
Divided Horizon originates from a contrasting duality in Aki’s music. An older, classical sound reminiscent of the baroque era is combined with a minimalist influence and electronic abstraction. It’s this blend that gives Aki his distinctive sound and identity. Conceptually, its bursting with originality and integrity, the sound quality is pristine, the playing rhythmic and shining with brilliance.
Here we have a pianist of exceptional ability, bringing together new elements in a way never heard before. The Omniwerk is an instrument of unique conception – an experimental hybrid keyboard invented by Finnish instrument builders Jonte Knif and Jukka Ollikka inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s original concept. It both plucks and bows, combining a Baroque-era lute-harpsichord and violin sound in one.
Aki explains how the Omniwerk played a role in the album and what excited him about this opportunity to play this rare instrument.
“I composed the main part of the songs for the grand piano and left the Omniwerk to be a ‘wild card’, something I add to the grand piano tracks. However I ended up recording a few free improvisations which I didn’t plan before and the tracks ‘Omniwerk Interlude’ and ‘Deciphered’ are the result. The Omniwerk eventually became an essential part of the album. I have played a couple of solo concerts with the instrument a few years ago and definitely will play it more in the f....... more
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