Track By Track: Heli Hartikainen – Chronovariations

In CHRONOVARIATIONS, Hartikainen blends analogue and digital techniques, using time-stretching effects and unconventional sound sources like metal objects manipulated by electromagnetic actuators. The album is meticulously recorded using an advanced microphone setup that creates a 360-degree audio experience, enhancing the spatial realism of the music. From subtle, almost inaudible tones to expansive sonic resonances, each track takes listeners through a transformative experience.

Here, Hartikainen guides us through the five movements of the album…

I
Movement I introduces the sonic world of CHRONOVARIATIONS. In this section, I amplify sounds that are usually inaudible, such as the click of my tongue touching the reed, the hiss of air in the mouthpiece, and the overtone particles of the saxophone sound. My aim is to highlight these often unnoticed but elemental sounds, and to make them stand as equal motifs.
Recording this movement was quite exciting: capturing those tiny, almost inaudible sounds required extremely sensitive miking. Being extremely amplified in the middle of the 360° installation and expanding my saxophone sound to all of the objects around me felt like unfolding layers off of myself. In the end, though, I’m happy with how it turned out. It truly communicates the theme of unfolding – moving from the inside out.

II & III
This part begins with a live electronics solo, exploring variations of the material from movement I. Esther Calderón Morales, who plays the live electronics, recorded my playing to use as material for this section. I gave Esther free rein to experiment (“surprise me!”) and to create something completely new, and I’m fascinated by the sculpting of sound she worked out.
In movement III we create a swirling mass of delays, leading to a four-minute live-played cadenza. I’m still amazed I was able to pull it off, given how physically tough it is! I love the rumble of the metal sheets here. The delay-heavy improvisations in this section were originally inspired by Terry Riley’s classic “Dorian Reeds” for soprano saxophone and tape loop.

IV
Recording movement IV was something else. We were all exhausted after a long day of recording but decided to give it one last go. I was so tired I could barely maintain my embouchure and just decided to blow out whatever I had left in me. You can hear various unplanned sounds, like my mouthpiece cover falling on the floor and artistic director Hugh Sheehan clicking plastic spoons (for reasons unknown). Esther was so exhausted and worn out she went to cry in the bathroom afterward.
The next morning, we listened to what we had done and it pretty much knocked everyone off their chairs. “Did we just do that?!” We were blown away. The section I had personally struggled with the most turned out to be the dark horse of the entire album.

V
The final movement begins with a hushed solo saxophone improvisation—a calming contrast to the previous section’s intensity. I drew inspiration from archaic Finnish folk music, shepherd tunes, and folk flutes, letting the beautiful echoes of the space ring and resonate. The electroacoustic ending moves forward with the rhythm of breath, bringing the album to a transcendental close.

Heli Hartikainen – Chronovariations is out now info / listen HERE.