In August 2023 AMORPHIS guitarist Tomi Koivusaari announced his long-awaited solo project BJØRKØ, which features an array of stellar guest vocals and collaborations. The third single to be released from that body of work is “Whitebone Wind,” featuring ex-NIGHTWISH Marko Hietala, and Petronella Nettermalm. The debut album “Heartrot” is out today via Svart Records.
Watch the music video to “Whitebone Wind (Ft. Marko Hietala & Petronella Nettermalm)” here:
Stream here BJØRKØ‘s “Heartrot” here: https://orcd.co/gvaq1bj
On the “Whitebone Wind,” Tomi says:
“‘Petronella acts as the counter element for Hietala’s high notes while they sing about death, which the many different contrasts containing the song is about. It’s also the most difficult song to perform vocally, which made Hietala the obvious choice as male vocalist to get it performed as it should”.
For years, Koivusaari has been the one of the creative backbones of AMORPHIS, a band synonymous with innovation in heavy music. Now, with BJØRKØ (“Birch Island” in English), Koivusaari ventures beyond band dynamics to showcase his distinct artistic vision.
The album is far from a solo endeavor in the traditional sense. It features an all-star lineup of vocalists in multiple languages, contributing to an atmosphere that’s rich and multi-layered. The talent of Waltteri Väyrynen (OPETH, ex-PARADISE LOST), Lauri Porra (STRATOVARIUS), and Janne Lounatvuori (HIDRIA SPACEFOLK) adds a rock-solid foundation to Koivusaari‘s artistry.
Unfettered by the structural limitations of a traditional band, Heartrot stands as a testament to Koivusaari‘s versatility and depth. “It’s a collection of various songs and points of view,” he says. “I didn’t want a traditional approach to limit my artistic expression.”
Heartrot serves as an emotional panorama, each track capturing a unique sentiment. Koivusaari describes it as “a soundtrack to an imaginary film” replete with a “strong visual connection to nature and an ever-present sense of melancholy.”
15 years ago Tomi Koivusaari began building riffs and songs that he could use on a solo album he planned to release on his 40th birthday. The debut album by his solo project Bjørkø took, however, years to turn into reality. As with many a musician, it wasn’t until the pandemic stopped touring that Koivusaari finally found the time to work on what became the album “Heartrot.”
“Heartrot is a personal vision that’s naturally influenced by all the music I have subjected myself to over the years. It is, in a way, a soundtrack to an imaginary film. Musically the album’s guiding themes are a strong visual connection to nature and moods that are rarely happy or positive. Melancholy is always looming in the background”, says Koivusaari, who in the past studied movie sound engineering among other things.
Even though the album is diverse, according to Koivusaari there are many factors that many of the songs share. Half of the lyrics were written by his old ABHORRENCE bandmate Jussi “Juice” Ahlroth.
“Me and Jussi worked on the themes of the lyrics together, and he turned them skilfully into text: a lot left for the imagination and open to many interpretations. Some of the singers (Mariska, Ismo Alanko, Jessi Frey, and Addi Tryggvason) wrote their won lyrics while the rest (Stian Thoresen, Jeff Walker, Petronella Nettermalm, Marko Hietala, and Tomi Joutsen) interpret Ahlroth’s lyrics. The album was produced by my long-time friend Nino Laurenne.”
Band Members
Tomi Koivusaari – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards
Janne Lounatvuori – synths and keyboards
Lauri Porra – bass
Waltteri Väyrynen – drums
20.10. Bjørkø: Magenta feat. Mariska (Official video)
1.9. Bjørkø: The Heartroot Rots feat. Jeff Walker (Official video)
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