Last Gathering

'The swans are gathering. For now the time has come to reminisce on the adventures among the scintillating rays of light, to ponder the secrets of the dancing shadows. The past travels through me like an inevitable continuum. I'm determined to go on despite stumbling. This is my path. ' Finnish kantele player Arja Kastinen's solo album released in February 2012. In addition to the old plucking technique, the following techniques and objects were used to produce the sounds: harmonics, muted sounds, sliding and strumming with the tuning key, sliding, plucking and strumming with barbecue sticks, hitting with pencils, plucking with the sheath of a ballpoint pen (as a pick), a bow, tapping the soundboard, blowing into the sound hole, pressing the resonating top plate, waving the kantele, golden, bronze, clay and stone necklaces, a bunch of horse-hair and the hair of a witch, the wind, the night and the sauna - not to mention Matti's studio wizardry. Cover image: Jacopo Brancati/ Infine Arts. Photos: Paul Brck. Editing and mastering + covers: Matti Kontio/IMU.