Thoughts about the music and the project:

The album name "Tara" refers to many things; the hurricane, the Russian small town, a name, and the world's second largest canyon. I've found that the most interesting musicians are those who never stop searching, and are always looking for new ways to express themselves. In a way ”Tara" symbolizes that in my music, within a single song, the feelings range from very dark moods to surprisingly happy ones. I've been able to play these same tracks in weddings, funerals and christenings. This element of adaptability has always been important in my compositions. I hope this has brought timelessness to my music.

I feel that "Tara" is the best set of songs I've composed so far. For me there are many top songs and significant moments on this album. It's difficult to list them all. But definitely among them are Teemu’s aerial and melodic sax playing on ”Solace” and ”Unreachable”, Héctor’s long and epic guitar solo on ”The Truth of Another”, Vesa’s energy and groovy bass playing on ”Way Out South” and ”And Then I Missed Her Again” and Tomi’s tight and accurate drum playing throughout the album. Compared to our previous album ”Healing Flows”, I've given piano playing a more substantial role in the compositions.

I'm also pleased to have great guests playing on this album. Title song ”Tara” is a groovy Latin song that was originally composed for a different band where the violin played the melody. That's why I wanted Lotta-Maria to play on this album too. Personally my favorite song is "Open Water". Partly because of the challenge the string arrangement gave me, and I'm glad it turned out well. The rhythmic balance of the album is excellent, thanks to Vesa and Tomi. Also Ricardo on percussion in "Way Out South" and "Summer Of Serenity" brings fresh world music vibes to the music.

The most memorable things about the whole project are the smoothness of the studio work (Thanks a lot, Hannu!) and a diverse arranging process as a whole and great collaborative effort of all people involved. As the names of the compositions suggest, there's a lot of longing, sadness and melancholy present in the music. These emotions are part of our lives too. Music is one way to share and transfer feelings between people. "Tara" mirrors one period of my life, and I'm grateful for having the opportunity to share it with you!

Aapo