Aikainen [Finnish for “early/about time”] is a piece of experimental music theatre that spans many art forms: Visual arts, performance art, poetry and film. Its five parts are about different aspects of time and temporality: “Ending”, “Generations”, “space-time-continuum” and “Memory”. In another part you will experience live composing on an overhead projector, the ensemble will play prima vista.

The debut performance in Berlin was the German premiere of 3D-video music theatre and instruments that have been 3D-printed only for this piece.

Despite Aikainen being a multimedia and multi-art piece, its soundscape is coherent and solid. The musical language is based on prime numbers and the pendulum movement – both of the core elements being audible and visible in many aspects of the piece, from melodies and structures of the work to the stage setup.

Aikainen is a confession of love to the human voice and its flexibility. Two on stage vocal artists and three opera singers on 3D video provide the whole spectrum of it: From “Sprechgesang” to overtone singing and from cattle call cries to dramatic opera voice.

Aikainen’s performers are: Vocal artists and singers Annika Fuhrmann and Frauke Aulbert; 5-person instrumental group Varjo Ensemble (Gailė Griciūtė: Piano; Turkka Inkilä: Flute and 3D-printed Ocarina; Taavi Oramo: Clarinet and 3D-printed Ocarina; Kari Olamaa: Violin; Johanna Tarkkanen: Cello); voice-overs: composer Miika Hyytiäinen, writing music realtime; video art by Alicja Sowiar, in the 3D video the performing opera singers are Anu Komsi, Kaisa Näreranta and Tiina Sinkkonen.
Director in London: Jaakko Nousiainen