TURQUOISE PLANET

Kotilainen is a veteran of the Finnish Prog music scene, whose contribution to many of credible artist's works span about four decades. A solo artist, he is much less adored and perhaps there is a reason for that.

Embracing rather minimalist approaches as a one-man band, he is prone to be held hostage to rather mid-Winter Arctic images, "The Big Sleep" I was fortunate to experience a number of times visiting friends living beyond the Arctic Circle. At =40C when the snow appears pink - for lack of Sun and your nose is on the verge of breaking off, observing the scene from a relative comfort of a "shelter" is an experience to remember. The stillness of that "Big Sleep".

It seems that Kotilainen had become captive of that scenery expressed in musical terms where one album would have been sufficient before boredom would set in.

This album is a pleasant relief, invoking early Tangerine Dream approaches of "cosmic" nature and fans of that period may find it interesting - albeit delivered by a single artist, lacking team effort. 3.5 rounded up.