Member Since: 28/05/2007
Band Members: Kulkija & Uton (+ help of Veli-Matti from Kutomo, and Kristiina from the moon)
Influences: All And Nothing
Sounds Like: "Jani Hirvonen and Jari Koho are two of the most hidden, thrilling sound manipulators from the icy Finland, and they also spread the holy seed under different monickers (uton, kulkija, vapaa); their collaboration started few years back, and the result is a subliminal trip into dense atmospheres and tribal-like fuzz dreamy orchestrations. Cold, dark mellow vibes filled with acid bells and shamanian memories." - Palustre
"Anyone familiar with the name Aan? Well howabout Uton? Right, Uton, one of our favorite Finnish exports (among many!), and one of the least prolific, who somehow survive without releasing a cd-r every two weeks. In fact a new Uton record is a cause to celebrate around here. So we were equally excited to discover this latest release from Uton Satellite Aan, who take Uton's already blissed out tribal drift, and spaces it out even more, turning it into some gorgeous cloud of foresty drone, a gentle assemblage of various vibrating strings, and simple muffled percussion, fragmented melodies, fluttering birdlike trills, bits of acoustic guitar, bleating horns, distant droning swells, all tenuously held together, the various parts allowed to drift off, and then later resurface from amidst a cloud of glistening distant siren like wails.
Another band that definitely sounds like they're channeling legendary Japanese drone collective Taj Mahal Travellers, and one of the few who seem like they understand the spirit behind that sort of soundmaking. Music as an organic entity. As a spirit, that can not be captured, only guided. The members of Aan are shamen, coaxing the spirits from their instruments, then shaping them, guiding them, arranging them into dark dronelike shapes, capturing their essence on tape, and then letting the sounds drift apart and return to whence they came. So lovely. Another fantastic chunk of dreamy meditative forest bliss." - Aquarius Records (from cdr Ajaton Vie)"Beautifully barren investigation of subliminal dream sonorities from the subterranean duo of Uton and Kulkija. The sound of thick waves of light slow-combing the furrows of your brain or rust-coloured sunlight penetrating deep into the heart of the wood. Painstaking, intimate, time-jarring improvisations, somewhere between early-TG’s planetary rituals and Mirror’s standing waves" - Volcanic Tongue (from cdr Salamaa)
"'elämän kevät' is the second album from the finnish duo of uton and kulkiya. it doesn't get much better than these two when it comes to organic finnish psychedelia, and "elaman kevät" is certainly no exception. aan combines elements of both solo projects to perfection. these barren soundscapes leave a lot of room for growth. the listener is called into action to fill in the blanks, and the effect is magical. aan invoke subtle waves of mind-bending, soul-snatching drone. while the surface of "elaman kevät" may appear calm, underneath a cacaphonous world is bubbling away." - Brad Rose / Foxglove
"the AAN stuff is fuckin impressive! :)" - Michele / Palustre
"Aan is the latest project from Finnish drone freaks Jani Hirvonen (Uton) and Jari Koho (Kulkija, Vapaa, Free Players). Putting the psilocybin back into psychedelia they produce time perverting pieces constructed from droning violins, flutes, weird barely discernable vocal chants, tablas and huge dark underground caverns of reverb and delay.
An album to lose oneself in this is suitable listening for a candle lit drifting off to sleep, or sun dazzled days when you're too stoned to get up off the floor" - Antony Milton / PseudoArcana (from cdr Ajaton Vie)
"Mysterious drones from Uton and Kulkija - bowed strings swarm and hover like a hallucinating cloud of bees. Occasionally you can pick out a piping wooden flute and an undercurrent of electronics and circuitry, but the Aan sound is one of indeterminate psychedelic drone as dense and impenetrable as the smoke in an opium den" - Boa Melody Bar (from cdr Elämän Kevät)
Record Label: Ikuisuus, Foxglove, Palustre, PseudoArcana etc.