ASA: Epic tribute to the environment

A tribute to a friend who passed away and at the same time a new beginning in music: The legendary Finnish artist Kimmo Kuusiniemi – e.g. mastermind of Finnish Metal pioneers Sarcofago – launches his new project ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) and “Aurora Nuclearis” as latest audio-visual artwork with atmospheric-prog-psychedelic influences.

“Aurora Nuclearis” is a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience and represents a significant milestone in ASA’s mission to merge art, music, and environmental advocacy, and marks the beginning of a bold new creative journey for Kuusniemi and his collaborators.

“Aurora Nuclearis” serves as a dynamic introduction to ASA’s unique blend of long-form and short-form content, seamlessly integrating music, visuals, and storytelling. The project draws deeply from themes of environmental sustainability and cultural preservation, with this inaugural piece setting the tone for future releases. ASA aims to create an immersive experience for a diverse global audience, offering both profound artistic expression and urgent environmental commentary.

Reflecting on the significance of “Aurora Nuclearis,” Kimmo Kuusniemi shares, “This piece beautifully bridges my musical journey, intertwining my past influences with the new creative direction of ASA. It’s a powerful start for the ASA project, paying homage to where we’ve come from while embracing where we’re headed. We are, after all, the sum of our past experiences, and ‘Aurora Nuclearis’ honours that truth.”

Dedicated to the memory of the late Finnish keyboardist Esa Kotilainen, who passed away in 2023, “Aurora Nuclearis” also pays tribute to a long-standing creative partnership. Kotilainen, known for his pioneering work in progressive music, first collaborated with Kuusniemi in the late 1970s with Sarcofagus—reputed to be Finland’s first heavy metal band. Their shared passion for pushing musical boundaries profoundly influenced the soundscapes of many projects over four decades.
Originally conceived years ago, Kotilainen and Kimmo began working on “Aurora Nuclearis” together, with Kotilainen recording keyboards, but the project remained unfinished until now, symbolising both a continuation and a new beginning under ASA.

Viivi Kotilainen, Esa’s daughter, reflects on her father’s deep connection to nature: “Nature was everything to my father. He believed that the natural world was a source of endless inspiration and peace, shaping not only his music but his entire life. He often worried about the future, fearing that the beauty he experienced might not be available to future generations. My father saw nature as his refuge, his creative wellspring, and he passed that love down to us. Even in his later years, he shared moments from his nature walks with us, reminding us of the importance of staying connected to the world around us.”

To complement the full-length experience, ASA is also releasing several short-form videos, each approximately one minute long. These mini music videos, inspired by ancient environmental proverbs, offer viewers bite-sized yet thought-provoking content that underscores the urgency of today’s environmental crises.

Watch and stream “Aurora Nuclearis” at:
Video Youtube
Spotify 

More Info at Linktree  and ASA Website

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM COLLABORATORS:

Tuomas Rounakari’s shamanic violin brings an evocative, mystical layer to “Aurora Nuclearis,” enriching the piece with his deep cultural insights. Juho Martikainen’s innovative double bass playing adds a profound depth, complementing the piece’s rich, atmospheric soundscape.

ABOUT ASA:

ASA, led by Kimmo Kuusniemi with the support of Sakari Heiskanen and Tuomas Rounakari, is a cross-arts odyssey that fuses ancestral wisdom with modern digital platforms. ASA crafts narratives that resonate with contemporary audiences while drawing from ancient traditions. Through a combination of music, visuals, and storytelling, ASA aims to engage a global audience with its immersive and thought-provoking content.

photos: ASA

PS: ABOUT KIMMO KUUSNIEMI
Finnish-born visionary artist, Kimmo Kuusniemi is currently engaged in several cutting-edge projects that blend technology, art, and environmental activism. He is known as Godfather of Finnish Heavy Metal, because in the late 1970s, he established the legendary band Sarcofagus. He became a music pideo pioneer in 1981 for the album “Moottorilinnut”. Coincidentally, this was the same year MTV made its debut in the USA. In the same decade, he became an eco-filmmaker Before It Was Cool: Among his most notable films and documentaries highlighting various environmental topics is the groundbreaking 8-hour adventure/history TV series, “Baltic Sea Adventure”.

ABOUT SAKARI HEISKANEN
Sakari Heiskanen is a versatile Finnish media producer and transmedia specialist with a rich background spanning journalism, TV entertainment, and book publishing. A BA in Media Production and a thesis on virtual reality, he has been pioneering event streaming and podcast production. Together with Kimmo, Sakari is a conceptual and ideological force behind the *Ancient Streaming Assembly* (ASA).

ABOUT TUOMAS ROUNAKARI
Diving deep into the historical wax-cylinder recordings of Siberian shamans, Tuomas birthed the SHAMANVIOLIN performance. His field trip to Siberia in 2002 further immersed him in the indigenous Khanty and Forest-Nenets cultures, expanding his repertoire. A child prodigy on the violin and recent Sibelius Academy Doctor of Music, he always had an affinity for music that sent him into a trance state.

ABOUT JUHO MARTIKAINEN
Juho Martikainen, a distinguished double bass player, studied at Kuopio Conservatory and Sibelius Academy. He has played with major Finnish Symphony Orchestras and toured internationally across the globe. As an educator, he has taught at institutions like the Sibelius Academy, influencing
many students who now perform in Finnish Symphony Orchestras, and pioneersing the integration of the classical double bass into rock, ambient, and experimental genres.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•