Photo: Jori Huhtala

There’s exciting news from Aki Rissanen, who has just announced his new album Imaginary Mountains. The talented and accomplished Finnish pianist and composer is pushing his piano trio into a rawer, more rhythm-focused, and emotionally honest territory. “The focus this time is more on rhythm and repetition,” Rissanen says. “It feels more direct and physical, maybe even raw at times. But at its core, it’s still me, just seen from a different angle.” Shaped by internal landscapes, visual art, and a sense of geopolitical unrest, the forthcoming album explores contrast and tension with a sharper sound. As he explains, “It’s about the emotional terrain that can keep us from fully engaging or empathising with what’s happening around us”.

The album title also refers to Keith Jarrett’s Personal Mountains. “I loved how he evoked vast, imagined spaces through his music”, Rissanen comments. “In a way, Imaginary Mountains is my own reflection on that idea, landscapes that exist more in the psyche than the physical world.”

We’ll have to wait until September 12th for Imaginary Mountains to drop through Edition Records but we can already hear the first single, ‘For E’. Dedicated to Erik Satie, it offers a striking glimpse of what Rissanen will be throwing at us. The single comes with an accompanying live video, shot by Jori Huhtala and post-produced by Rissanen himself. Watch it below.

And to tide us over until the album drops, listen back to the sublime mixtape Rissanen put together for us in September 2023.