Ida Alanen Trio is one of the most exciting Finnish jazz ensembles of the moment. The trio is led by Helsinki-born Ida Alanen, who is currently completing her master's studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam under the guidance of Harmen Fraanje. Double bassist Jonathan Bäckström and drummer Benjamin Nylund are also known as a rhythm section from, among others, the Jonathan Bäckström Quartet. All three are rapidly rising talents with strong and distinctive musical voices.
The trio’s repertoire consists mainly of Alanen’s compositions, which the group has been working on intensively over the past few years. Alanen’s music draws inspiration from visual forms, organic textures, and dream imagery. Her distinctive style as a composer and improviser incorporates influences from various musical traditions, including minimalism, 20th-century composers, and folk music. As a pianist, Alanen is fascinated by melodicism and a stripped-down, poetic aesthetic. As a composer, she values harmonic richness, a unique use of color, a sense of space, and attention to detail. Within the trio, there is a seamless musical connection, and the group moves effortlessly between carefully orchestrated compositions and free improvisation.
The trio’s debut album Awake Asleep explores landscapes on the borderlands between dreaming and wakefulness, bringing images from the subconscious into the light of day. The album's themes intertwine the symbolism of sleep and wakefulness with other contrasting opposites, such as dark and light, lifeless and living, subconscious and conscious. The album was released in autumn 2023 in collaboration with the Norwegian record label AMP Music & Records. The production of the album was supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, and it was also released in Dolby Atmos surround sound format, making it one of the first Finnish jazz albums to do so. This strong debut brought the trio into the spotlight on both the Finnish and European jazz scenes.
"Awake Asleep is a wonderful debut from the Ida Alanen Trio. Highly engaging, quietly intoxicating, and sumptuously imagined. Highly recommended listening."
– Mike Gates, UK Vibe, 9.12.2023
"It is evident that these musicians will be at the forefront of our jazz scene in the future. Alanen creates her music with modern touches, while remaining aware of the traditions of jazz pianism. She honors melodic expression and is deeply poetic."
– Marita Nyrhinen, Kulttuuritoimitus album review, 18.12.2023
"Awake Asleep maps imaginary landscapes, drawing inspiration from Alanen’s colorful dreams. The pieces feel impressionistic, though the meditative approach condenses the atmosphere into soaring states of mind."
– Juha Seitz, Ilkka-Pohjalainen, 11.12.2023
Photo: Milana Törmi
The concert is supported by City of Helsinki, Svenska Kulturfonden and The Finnish Music Foundation.
"I sometimes use the word 'beautiful' too lightly, but if any album deserves it, it is Awake Asleep. In several ways and on several levels."
– Mika Roth, Desibeli.net, 26.11.2023
Hakasalmen huvila • Mannerheimintie 13 B, 00100 Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
