Auri Auri

• 1 The Space Between 05:00
• 2 I Hope Your World Is Kind 05:02
• 3 Skeleton Tree 04:19
• 4 Desert Flower 06:03
• 5 Night 13 04:24
• 6 See 05:12
• 7 The Name of the Wind 03:50
• 8 Aphrodite Rising 05:33
• 9 Savant 04:27
• 10 Underthing Solstice 07:06
• 11 Them Thar Chanterelles (feat. Liquor in the Well) 05:21
• Total Runtime 56:17

Info for Auri

Fernab vom Hier und Jetzt: Alles beginnt mit einer Vision. Einer virtuosen Imagination, die verheißungsvoll in der Luft schwebt, sich aus facettenreichen Fragmenten und Ideen zusammenschließt, die nach und nach konkreter werden, langsam Gestalt annehmen, um sich dann aus der Inspiration ihrer Macher heraus, schließlich als neues Projekt herauszukristallisieren. Völlig ungezwungen, in einem natürlichen, fließenden Prozess. So auch geschehen bei diesen drei herausragenden Vollblutmusikern, die mit AURI ein musikalisches Juwel erschaffen haben, das heller erstrahlt als der gleißende Polarstern am Nachthimmel. Johanna Kurkela, Tuomas Holopainen und Troy Donockley, die charismatischen Protagonisten hinter AURI, entführen mit ihrem gleichnamigen Debüt auf eine märchenhafte Reise durch Zeit und Raum, fernab vom Hier und Jetzt – und erinnern dabei an die fantastischen Abenteuer von »Alice im Wunderland«.

Es erwarten uns vielschichtige Klangkaskaden voller magischer und surrealer Augenblicke, die alle Sinne berühren; mal sehnsuchtsvoll und verträumt, dann wieder mitreißend und intensiv. AURI zelebrieren episch-romantisch anmutenden Ethnopop, der in malerischen Sphären zu schweben scheint, die nicht greifbar sind, aber ein beachtliches Soundszenario mit gewaltiger Bildsprache in Szene setzen. Dieses lebt von keltischen, traditionellen Klängen, atmosphärisch-cineastischen Traumsequenzen, melancholischen Melodien, einem Hauch verklärter Mystik und Schwermut, schönster Instrumentierung sowie essentieller Tiefe.

„Mir offenbarte sich eine komplett neue Welt. Ich kann nicht mal sagen, was genau passiert ist, aber die Arbeit mit AURI hat mir immens viel gegeben – ich fühle mich wieder inspiriert.” (Tuomas Holopainen)

Johanna Kurkela, Gesang, Viola
Tuomas Holopainen, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Troy Donockley, Gitarre, Bouzouki, Uilleann Pipes, Gesang

Auri
Echoes of another world resound from the depths of the legendary rabbit hole. Music diffused with moments of silence and escapist dream sequences, freed from time and earthly presence.

Auri begun its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can’t be described by words alone. A magical kind of sound to be heard whilst falling down Alice’s rabbit hole. The Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Troy Donockley and Tuomas Holopainen (both Nightwish) cast their spells with various other instruments. Using selected guest musicians and friends, the self-titled album finally takes its ultimate form under the direction of sound engineer Tim Oliver, all within the pastoral splendor of “Real World” studios in Southern England. The album will be out on March, 23 and available as digipak CD, 2LP gatefold Vinyl, a limited Earbook and digital.

Before the album release, the band will take us on a journey, delving deep into the magic of Auri, with the release of their second single “The Space Between”.

verything begins with a vision. A virtuoso imagination hovering auspiciously in the air, composed of multi-faceted fragments and ideas that gradually become more concrete, slowly taking shape and then finally forming out of the minds of their makers as a new project. Completely unexpected, it‘s just a natural, flowing process. This is just what happened with these three outstanding, internationally successful musicians who have created a musical gem in the form of Auri, which shines even brighter than the glittering Polar Star in the night sky. Johanna Kurkela, Tuomas Holopainen and Troy Donockley – the charismatic protagonists behind Auri – take their eponymous debut on a fairy tale journey through time and space, far from here and now reminding us of the fantastic adventures of Alice in Wonderland.

Comprehensive sound cascades full of magical and surreal moments that touch all senses await us; sometimes yearning and dreamy, then again rousing and intense. Auri celebrate a kind of epic-romantic ethno pop that seems to float in quaint spheres, which are intangible yet unleash multi-faceted sounds capes filled with powerful imagery. These sound cascades are based on Celtic traditional sounds, atmospheric-cinematic dream sequences, melancholic melodies and a touch of transfigured mysticism; beautiful instrumentation yielding an unfathomable depth.

Auri is the result of a shared passion. Everyone was involved in everything. However, Tuomas Holopainen does not want to reveal too much about the songs and their stories, “since the listener should bring their own story to the songs – after all, that‘s what makes the album so beautiful. It lives from the imagination of every single person!” says the composer. “But what I can tell you is that some of the content and the song lyrics are inspired by the Patrick Rothfuss books. Maybe people who know those books and those stories will recognise some parallels and certain scenarios, but believe me; the album equates to so much more.”

If Tuomas describes Auri in his own words, he cannot help but smile; “Just a few days ago, we had this conversation within the band and we thought about the best way to describe it. Two terms came to our minds; Rabbit Hole Music and Celestial Metal. Obviously you can hear influences from folk music, Celtic music, soundtracks – all that music that we love and adore, but categorising the style is really impossible. I‘ll leave that to the listeners.” A tour is currently not planned but one thing is already certain: “This is definitely not just a one album thing!” So sit back, close your eyes and let yourself fall into the depths. A world of wonder and miracles awaits you behind the mirrors.

Booklet for Auri