Avanti x Porvoo jazz festival: Gong Odyssey

Porvoo Jazz Festival’s collaboration with Avant’s Suvisoitto Festival continues! This time it’s the turn of the magical quartet Mika Kallio Gong Odyssey, who will create a unique soundscape with gongs and percussion.

The band’s sound soothes the mind and soul, giving the listener a sense of presence and an opportunity to observe the virtuosic control of the instruments. The content of the concert is based on the music from percussionist Mika Kallio’s fourth solo album GONG ODYSSEY (Eclipse Music 2022). In his eponymous ensemble, Kallio, known as a jazz drummer, has assembled a versatile and creative group who have mastered not only their main instruments but also the fine art of playing the gongs. The compositions, in keeping with the nature of the gongs, oscillate between ambient and improvised music. Through this project, Kallio has also explored the different sonority possibilities of metal instruments and analogue synthesizers. This artistically exceptional concept has been enthusiastically received and has also attracted international interest.

“The listeners talked a lot about calming down, a journey away from everyday life and the peace and well-being that the vibration of the gongs brings” -Kallio says.

“Kallio uses gongs and percussion to create a sonic space that also features a creative synthesizer. Only on the very celestial closing track does pianist Jussi Fredriksson make a guest appearance, but even here, there is no recognisable piano. The imprint is all its own: haunting and soothing. If your head is getting tight, this will quickly make room for it, as long as you surrender to the trip led by Kallio with an open mind and presence.”
-Jussi Niemi / Soundi