There has been a long pause in the work of this project, as you’ve all noticed. Thus, I’m happy to announce that the project is still alive and kicking.
At this point we have to admit that the time we reserved for going through all the reels, listening to them, compiling nice set of CD’s and publishing them was a bit too short. Actually, a lot.
Last year we got a grant from the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation for finishing up the project, and that’s just what we are about to do right now.
While the project has been sleeping, we (Pekko and Lari) have been concentrating in other aspects of life, universe and everything. Pekko has been touring the world as a musician, and Lari just seriously begun to work on his research.
As we’ve told earlier, the material for the first 2 CD’s has been selected. We are still in the process for writing the commentaries for the first one, which should be published this year depending on the record company Aito Records.
Publishing archival recordings seems to be a tough job, compared to composing and making your own record, for example. The legislation is quite strict, the people involved in the original recordings are hard to track down, not to mention all their relatives.
As the first CD will demonstrate the variety of material found in the AK-collection, it has some special requirements concerning the commentaries. In the first part of the planned series we have to introduce the collection, Erkki Ala-Könni and his work, musical styles, instruments, instrumentalists, singers, genres and so on. The next parts will be easier, as they will concentrate of more specific themes.
In any case, we are happily back to work. Now I’m back to draft publishing contracts we will make with the heirs of the performers..
