Kimmo Pohjonen Zone 6
"Kimmo Pohjonen extends the range of the accordion beyond anything I've previously heard”
-Songlines
Accordion virtuoso and composer Kimmo Pohjonen is exploring the new and unknown. For the past 30 years, Pohjonen's most sought-after project around the world has been his solo, which is the main laboratory of Pohjonen's creativity and discovery. In the new solo piece, the accordion is an electronic machine that creates real-time layered soundscapes.
Kimmo Pohjonen is one of the few artists who have managed to create a genre of his own through his compositions and unique projects. Pohjonen’s way of playing and producing new sounds out of his accordion can be described very exceptional at a global level.Pohjonen has been touring the world regularly for the last 30 years over thousands concerts, performing at noteworthy festivals for world music, jazz, electronic music and art music. The new solo Zone 6 is Pohjonen's new major work, to be performed at the moment.
"The central idea of my solo career has been to break the strong stereotypes associated with playing the accordion and the instrument itself. Zone 6 is a work where the sound world and compositions are finally what I want to hear from the accordion itself. My current electro-acoustic accordion is, in my opinion, the most versatile instrument I can imagine playing. Using a new playing technique, I play several harmonic and rhythmic layers with the accordion and the human voice at the same time live. Creating my own sound world is increasingly influencing the diversity of my compositions. My accordion controls sound, visual images and acts as a machine that conveys musical, political and religious invitations to dance.
Zone 6 fulfills a vision I could not have dreamed of in my wildest dreams when I started playing 40 years ago."
