Hyvät matkustajat is Finnish for “Dear Travellers,” but also for “The Good Travellers,” which is my preferred English translation for the title of this piece. The piece began life as a ‘sonic postcard from Finland,’ using soundscape field recordings from around the country. This turned out to be only the first stop on its journey, however… The original material was later further developed as material for sonic exploration and spectral transformations, with the external spaces of the original version taking a sharp digital turn inwards, to chart internal spectral landscapes, together with the soundmarks and soundscapes of its first incarnation. Everything in Hyvät matkustajat is made from the original field recordings that first gave birth to the piece.

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Hyvät matkustajat was realized in 2012 in Studio Erkki of Sibelius-Akatemia in Helsinki (Finland), and premiered on November 12, 2012 at the Acousmatica VI concert in the Black Box of the Musiikkitalo (Music Centre) in Helsinki (Finland). It was revised in 2014 and premiered on December 18, 2014 at the Acousmatica XV concert in the Black Box of the Musiikkitalo (Music Centre) in Helsinki (Finland).

Premiere

• November 12, 2012, Acousmatica VI: Convergences, Black Box — Musiikkitalo, Helsinki (Finland)
• December 18, 2014, Premiere of the final version (2014): Acousmatica XV: James Andean’s Final Doctoral Concert, Black Box — Musiikkitalo, Helsinki (Finland)

Awards

• Prize, Ars Electronica Forum Wallis 2018, Leuk (Switzerland)