STINAKo

△: MIND, BODY SPIRIT - TRILOGY OUT NOW! 

Stinako announces a series of EP releases for 2024 – “△: Mind / Body / Spirit”

Stina Koistinen explains more about the trilogy of forthcoming releases, revealing themes and collaborators.
 

“With Stinako △: Mind / Body / Spirit I’m exploring various genres and working with different producers. This release celebrates my diversity as an artist reflecting a genuine commitment to authenticity and creative integrity. This 3-ep collection is a testament to my willingness to explore and experiment, enriching the artistic landscape of my unique perspective and contributions.

I have outlined a deeply personal and introspective body of work, with each ep focusing on different aspects of my humanity – mind, body, and spirit. I’ve invited three wonderful producers and a group of talented musicians to realise this entity with me. All three eps represent different genres and I’ve carefully chosen producers for each one.
 

Mind delves into my thoughts and experiences regarding illness and mortality, exploring how these have shaped my perspective on life. The fear of death and uncertainty about the future, are themes that resonate throughout this EP, influencing my music in profound ways. Produced with Timo Kaukolampi, Mind grows from 90’s minimalistic trip hop and 70’s alternative electronic music. Analog synths and effects give this ep a real Kaukolampi meets Koistinen experience.
 

Body celebrates the physicality of existence, emphasising the importance of embracing and enjoying your body despite societal pressures and personal struggles. It acknowledges the challenges of living with illness or body image issues but also emphasises the resilience and capabilities of the human body. It also celebrates the joy of being alive. Body is a celebration of all bodily experiences from panic attacks to falling in love. Composed and produced with Tapio Viitasaari.
 

Lastly, Spirit examines my worldview and beliefs about the state of the world. It contains both reflections on current events, such as political elections, as well as expressions of hope and values. “Song of Love“ in particular offers a vision of a better world, where unity and joy prevail. In Spirit, flower power, 70’s folk music and non religious gospel meet to make a soulful entity. Recorded in Stockholm with wonderful musicians Hannah Tolf, Xenia Kriisin, Peter Morén, Wille Alin and Erik ‘Errka’ Petersson. Recorded and produced with Petersson at No Regrets Fonogram studio.

Lots of love,

Stinako"

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STINA KOISTINEN alias STINAKO is a Finnish artist and music maker from Helsinki city. She is known for her dynamic voice and intriguing music making skills. Koistinen has won the prestigious Finnish music award Teosto Prize with her band Color Dolor's album Love (2018) and was nominated for Hyundai Nordic Music Prize 2020 with her solo album, Stinako's Ikuisuus (2019). Koistinen has done many collaborations with other artists, such as Mopo, Jesse Markin and Rinneradio and warmed up the stage for St. Vincent (US) and Susanne Sundfør (NO).

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”Stina Koistinen is a master of the art of imagination seeding and ‘Mind’ is at the zenith of her work to date in that respect. - So, does this EP constitute “a genuine commitment to authenticity and creative integrity?” Are you kidding me? Authenticity should be her middle name."
- Nordic Music Central

“Stinako’s or singer Stina Koistinen's and her band's entire album 'Ghostina' is international level music. Distinctive, personal, completely musical, honest, unconcerned about trends and pleasing. Human singing to another, that's the basis of everything. Stinako has received the "art pop" label, but for me the music is much more. Koistinen makes strong melodic songs, for which he and his group manage to create an extraordinary soundscape full of color and soaring dreamlike atmospheres. Small and big. Pop, electro, chamber music, folk, folk music. The texts are almost poetry, the wonder of human life with its pains and joys. Sometimes I wonder if we Finns even realize what a treasure we have in Koistinen.”

-Mari Koppinen, Helsingin Sanomat, Vuoden levyt  / Albums of the year 2022

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"This is not just music, but now we travel deeper, farther and bolder, with all kinds of negative elitism shining through its absence. Living in transition, Koistinen opens her heart, soul and words so powerfully that even the parts sung quietly are really felt. And there's no need for big sound barriers, because the notes are thrown straight from the heart and reach the purifying speed of light almost immediately. Pop is just a narrow word, but its most modern and touching side is probably the stylistic home of this music."

- Mika Roth / Desibeli on "Ghostina" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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“Ghostina" grows into an elegant piece of art by Stina Koistinen, or Stinako. The art-pop outburst that reaches into the dreamlike colors does not leave a trace of Kate Bush's and Björk's ambitious takeovers. The recording, dedicated to a spirit being called Ghostina, overlaps wistfulness and mysticism, which entices you along for a fun trip. Stina Koistinen's reaching song fascinates with its breadth."

-Juha Seitz, Ilkka/Pohjalainen on "Ghostina" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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"With Stinako, challenging does not mean difficult to understand. Ambitious pop art can feel boldly and skip distant abstraction. Both as a lyricist and a singer, Stina Koistinen eschews the obvious, but she doesn't skimp on either lane either." - Pekka Laine / Soundi on "Ghostina" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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“The Teosto Award winning singer-songwriter Stina Koistinen is one of the strongest voices in the Finnish music scene, strong yet fragile, timeless yet completely in this time and even in the future, unfortunately a rare kind of an artist in contemporary Finland.” - Aleksi Pahkala, Päivän Biisit

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"It wouldn’t be too extravagant to describe it as an unassuming pop banger if you can imagine such a thing. Stina suggests ‘a melancholic party anthem’ ....But what happens next is astonishing. It’s a full-on dance track, with the main thumping synth-generated theme supported by what are nigh on trap beats…and violins! And from around the 2:45 mark it explodes, setting your goose bumps on fire."

- Nordic Music Central on Stinako's single "Pelasta mut"

 

“…when she hits the high notes towards the end the rawness and richness together are emotionally overwhelming. She simply has the knack of doing that.” - God Is In The TV Zine

 

“Immediately the tone of the stately piano will hit you, melancholy and deliberate, and that throws all the intention on to those vocals, which are just phenomenal, intoxicatingly powerful but almost fragile at times, they soar to an extraordinary level, delivering a beautiful cascading melody that climaxes and fades. ‘Kun Viimein Saavuit’ is a simply stunning song.” - Nordic Music Review

 

“…but I can easily sense the intensity of the feeling – and that power will lift this song high.” - Desibeli

 

"I’m really quite taken with this hauntingly beautiful piece" - SWIT