ARYOKAL released their debut album Letters Of Last Resort yesterday, 12th of April. The album with its seven songs provides a soundtrack for the current state of decline of modern civilization and features feelings of despair, of existential dread and finality of decisions. The music, far from your run-of-the-mill EDM, carries an underlying contemplative tone that mirrors the imagery suggested by the album title. So, what musical genre does the album represent then? The band describes their music as electronic music on the brink of darkness.

Letters Of Last Resort was composed and created in Helsinki between 2022-2023. Music is composed and programmed by Antti Ruokola with Pekka Loponen doing all the singing. All visuals by Loponen. Jussi Hämäläinen (from Hanging Garden, Mercury Circle) mastered the album. Promopic by Jani Kormu. 

Listen to the album on music services (Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal etc): https://push.fm/fl/aryokal-lolr

Watch the visualizer music video to the track “Lovecraftian ending”:

Tracklist

1. The Great Bridge-Builder
2. Lovecraftian Ending
3. Decapitative Strike
4. This Is Where It Happened
5. Damnatio Memoriae
6. The Completionist
7. EEE

Aryokal, a band based in Helsinki, Finland, dwells in the darkness with their electronic music creations. Their compositions are a journey through the darker side of electronic music, designed to conjure and provoke thought. The two members of the band, Antti Ruokola and Pekka Loponen, have years of experience in different bands for example Hanging Garden, The Chant, Counting Hours, Minutian to name a few. 

Aryokal started as a solo creative outlet for Ruokola back in 2009, was on hold for several years and was rebirthed as a duo with Loponen in 2020. Their debut single, ‘Vexilla,’ released in January 2021, garnered media attention and marked a musical turning point for the band. Over time, they refined their aesthetic, a maturation audible in their debut album and visible in its accompanying visuals. 

After the release of their previous singles The Completionist, This Is Where It Happened and The Great Bridge-Builder, the debut album will be released on the 12th of April, 2024. The album will feature seven songs that explore the ongoing deconstruction of modern civilization piece by piece.

Aryokal is electronic music on the brink of darkness.
 

Aryokal is Antti Ruokola & Pekka Loponen.

ARYOKAL is a duo from Helsinki, known for creating electronic music on the brink of darkness, released their new single “The Completionist” on May 24, 2023. The single combines modern electronic production with Pekka Loponen‘s captivating vocals, keeping the listener engaged throughout this musical journey. Adding their own touch to the single is Jussi Saarelma from the band Haraamo, with his electric piano playing.

“The Completionist” has been mastered by Jussi Hämäläinen, known from Hanging Garden and Mercury Circle.

Listen to the single: https://push.fm/fl/aryokal-thecompletionist

After their previous singles, “Vexilla” and “Chrome Insignia,” Aryokal has been carefully refining their debut album. The atmosphere and sound world of their music have intensified and deepened. Operating with an original approach on the fringes of darkness, the band will release their debut album later in the fall. Another single can be expected from the upcoming album.

Aryokal is
A. Ruokola
P. Loponen

More information at

• https://aryokal.bandcamp.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/aryokal_music

ARYOKAL is a Finnish band that creates esoteric electronic music. Antti Ruokola is responsible for the band’s compositions and soundscapes while Pekka Loponen handles the vocals. The band’s influences come on a large scale from bands / artists with a darker atmosphere.

The new single, CHROME INSIGNIA, has an organic cold feel to it. The air is crisp and cold, yet you can feel the quietly falling snow to be warm.

CHROME INSIGNIA was released on June 16, 2021 on all the major digital platforms. This single is the second release of Aryokal and the duo is set to concentrate their artistic efforts in creating more music going forward.

Listen to the single:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cHiilF
Apple Music: https://apple.co/3gE4hGG
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gscYoI
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/232882482

CHROME INSIGNIA has been mixed by Antti Ruokola and is mastered by Jussi Hämäläinen, familiar from Hanging Garden and Mercury Circle.