Audiopile Review: Juho Toivonen makes the logical leap over to Gothenburg outlet Discreet after his debut release on Ultraääni last year, his home-fi ambience a perfect fit for the label. Once again utilizing piano as his primary instrument, Toivonen’s cyclical lines bear a faint resemblance to Eno’s piano playing on Music For Airports, though the pristine clarity of the ambient hallmark is nowhere to be found. Much like its predecessor, the album is submerged in a misty tape hiss, emitting a dream-like fog that’s easy to get lost in. While the piano has take a front and centre role again, it’s his guitar playing that we’ve found most intriguing, particularity on the track “Enne”. There, he recalls the earliest work of Flying Saucer Attack, piling on a dubby echo to his simplistic acoustic playing that’s as serene as it is cavernous. Rapturous stuff!

Sisarusten Toistuva Uni is the sophomore album from Juho Toivonen, a young sound artist based in Pori, Finland. It follows up the piano-heavy debut album Kasveille Ja Eläimille released in 2023 – a record that was one of the major highlights at the Discreet Music HQ last year. The new album revolves around a recurring dream that Juho and his sister Ida-Sofia shared unknowingly. The 8 songs on the album resemble childhood memories, lacking clear borders or narrative, yet painted with strong, rich, and vivid colors.

On Sisarusten Toistuva Uni, Toivonen employs a broader palette of sounds compared to his previous work, while still exploring the austere piano improvisations from Kasveille and the folky drone bliss from his early cassettes. Some parts echo the ambiance of mid-00s favorites from labels like Fonal Records and PseudoArcana, and the wide scope strangely evokes memories of classic compilations like By The Fruits You Shall Know The Roots and New Skin For The Old Ceremony. The amalgamation of different sounds and influences ultimately results in a cohesive and uniquely special album firmly situated within the Discreet Music universe, yet distinct from anything else on the label.