Happy faces

I'm not feeling as destructive about the end of summer as these pictures might depict. In fact, I feel I'm in for an adventure. or a few. This post might have been titled "Sad Hands" based on the first images, but I'm happy to say this is not a sad post.

It is, however a post on the ending of summer here in Helsinki. I accepted this fact a week ago when Flow Festival, something I had been looking forward to the whole spring/summer (plus earlier years when I was not old enough to make it XD), ended. Flow was quite an experience with its eccentricity all over people, structures and music selections, and which climaxed with Grimes's concert. Climax indeeeeeeeed.

Since I've posted about Grimes before, I wanted to post about my other favourite performance in Flow, namely that of Junip's. This Swedish band has truly beautiful music, which I only delved into properly over the summer, and which for me at least, acts as an example of how vocals can be a part of the music, not the main part of it. Of course I'm not saying that vocals should not be the focus of a song, but just that Junip has a great way of balancing melodic, instrumental parts with those with vocals, giving it dimensions. Below are two links for earsweet, both as tasty as the other, do enjoy!


What made Junip's performance so special was its intimacy. First of all, the sun had not quite set yet, meaning natural light surrounded the perfectly round stage, which provided just enough space for these music maker-artists. The audience sat peacefully on the amphitheatre-like seating, or on the ground, just a couple meters from the stage (any closer and you weren't going to be able to hear the next performance, Kraftwerk). The rest gathered at the back standing, no obvious shoving or elbows  involved. The down-to-earth approach was complete with the laid-back band casually hopping on and off the stage as any member of the audience would - no special tunnels, narrators or flashing lights in sight. Just a pure music performance.



As this is meant to be a happy post of adventure, I'd just like to clarify that the first pictures are not depicting death at all, although the last one with my Flow wristband being violated above my maths homework might seem it. I'm not being serious (ha ha!)Personally, I like flowers in their every stage, excluding the rotten phase when they smell bad and collect flies. Delicate and fragile orchids are pretty.

I'm looking upon the next year as an adventure, which very likely will make me curse mathematics and other subjects to hell, but eventually make me feel relieved. I'm going with the frame of thought, where you can only feel relieved if you've been burdened and that I might just become a superwoman once I've completed the IB.. whilst maintaining a social life. Awaiting that day and Paris, I wish you the best of autumn!