Saariselka

Electronic musician Marielle V Jakobsons and pedal steel guitarist Chuck Johnson play ambient Americana as part of their collaborative project Saariselka. Producing slow-moving, organic soundscapes inspired by natural phenomena such as the aurora borealis, the Oakland-based duo released their debut full-length, The Ground Our Sky, in 2019. The two musicians had collaborated extensively with each other before the formation of Saariselka -- Jakobsons had contributed violin to some of Johnson's recordings, while Johnson played bass during Jakobsons' performances. The project's first release, a 17-minute piece titled "Ceres," was issued by Longform Editions in 2018. Saariselka's full-length debut, The Ground Our Sky, appeared on Temporary Residence in 2019. The duo also submitted a piece titled "Shepherd Canyon" to Ghostly International's Thousands of Eyes in the Dark compilation. ~ Paul Simpson