GEA

Finnish art-rock/dream-pop artist GEA, aka Laura Avonius, recently released her brand-new album, Call For A Snake, via Fragity Records. Working remotely during the pandemic, the album was produced by Grammy/Juno winner Chris Birkett, while the vocal recording was handled by engineer/producer Oona Kapari, followed by mastering in Brooklyn by Fred Kevorkian. Graphic design performed in Tallinn, Estonia by bynew. Co.

A concept album, the title – Call For A Snake – refers to a call for Kundalini energy and mirrors the path to spiritual enlightenment embodied by spirit animals: a snake, a swan, a crow, and a snow bunting.

The album’s genesis occurred when GEA received unfair treatment at her workplace. Yet rather than yielding to the demands of her ego, she took up yoga, which succeeded. So, she kept doing it. Over the next year, yoga opened a door releasing energy in GEA, totally transforming her life. Quitting her job, she began working on Call For A Snake.

GEA explains, “All of the sudden, the things that used to make sense to me, didn’t. I had many emotional and physical symptoms that led to a complete lifestyle change. I no longer could consume coffee, alcohol and meat. When we were in Hailuoto recording this album, I became aware of the concept of kundalini awakening and realized that I had had one while writing it.”

Blending elements of ambient, electronic, tribal, acoustic and symphonic music with tints of darkwave and indie-pop, Call For A Snake divides into four segments: tracks 1-4 signify the crow, dark and tribal, reflecting the pain of choosing not to wake up. Tracks 5-8 denote the snake, revealing the latent Kundalini energy inside people. Tracks 9-11 embody the swan, discharging the beauty, gratitude, and joy of being awake. Tracks 12-14 correspond to the snow bunting, suggesting the innocence found in birth and death.

According to GEA, “My message with this album is that all the wisdom you need is inside of you. The snake is guarding this spiritual knowledge, and you need to wake up your inner voice to access it.” Call For A Snake starts with “Predefined,” opening on a darkly gleaming tone atop a rumbling, measured rhythm. Luminous vocal harmonies fill the tune with ghostly hues, while GEA’s foreboding timbres imbue the lyrics with intent.

Highlights include “Truth Between The Lies,” with its contagious mixture of dream-pop and art-rock textures. Delicate and crystalline, GEA’ voice imbues the lyrics with mystical surfaces and delicious sonic nuances.

Simultaneously ethereal and cryptic, the title track projects gossamer, potent strands of misty washes riding an ancestral rhythm, quivering with suppressed energy. The thrumming, Celtic feel of “Despite” and its hypnotic beat pulls listeners in as the alluring voice of GEA wraps them in soft chains.

“Your Hand In Mine” percolates with gentle pop savours melded with subterranean hums of bass, providing the tune with dark and light textures, while GEA’s angelic tones give the lyrics an elusive sensuous tinge.

The ultimate track, “Jää Huurteinen Maa,” features traditional folk aromas along with classical touches. The result resembles a nursery rhyme coloured by ozone smelling breaths. Gorgeous yet shaded with portentous timbres. This might be the album’s best track.

Innovative and imaginative, mystical and ethereal, on the one hand, Call For A Snake echoes with numinous frissons, while on the other hand, it’s simply superb music. In other words, Call For A Snake should delight unspiritual listeners as well as the spiritual. - XS Noize

New Release from GEA “Despite” Released Working with Four Countries to Make it Happen

Sandy Graham

Award-winning electro-acoustic dream-pop art-rocker GEA grounds her otherworldly ambient fairy-folk sound within the densely lush Finnish forestland in this, her newly released single and video “Despite”.

As known for since her breakthrough debut Butterflies (2017) and sophomore follow-up Snow (2019), the song-based storyteller wastes no opportunity in “Despite” to use her music to channel messages from spirit guides, laying bare notions of healing, transformation, and growth.

‘Despite’ is a song about gratitude and unconditional love for love, despite the challenges, disappointments, and hard times it provides,” GEA says. “I want to dedicate it to all the people who have been influenced by the global pandemic.

Watch and listen to ‘Despite’ here:

https://youtu.be/Asm2A54qKkc

The song was first pre-recorded with award-winning and internationally heralded producer, singer/songwriter, sound engineer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Chris Birkett (Sinead O’Connor, Alison Moyet, The Pogues, Bob Geldof, Buffy Sainte-Marie).

“I first met GEA here in Toronto, Canada at Indie Week 2019. I am heavily involved with this event and GEA attended my Songwriting Workshop; she was the brightest and most attentive so we stayed in touch afterwards,” says Birkett. “She went back to Finland determined to have me produce her and with her faith and tenacity raised the funds to record a full album. This single, “Despite” is the first from that project.”

“We did this in Finland, in a small, arctic island called Hailuoto,” GEA shares. “It is close to the city of Oulu, where I’m originally from.

“I actually went to Finland in January for a few weeks to get the pre-production done,” shared Birkett. “It snowed for two weeks straight so we were isolated and creatively focused and ended up with the 15 songs we needed for the album.”

“The pandemic gave us quite a bit of challenges in getting this song done,” GEA continues. “I was going to fly to Toronto in April to record the final vocals and to be part of the mixing, but it didn’t happen. I recorded the vocals remotely in Helsinki, Finland, with the help of amazing producer and friend Oona Kapari while Chris did the instrumental recordings, production and mixing in Toronto.

“The mastering was done by Fred Kevorkian in Brooklyn, New York, and the single visual and brand design was done by bynew.co in Tallinn, Estonia. We worked fluently between four countries, despite all being heavily influenced by the pandemic.”

When asked if it was a great challenge to record the project in various parts of the world, Chris Birkett explained, “I believe Buffy St Marie and I were the first production/artist team to do it this way. It seems we are the first ones documentated to record over the internet. I was in England and Buffy was in Hawaii. It was a bit tedious as the professional equipment back then was nowhere near as good as it is now but we found way to create magic while not being in the same country. GEA and I found the same magic while doing this recording.”

“We are experiencing an unusually tough period of uncertainty, fear, and loss of loved ones, or jobs, and more,” she continues. “I wish to reconnect us who are struggling with hope, joy, and gratitude. I hope with this song, we can celebrate our beautiful journey on Earth, regardless of our troubles.”

And much how the connection of the song and its creation are deeply intertwined with the current state of the world, the track also sets the tone and begins to touch on a part of Call for a Snake dedicated to something GEA very much admires: The spirit of the swan. “Swan represents beauty, loyalty, grace, love, and elegance,” she explains. “Swan is an iconic figure in Finnish folklore, and it moves fluently between this dimension, afterlife, and other transcendental dimensions.”

“I wrote this album after taking a bold decision to quit my job and dedicate my life to my soul mission: touch the light within people with my music,” GEA reveals. “It was not an easy choice to make as a single mother… I traded the comfort of financial security into serving my purpose, and it made me happy beyond words.


“My songwriting changed,” she continues. “I call it a ‘divine downloading’ where I get my songs through channeling. The songs on Call for a Snake are about different aspects of our spiritual journey. I only understood the concept afterwards as the different parts became clear to me gradually.”

Based in Finland, previous releases set the stage for GEA warmly acclaimed welcome into the North American music scene; she was nominated for ‘Best Emerging International Artist’ at Indie Week, and her song “Followers” was licensed to Netflix series directed by Emmy Award-winning Michele Josue, Happy Jail. GEA’s music video for “Alone” won a Hollywood Golden Film Award for ‘Best Editing,’ and “Pink” was crowned “Best Soundtrack Award” at the Social Machinery Film Festival.

“Despite” is the premiere single from GEA’s forthcoming release, Call for a Snake released June 12th by Fragity Records, Songwriting & Lyrics: GEA Recording & Production: Chris Birkett, 2 Mounties Media Inc Vocal recording: Oona Kapari Mastering: Fred Kevorkian, Kevorkian Mastering, inc. Vocals: GEA Keyboard, percussion, bass and guitars: Chris Birkett Recorded at: Hailuoto & Helsinki, Finland & Toronto, Canada Mastered at: Brooklyn, New York. - Record World

Call For A Snake como disco ha estrenado su segundo “Brightness Of Stars”

Gea nos continúa deleitando con ese sonido art-rock que se describe como fuerte y místico. Después de lanzar “Predefined” llega una canción con un mensaje de confort y luz a personas con problemas de ansiedad y depresión.

“El mensaje de este álbum es que toda la sabiduría que necesitas está dentro de ti. La serpiente está guardando este conocimiento antiguo e intuitivo, y sólo necesitas despertar tu voz interior para acceder a ella”-

Los problemas de salud mental aquejan un grave problema hoy en día, su visibilidad cae vez en más fuerte, y que mejor que la música nos ayude a entender lo que pasa.

Esta canción es un homenaje para todos esas personas que sufren de ansiedad y depresión. Con un mensaje de esperanza GEA nos narra los momentos que se viven al perder a un amigo por un tema tan sensible como lo es el suicidio.


La fuerza de las emociones es el muro que construye a Gea como artista, así mismo la pasión construye todo en este nuevo disco. Anhelo, amor y fuerza a través de paisajes fantásticos dignos de un cuento de hadas. - Digger

GEA is an ethereal storyteller from the North. She creates unique music through channeling. Her music has been heard in Netflix series Happy Jail, and her music videos have won a few awards at film festivals. She toured with her earlier releases (Butterflies 2017, Snow 2019)in Japan, USA, Canada and Mexico. Yet, her boldest move is her brand new album, Call For A Snake. It’s a stirring and soothing journey that invites the listener on a spiritual adventure.

The album process started when GEA was treated unfairly at work, and instead of listening to her screaming ego, she decided to try yoga. Daily yoga led her through the crisis as a winner, so she stuck with it. Little did she know that it would release powerful energies in her and change her entire life. She quit her job a year later and started to write this album.

“All of the sudden the things that used to make sense to me, didn’t. I had many emotional and physical symptoms that led to a complete lifestyle change. I no longer couldn’t consume coffee, alcohol and meat. When we were in Hailuoto recording this album, I became aware of the concept of kundalini awakening, and realized that I had had one while writing it,” GEA explains.


Call For A Snake is a call for Kundalini energy. The songs are richly textured and musical, and they sonically span genres such as ambient, electronic, tribal, acoustic and symphonic music, 1980s dark wave, and indie-pop. The album is bisected by four parts, and each division is dedicated to a phase in our spiritual awakening. These passages of enlightenment are symbolized by the following spirit animals: a snake, a swan, a crow and a snow bunting.

The album begins from the darker sleeping stage, carefully leading the listeners towards awakening. The first section (tracks 1-4), “crow”, represents the threats of staying passive; the pain of choosing not to wake up, and these are the dark and tribal tracks. The second section (tracks 5-8), “snake”, represents the Kundalini energy residing dormant within us. The snake tracks are mysterious but comforting, and epitomized by the album’s title track. The third section (tracks 9-11), the “swan” batch of songs exude the beauty, gratitude and joy of being awake, and this grouping of songs is celebratory. The album ends with the “snow bunting” songs (tracks 12-14) that evoke innocence; the purity we only experience in birth and death.

The album was completed by people from four countries working remotely due the pandemic. It was produced by Grammy and Juno award-winning Canadian producer Chris Birkett who has collaborated with such icons as Sinead O’Connor, Alison Moyet, Talking Heads, Quincy Jones, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Steve Earle. Vocal recording was done by renowned Finnish recording engineer/producer Oona Kapari. The album was mastered in Brooklyn by Fred Kevorkian and the graphic design was done by a team of award winning designers in Tallinn, Estonia called bynew.co.

“My message with this album is that all the wisdom you need is inside of you. The snake is guarding this spiritual knowledge, and you just need to wake up your inner voice to access it,” GEA says. - Amplify Music Magazine

Helsinki’s GEA is a passenger of the universe. If I believed in the concept of genre, I would categorize her latest EP, Snow (released April 12, 2019 via FBP Music) as “music that sounds like it was made in outer space.” It’s ethereal, translucent, and the moment her haunting soprano permeates my brain, it feels as if a pink glow is emanating from my body. That is the power that indie pop artist, GEA, possesses. It’s as if she has the energy of the entire universe rushing through her and she is bestowing upon us the gift of a tale so old it is almost incomprehensible. It is the story of everything that is, was, and ever will be. It is the story of Snow.

Starting off this five song journey is “Time,” a song that sounds as though it is being sung by elven creatures. This celestial tune begins with the ghostly echo of GEA’s empyrean vocals. Her voice echoes itself, completely encompassing the listener in a bath of celestial sound and light. As the song progresses, its simple melody is maintained, yet layers of vocal tracks and drum machines are expertly placed to create a sense of anticipation. It is not clear exactly where GEA is taking us, but wherever it is, it is bound to be magnificent.

What follows is the title track, “Snow.” It was the first song written for the record and was born in a fit of inspiration after taking a deep dive into the music of Agnes Obel, a Danish singer/songwriter whose music carries a similar grandiosity and melancholy. The song sounds as if it was plucked directly from the universe of Lord of the ring and brings to mind images of mythical characters trudging through a snowy forest. Listening to Snow, I can feel the cold biting at my nose. I can feel the exhaustion of a day spent in the snow and the stillness of the winter at first snowfall. It is a testament of her talent that GEA is able to channel the natural elements directly into the listener’s eardrums simply through her voice and a couple of instruments.

Following “Snow” is the true heart and soul of the EP: “In Memoriam” is a song about grief.

“This EP is also influenced a lot by a death of a friend,” GEA shared earlier this year. “A young boy, who at the age of three told to his mom that he has come to this world to be a snow angel. During a tragic December night he died on the first snow at age of thirteen, next to my home. I wrote the song ‘In Memoriam’ to honor his life.“

GEA tells us. Initially the song is steeped in a grave sadness and takes the form of a funeral dirge. Her sobering soprano echoes over a melancholy orchestra.

“I will wait, I will wait.”
She sings like a ghost hovering over the body of a dying little boy. As the song carries on, it turns from a dirge, to something a little more hopeful and GEA’s vocal tracks transform from ghostly and haunting to a chorus of Angels. The light at the end of the tunnel.

Following “In Memoriam” is “Blueberry Sky,” a song that appears to be dripping in simple syrup and “Untrue,” a doleful and reflective tune that perfectly concludes our journey.

In 19 minutes, GEA has taken us deep inside the universe, nature, and human connection.

The Snow EP is short, yet listening all the way through can feel as though you have lived a thousand lifetimes. She has taken us into the body of a grieving mother, a weary traveller, and seemingly inside of nature itself. The divinity that transpires through her vocals and instrumentation is utterly unique and deeply meaningful. Her ability to carry the listener away from the mortal world and into a realm of emotional connectivity solely through her music is not only rare, but wholly inspiring. Consider listening to this EP all the way through, perhaps on a car ride or a long walk. You may find that you are never quite the same again. - Atwood Magazine

GEA returns in fine form by introducing us to a wintery wonderland of emotion, empathy and forward-thinking in the shape of new EP Snow.

Music has always been, and will always be, a way for artists to come to terms with current events in their lives. Although new record Snow from GEA has strong messages of happiness and responsibility for our planet, it’s also influenced by the death of a friend. This gives the EP depths and messages that are far more personal and existential and has allowed the music to feel more genuine against a wider range of emotions.

Time kicks off the EP with Angelic, layered vocals against echo-laden but gentle bells. It all sounds very wondrous and like you’re trapped in something like an underground ice cave. The track really comes into its own when heavy bass starts rolling forward against drum sounds, changing up the track completely. The chorus then takes on an indie-pop sound as drums change once again amongst a mesmerizing atmosphere and distorted background guitar. It’s both pretty and devious at the same time.



Snow feels much more haunting from the off and a lot more epic; you can see where certain Game of Thrones soundtrack comparisons have come from. Beleaguered strings gently rise and fall as GEA uses her perfectly pitched vocals to carry the weight of the track as the music dances around her. With musical rises and falls throughout, this allows for certain elements to be focussed on and really brings out that sense of urgency and drama.

In Memoriam’s gentle beginnings and focus on vocals is perfectly cultured before the organ is introduced, carried forward into a chorus with pop connotations and rolling drums. Think Enya crossed with Bjork and Coldplay; quite the cast of influences. Blueberry Sky’s gentle plinking bells set the scene for a folk-pop track that has the attitude of the Irish with the jauntiness of a ballroom masquerade party. This is all wrapped up amongst infectious melodies and rhythms.

The EP finishes with the beautiful Untrue. With vocals deserving comparisons to Kate Bush, the track saunters along at a slow pace amongst sparse instrumentation. The gravelly sound provides atmosphere with GEA completely comfortable in letting everything progress around her, with the hypnotist track gradually ebbing out without needing to go anywhere.

Snow is a harmonious EP that focuses on letting the music tell the stories. Imagery is created in your mind throughout of wintery tales, sorrow and drama, but this is all warmed by GEA’s vocals and confidence in her words. Snow is a definite step forward musically and the beginnings of an artist finding her sound.

Score: 4/5

By Jamie Parmenter - Vinyl Chapters

It’s a tough balance the Finnish artist known ad GEA is trying to hit: combining traditional folk music with electronica and even EDM is no easy feat. On her last EP Butterflies, GEA’s answer was to go minimal, with only a few ambient electronic ornamentation and even less in the way of backing music. It was nonetheless a triumph, taking ambient, soulful electronica to a level it really hasn’t seen since the early 00s. On her new EP Snow, GEA has gown bolder, bringing in a full compliment of traditional instrumentalists as well as adding more electronic flavor not only in the ambient background but in the beat. The results are stunning.





When recording traditional Nordic music, it stands to reason that some ambient electronic elements need to be added, as most of the style GEA does comes from ancient cattle calling vocal songs. There is a tremendous amount of echo in these songs due to the landscape they’re performed on and that’s what gives them their beautiful, ethereal quality. Some might remember the video of a woman (Jonna Jiton) in a field in Sweden calling to the cows and how stunning it was just with a good microphone. That is the tone and timbre of GEA’s extraordinary voice and it can easily stand alone, so anything she adds to the songs compositionally is a bonus.

With Snow, it’s clear that GEA took some chances, adding lots more electronic elements into the opening track “Time” and the title track. in fact, “Time” comes very close to a trip hop or slow breakbeat. In the latter portion of the EP GEA takes even more chances, adding an indie flavor and some avant-garde composition to “In Memorian,” “Blueberry Sky” an closing track “Untrue.”

At the same time, she adds more traditional instrumental elements to these last few tracks: traditional Nordic strings, flutes and drums. She even includes some more primal-sounding drum patterns. It’s interesting because while many of these beats are being made on analog drums and have been for centuries in Scandinavia and Finland, they sound thoroughly modern and even, dare we way, mixable.

Snow really speaks for itself as an album and is another triumph for GEA. Music this timeless really doesn’t need to be defined by a genre; GEA’s struck a beautiful and universal chord here. Here’s hoping she continues to connect modern music with its ancient history for a long time to come.

Snow is out now on FPB Music and can be streamed on Spotify and YouTube. - Your EDM

With her beautiful, angelic voice, like a gift from the ancients and her spiraling, soaring sounds GEA creates an almost circus like atmosphere full of layered vocals and gorgeous beats where one has the feeling that absolutely anything could happen.

Laura Avonius records under the name “GEA” and her sound is hard to describe. Her music puts one in mind of Bjork and Julee Cruise, but she’s far more mediaeval and icey in a Nordic way, full of humor and warmth. She writes song about love, life and whatever the universe seems to be channeling through her.
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The songs are haunting, ethereal, full of fascinating percussion and instruments more at home in folk music. But this doesn’t sound like folk music. Her fluid keys and lovely atmospheric sound design and production create a space all her own. Avonius was inspired by heartbreak as well on the track “Snow” by the death of a friend. Our lives give us memories both happy and painful to inspire us to create.

This is a truly lovely EP. GEA’s sound is epic and polished and inspiring. Her deeply cinematic sound is hopeful and energized as well as powerfully soothing. It sounds like victory and peace and we need some peace in our lives right now. Loved it!

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Musicians:

GEA - vocals, keyboard, piano

Mikkoa H Haapoja - bowed lyre, cello, keyboard, beats

Meriheini Luoto, violin

Lassi Kari, contrabass

Sarah Palu, harp

Joonas Hakava, beats - NoHo Arts District

Searching in the evening for free drinks and something different, ended up at the Finnish Home Party, a party sponsored by the nation of Finland that was in a literal home. It made for an unusual of awkward arrangement, a house next to a vacant lot on the East Side, with tiny rooms inside, arrayed around a small space in a square hallway, which one could see from four different rooms. But there was also free Arctic Blue Gin (at least until it ran out) and Pulled Oats faux meat tacos.

The tiny room lent itself to solo artists, like New Silver Girl, the enchanting songstress Anni, and the more sophisticated GEA. - QRO Magazine

GEA Releases Dynamically Layered Electro-Acoustic Single ‘Time’

GEA’s debut album Butterflies got critical acclaim and put her on the map as a unique ethereal female artist. Now the Finnish singer-songwriter releases the first single “Time” from her upcoming
EP ‘Snow’.

GEA debuted ‘Time’ at Festival Ajusco in Mexico City as the final song in her set. After it ended the audience kept on singing it. The song begins with a personal story of a past lover. Towards the end the story grows into much more important message: ‘We have no time, we have no time to waste. Changing my life, changing one day at the time.’ It means that we are responsible of our own happiness. We are responsible of our own and our planet’s well-being.

The single cover art is very meaningful part of the music. The art is taken from a painting called ‘Connections’ by Susanna Sivonen. She painted it in New York during GEA’s live performances and it is a visual continuation of GEA’s music.

The song ‘Time’ has a soft melody combined with expansive and dynamically layered Nordic sounds. The floor bass drum and supporting infectious beats are very interesting progression to her earlier, very minimalistic style. - It's Indie

GEA recently dropped her full-length album, Butterflies. Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, GEA is the musical project of singer-songwriter Laura Avonius, who says, “Butterflies is a personal journey of moving from being broken towards growing to become who I am.”

Stylistically, GEA blends traditional Finnish folk music with ambient electronic music, reflecting the contrast of light and dark found in the Nordic region. The resulting sound is full of coruscating sonic panoramas, both mysterious and mystical.

Butterflies contains ten tracks. “Followers” presents a twinkling synth over a pulsing groove, along with delicate strings vibrating with deep sonority. GEA’s ethereal, fairy-like vocals glide diaphanously over the melody. “Pink” begins with piano and strings, delivering an elegant, fragile melody. The melody floats light and airy as GEA’s angelic voice trembles with rich sweetness. An organ-like synth adds depth and layering beneath the mellow piano.

“Friendship Hoax” emanates a bright, sparkling piano that’s almost tinny, along with light strings and a staccato beat. The tune shimmers with fragility, as does GEA’s waiflike voice. “Alone” starts off with a bluesy piano and trickling sound effects. GEA’s voice ranges from deep and sultry to unearthly levitation. A reedy synth riding over the piano provides contrasting texture, allowing for variation of color. It’s a beautiful tune.

“Little Detail” strikes a discordant note because of too many high tones, giving the tune a dense layering of peeping resonance. “Wind” begins with a delicate piano and GEA’s airy voice. The melody takes on a somber tone as GEA’s voice descends and then becomes breathy. The tune resembles a dark nursery rhyme. “Steps Out Of Sight” begins with chimes and a piano, along with an emergent synth followed by light strings. The tune carries a remote classical resemblance, minimal and brightly austere.

“Real You And Me” exudes a Finnish folk flavor initially, then segues to a new wave pop essence luminous with pigmented rhythmic elements. The vocals donate a singsong tang that’s a bit cloying. “Enemies” offers a slow, melodic piano intro, followed by GEA’s ethereal voice, resonant with melancholy and a devout texture. The title track begins with a luminous piano and GEA’s high-pitched, flute-like voice. The tune is supremely minimalistic and perhaps a bit jarring because of the juddering quality of the vocal timbre.

Butterflies has much to offer, with the first half of the album being superior to the second half. GEA’s voice works best when the melodies are stronger and more fluid, i.e. when the electronic flow of the music adds depth, texture and color, thus allowing her ethereal voice to stand out against the cascading harmonics of the instruments. If you’re into ethereal, spectral music, then you should definitely check out Butterflies. - Huffington Post

Laura Avonius, who records under the moniker GEA, creates the kind of ethereal pop that draws comparisons to Sigur Ros. Lushly orchestral, the songs wrap themselves seductively around you until you are listening with all of your senses. Avonius draws on her upbringing in northern Finland both musically and thematically. The Lapland landscape is both intensely beautiful and daunting for its extreme climate and vacillation between intensely light and endlessly dark. Now based in Helsinki, Avonius teemed up with a trio of musicians to realize her vision for her debut LP, “Butterflies.” Horn and string arrangements buttress introspective piano driven tracks like “Alone.” The opening piano riff is a catchy pop hook played with melancholy and echoes of Fiona Apple. It’s augmented by a violin trill played by producer Mikko H Haapoja that becomes the backbone of the song’s melody. On the following track, “Little Detail,” another Mikko (Kangas) steals the show with a trumpet solo that envelops the melody while expanding upon it. - Huffington Post

Helsinki, Finland-based alternative pop songstress GEA floats in the rarified realm of a subdued Bjork and Kate Bush, caressing the senses with electro-ambient and piano pop soundscapes and her hushed to bright, Scandi-accented, airy vocals.

In April of this year she released her Pink EP. The title track from that has made its way onto GEA’s latest record, the radiant, reflective, and buoyantly fluttering Butterflies. The artist has described this LP as her personal voyage into blossoming into who she is today, and how that journey is continual and never static.

The sounds captured on Butterflies are equally ephemeral, flitting to and fro, delightfully restless in their quest and attainment of beautiful melodies and charming harmonies. There is also plenty of introspection, lyrics-wise, about uncertainty, self-identity, fear of change, and emotional strength and metamorphosis.

Calling card “Pink” is a reflective piano piece with electronic touches and an ever-shifting energy that is wrapped in a serene exterior. On “Friendship Hoax”, GEA sings in a child-like tone against high piano plink, a burbling beat, and hit chimes. GEA yearns poignantly on “Alone”, lilting through lines about being “away from home.” She’s accompanied by sharply bittersweet violin, contemplative piano notes, and a muffled beat.

“Little Detail” features muted trumpet, delicately rippling piano, a squelching beat, and GEA plaintively exclaiming how a plant needs to, “…reach for the sky, the rainbow, the light.”, a reference to the change and growth that GEA is experiencing on her odyssey as a person.

GEA is joined by a male vocalist on “Real You And Me”, an upbeat, more pop-oriented number. A dynamic drum beat tracks through percussive accents as GEA and her vocal consort sing-talk about how, “…I could teach you how to fly / …up in sky.”

Album-ender “Butterflies” is a stripped down, but potent composition of just GEA singing, backed by light piano notes. The song is a lesson in courage and following your dreams, with GEA revealing, “No one taught them how to fly / They just open their wings to try.” It’s a fitting statement and destination for the album, just one stopping point on GEA’s (and our) (ad)venture of personal exploration and transformation. - Stereo Embers Magazine

GEA are an ambient indie pop group out of Finland who have been slowly releasing singles from their LP Butterfliessince late last year. Critics hailed “Pink” and “Alone,” which now appear on the album, as a cross between Bjork and Tori Amos with their piano-infused electronica, but now that the full album has been released, it’s clear that they are in a category all their own.

The most striking thing about GEA is their ability to weave traditional Scandanavian instruments and sounds into what is generally an ambient song base. This caught the band quite a bit of critical attention ahead of the release of Butterflies, but no one was prepared for how varied this album would be. Because the first two singles largely followed similar structures, tracks like the almost completely analog “Little Detail” and “Wind,” which borders on experimental due to its incorporation of recorded sounds were complete surprises, although now unpleasant ones.

What makes Butterflies most interesting from an electronic standpoint is how the group uses traditional, almost folk-adjacent beat structures in many of their tracks like “Followers” and “Real You and Me” but turns them into ambient electronic beats, adding a modern context but also a deeper layer than both the average indie pop and the average ambient. It also very much re-affirms what Bjork and some others say about electronic music indeed being ancient and tribal, no matter what compositional medium is used. In GEA’s case it’s a mix of analog and electronic media, and the result is stark and gorgeous. - Your EDM

innish musician GEA says of her album, “I wish it to inspire people to acknowledge that anything organic, anything alive is in constant movement. We change and grow constantly, towards what we should be, towards our potential.” Not only is Butterflies successful in this regard, but it reflects its message in the shifting of style and tone that occurs throughout. A true metamorphosis of sound.

Butterflies, like the organic being it is named for, is never static, and never remains in the same territory for long. Beginning with the delicate, earthy “Followers”, the album kicks off on perhaps the strongest note. From there we move into similarly fluid “Pink”, which creates a sense of mourning in the scale of the strings and the click of the percussion.

Starting a trend, the album makes its first pivot to face a new genre. As though she is continuously turning towards an ever-moving light, GEA uses her voice to reflect her source of inspiration, and on “Alone” and “Little Detail” she faces a more traditional sound. “Little Detail” features the luscious inclusion of horns, which adds a uniqueness that is paralleled by the inclusion of a second voice later, on “Real You and Me” — a duet with a dash of playfulness.

The sound of nature is also a repeated motif on Butterflies, and often in the form of water. The gentle trickle of piano cascades like rivulets down a window on “Wind”, and the actual sounds of the waves crashing supplements the heavier “Enemy”, which is a ballad worthy of being sung across rocky shores.

The album concludes with a simpler, more music-box like song. “Butterflies” brings the spotlight once more to GEA’s voice, and her range is showcased, leaving the stylistically tumultuous album on a steady note, and anxious to see where the always moving, always changing GEA will bring next. - New Sick Music

Ellenwood-EP debuted GEA, an ambient indie pop group out of Finland a few months ago with their groundbreaking video for “Pink”. It was the first single off their now released Butterflies album. “Pink” and “Alone,” were released months before Butterflies and by the time the third, “Wind” was released, critics were clamoring for the full album. As a quiet and operatic cross between Bjork and Tori Amos with their piano-infused electronica, GEA have created a category all their own with Butterflies.

In addition to pitch-perfect operatic vocals, sparse and resonant piano accompaniments and electronic flourishes when needed, GEA weave traditional Scandanavian instruments and sounds into each track, adding to the haunting and timleless quality of their sound. That said, the album is surprisingly varied. Tracks like the almost completely analog “Little Detail” and “Wind” border on experimental, while “Followers” and “Real You and Me” incorporate electronic music into folk-adjacent beat structures. This tactic adds a complexity to GEA’s sound which audiences may not even notice. The execution of the music in addition to what is done with the ambient space is always what takes a song from technically interesting to evocative and transcendent, and GEA have certainly mastered this on Butterflies.  - Ellenwood EP

Review Summary: A promising debut album by a Finnish singer that is on a good track to earn that elusive epithet as 'ethereal'.
Ethereal has become a term used to describe female vocals in modern music for almost everybody girl/woman who either has a high-pitched voice a very specific one or a voice that has been filtered through a series of production elements. At some point, it included everybody from Joan Baez and Judy Collins, through Nico, Kate Bush, Siouxsie, Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Frazer, Bjork to some unknown current singer trying to emerge from anonymity.

Rarely though do they fit that elusive, ‘ethereal’ description. All those pr men trying to fit their new act along with Kate Bush or Bjork, and concentrating on certain voice characteristics forget one key element involved - the music has to match the voice in one way or other to earn such a comparison. Based on the evidence of her debut album Butterflies, Finnish singer GEA, to her parents known as Laura, is on a good track to earn that title at some point. GEA’s voice is certainly unique, on all the tunes here she sings in a high register, but never attempting or reaching a high pitch that can be unnerving sometimes, even with established singers like Joan Baez. At some points, it even has a fragile, almost vulnerable quality that made artists like Vashti Bunyan a cult act.

But what makes GEA’s music reach points where it could be considered to have ethereal qualities is her sense of melody and smart incorporation of Finnish musical elements and instruments (“Followers”) or subtle electronics and strings (“Steps Out Of Sight”), which showcase her music studies background and obvious skills of the producer and arranger Mikko H. Haapoja. At moments though, it is evident that GEA is yet to fully develop, particularly when she is left alone with her voice and a sole instrument (“Wind”). The solo setting though is much better used on “Enemy”, where the piano coda and voice really work well together and the touches of sounds of the waves and a Finnish wind instrument really complement the song. There’s even a commercial potential to be heard, like on “Real You And Me”, one of the more lively tracks here, where GEA’s voice is put to good use.

In essence, a very interesting and promising debut, where further musical growth could bring some fine ‘ethereal’ music. - Sputnik Music

Alternative pop group GEA hail from Helsinki, Finland, where they craft a magically inviting vein of music that has been compared to the likes of Sigur Ros. The first track off their new album Butterflies, “Followers”, is indicative of their atmospheric reach. Gentle chimes and tugging strings complement the serene vocals of GEA, which weave cohesively around the key chimes and melancholic strings with a sort of endearing sweetness. It’s a captivating track that can transport feelings of chaos to another world, replacing them with serenity.

On the album, which is streaming in full below, GEA says: “Butterflies is a personal journey of moving from being broken towards growing to become who I am. I wish it to inspire people to acknowledge that anything organic, anything alive is in constant move. We change and grow constantly, towards what we should be, towards our potential. Resisting those changes and growth is what makes us unhappy. What if you are a butterfly but you have developed strong identity and ego as a worm? For me it meant that I had all this music in me for years, but it took quite extreme circumstances to have courage to let it out.” - Obscure Sound

GEA’s new single ‘Pink’ sounds like the landscape of the singer-songwriters’ native Finland; cool, cascading, vibrant and serene. The track opens with thoughtful instrumentation, piano melodies mixed
with minimalistic electronic arrangements. GEA’s gentle vocals against the halcyon orchestration swirls into a dizzying concoction, masterfully blending together. GEA’s sound is light and airy, full of magic and mystery. As GEA gently hymns the lyrics to ‘Pink’, we are transcended into an atmosphere of serenity and mystic, glowing with promise. GEA’s lyrics are sung in cursive, connecting and reacting to
create an eloquent and unforgettable refrain, ‘Pink’ leaves us curious for more. - SOM Magazine

Pink är debutsingeln med den finska GEA, som är artistnamnet för Laura Avonius. Låten bjuder på ett vackert ljudlandskap som hålls upp av pianospel och GEAs sång. Vemodigt, sorgligt och väldigt fint.
Låten är tagen från sångerskan kommande EP med samma namn på vilken hon samarbetat med Mikko H. Haapoja. - Pop Muzik

GEA to arystka ze stolicy Finlandii, Helsinek. I jak to mieszkańcy północy mają w zwyczaju, jest chłodno, minimalistycznie i pięknie. To pierwszy singiel GEA a.k.a. Laury Avonius; - Pan od Muzyki

Gea is the stage name of Helsinki based singer-songwriter Laura Avonius. Her track Followers is a charming and entrancing number with windchimes and violins providing a beautiful counterplay to a minimal electronic backing. Followers brings artists like Bjork and Kate Bush to mind, without being derivative. - Electronic North

Originating from Helsinki, GEA’s has often been compared to notable artists such as Kate Bush, Florence and the Machine, and even Sigur Ros. GEA’s unique, experimental sound is one that has taken many listeners by storm as they are blasted by its serene, yet unprecedented beauty that is captured and held within each chord.

GEA has released a new single from her upcoming debut album, titled ‘Pink’ to be released in April 2017, which features a surreal combination of sounds, rhythms and instrumentation to accompany her angelic and soothing voice. In GEA’s own words, the sound is ‘full of mystery’ and reflective of the singer’s landscape in native Finland. Those that are also Finnish will be reminded of the dreamscape-like aesthetics in which they originated from as they play this album from beginning to end.

For those unfamiliar with GEA’s sound, watch and listen below the music video for her current single song, ‘Pink’ below:

GEA has gained buzz in recent months, playing at the Finnish Art and Design Festival in New York, multiple fashion events, and has recognized in the semi-finals in the esteemed Los Angeles CineFest. - Mogul

We are so excited that GEA is set to release her debut album "Pink" soon and we decided to review her title track to get a feel for what the entire album has in store. In this track alone, we get the feel for the entire album as light and airy, full of magic and mystery. We know everyone loves a good mystery, even as simple of a mystery as “Who took the last cookie from the cookie jar?”. All jokes aside, “Pink” is just so serene and relaxing that we feel we are under a cascading waterfall listening to the soothing sounds of water falling to it’s next destination. As if we are travelling through a spiritual journey to find our inner peace.

https://soundcloud.com/geasongs/pink

The songs are based on a piano led acoustic instrumentations combined with minimalistic electronic arrangements giving room to the authenticity and rawness of emotions and vocals. If you listen carefully, we can listen to them using some forgotten instruments from traditional Finnish folk to create that essential euphoric atmosphere. Get lost with GEA as you prepare for her album, “Pink”. - Kurrent Music

GEA (Laura Avonius) is an indie pop/experimental singer and songwriter from Helsinki, Finland. If her edgy and creative artistry within her photos didn’t catch your attention, her music surely will.
With a sound often described as full of magic and mystery, GEA uses her piano to create her music along with traditional Finnish folk instruments to make a more modern sound. During her early years, GEA would compose songs for her school choir and study piano playing. That’s why for us, the piano wasn’t such a surprising instrument for her weapon of choice.
But watching and listening to “Pink,” listeners can hear the raw emotion in GEA’s voice. That emotion comes from a dark period in her life. Although she may have struggled, song writing is what picked her spirits up again. The part that struck us most within the video for “Pink” was seeing a letter reading, “There are no Finnish police here to help psycho women,” being burned to flames by someone. That’s where the mystery in GEA’s music shows. She makes her listeners think about what she’s singing, as well the message she’s trying to portray.
Check out GEA’s video for “Pink” below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa-_6nVI4xU

Websites
http://geaofficial.com/
https://www.instagram.com/geamusicofficial/
https://twitter.com/official_gea
https://www.facebook.com/geamusicofficial/
https://soundcloud.com/geasongs - Indie-music.com

World-renowned producer Mikko H. Haapoja teams up with Laura Avonius because this world needs more collaborations between two musicians who can get the best out of each other. Too many times we see artists go through the motions to give people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.

“Pink” is just so serene and relaxing that we feel we are under a cascading waterfall listening to the soothing sounds of water falling to it’s next destination. As if we are travelling through a spiritual journey to find our inner peace. The songs are based on a piano led acoustic instrumentations combined with minimalistic electronic arrangements giving room to the authenticity and rawness of emotions and vocals. If you listen carefully, we can listen to them using some forgotten instruments from traditional Finnish folk to create that essential euphoric atmosphere. Get lost with GEA as you prepare for her album, “Pink”. - Vents Magazine

One great thing that has come out of folk music in the modern age is that it’s become more of an attitude. We live in a world where, arguably, an artist like RiverChild is just as “folk” as, say Angel Olsen—after all, this site right here has covered them both! So, when an artist comes along with a synth-brush, hushed affair along the lines of Sigur Ros or Mogwai like Helsinki-born and bred GEA, we are happy to jump at the occasion to offer them a spotlight. So long as their craftsmanship embraces a compelling story, it still bears the one common thread that all folk music has maintained for as long as anyone could possibly remember.

The Finnish artist takes cues from the latest Bon Iver in developing an offbeat, hypnotic soundscape for listeners to become ensnared in on her new single, “Pink”. The accommodating music video is equally as captivating in its tranquility as it depicts GEA quite literally burning away her past beside some stunning natural scenery. Most notably for new listeners of the artist may very well be how purely scintillating her voice alone is, and how easy it is to get lost in its lilting qualities on this record—much in the same way that one might in the aural landscapes often produced by Aurora when she sings.

All in all, this is a striking work indicative of a masterful developer of artpop, and one that we here at For Folk’s Sake are looking forward to hearing the whole of once GEA drops her upcoming album sometime this spring.

Words by: Jonat - For Folk's Sake

Review 5/5 stars

GEA is Laura Avonius’ stage moniker and serves as a vehicle for the pop/experimental songstress to showcase her talents and establish herself as a rising indie musician hailing from Helsinki. Her music subsequently harkens to the natural terrain of Finland. As a native, she has well traversed the landscape of her homeland. Elements of both light and darkness and harsh and soft are shown within the EP, entitled, Pink. A collaboration between Avonius and multi-talented sound artist, musician and producer Mikko H. Haapoja, Pink nourishes a serene and invitingly lush soundscape that exponentially depicts the Finnish landscape. Following piano led acoustics and electronic beats, Pink also incorporates traditional Finnish folk instruments taken in a more modern context, giving these instruments a new refreshing tilt.

The opener, “Followers,” is an experimental and intuitively drawn track that coheres to surreal textures and ethereal, avant-garde soundscapes. Electronic arrangements buffer lush strings and all this cohesively melds together an insular world that is heartfelt and soulful. With vocal ability that blends raw emotions and dramatic fissures into airy, dramatic music, Avonius’ singing and songwriting skills is filled to capacity with atmospheric tension.

The next song is the title-track, “Pink,” which is a piano led track that is orchestrated to give listeners an authentic and highly atmospheric experience. The minimalistic style of just simple piano acoustics and vocals peppered with bare electronics expansively encompasses the raw emotional power of Avonius’ vocals alone. Avonius’ crystalline singing heavily ties into the vibrancy of the folk sound.

Toward “Alone,” “Wind,” and “Steps Out of Sight”, we see the beat picking up in these piano based tracks. These buoyant and melodious tracks offer flowy, sparse acoustics arranged in a timeless manner.

On “Enemy”, we hear the crashing of waves in the backdrop of the track and later on, an exquisite piano melody that will have a calming effect on listeners. The fragile music filled with vulnerable vocals and sweeping landscapes that can be imagined in the visionary outcome, resounds with a depth that can be attested. There is a sense of mystery to this highly innovative music that mixes quiet treading magical expressions and fantastical elements into its approach. There is definitely an underlying driving force to this EP along with the sound of waves and the shrieking of seagulls moving over the surface.

Pink closes with “Real You and Me”, a track that picks up the pace with a more catchy vibe and a more fun-driven sound. The upbeat cadences and happy-go-lucky, infectious feel reels in jolting guitar riffs to provide for an enjoyable melody that will definitely grow on you. - The Celebrity Cafe

Pink EP got a lot of reviews in magazines and music blogs. They have been collected on GEA's webpage. - Several

We all need music to sit back and meditate to especially in today’s chaotic modern world. That’s why my ears perk up every time I find a quality ambient song, or even better a full album. Butterflies is 10-tracks of dreamy and peaceful sonic bliss. So check it out below and enjoy. - EDM Sauce

GEA are an ambient indie pop group out of Finland who have been slowly releasing singles from their LP Butterflies since late last year. Critics hailed “Pink” and “Alone,” which now appear on the album, as a cross between Bjork and Tori Amos with their piano-infused electronica, but now that the full album has been released, it’s clear that they are in a category all their own.

The most striking thing about GEA is their ability to weave traditional Scandanavian instruments and sounds into what is generally an ambient song base. This caught the band quite a bit of critical attention ahead of the release of Butterflies, but no one was prepared for how varied this album would be. Because the first two singles largely followed similar structures, tracks like the almost completely analog “Little Detail” and “Wind,” which borders on experimental due to its incorporation of recorded sounds were complete surprises, although now unpleasant ones.

What makes Butterflies most interesting from an electronic standpoint is how the group uses traditional, almost folk-adjacent beat structures in many of their tracks like “Followers” and “Real You and Me” but turns them into ambient electronic beats, adding a modern context but also a deeper layer than both the average indie pop and the average ambient. It also very much re-affirms what Bjork and some others say about electronic music indeed being ancient and tribal, no matter what compositional medium is used. In GEA’s case it’s a mix of analog and electronic media, and the result is stark and gorgeous.

Butterflies by GEA is out now and streamable on their Soundcloud page. The album can be purchased on their website in both digital and limited vinyl formats. - Your EDM

GEA recently dropped her full-length album, Butterflies. Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, GEA is the musical project of singer-songwriter Laura Avonius, who says, “Butterflies is a personal journey of moving from being broken towards growing to become who I am.”

Stylistically, GEA blends traditional Finnish folk music with ambient electronic music, reflecting the contrast of light and dark found in the Nordic region. The resulting sound is full of coruscating sonic panoramas, both mysterious and mystical.

Butterflies contains ten tracks. “Followers” presents a twinkling synth over a pulsing groove, along with delicate strings vibrating with deep sonority. GEA’s ethereal, fairy-like vocals glide diaphanously over the melody. “Pink” begins with piano and strings, delivering an elegant, fragile melody. The melody floats light and airy as GEA’s angelic voice trembles with rich sweetness. An organ-like synth adds depth and layering beneath the mellow piano.

“Friendship Hoax” emanates a bright, sparkling piano that’s almost tinny, along with light strings and a staccato beat. The tune shimmers with fragility, as does GEA’s waiflike voice. “Alone” starts off with a bluesy piano and trickling sound effects. GEA’s voice ranges from deep and sultry to unearthly levitation. A reedy synth riding over the piano provides contrasting texture, allowing for variation of color. It’s a beautiful tune.

“Little Detail” strikes a discordant note because of too many high tones, giving the tune a dense layering of peeping resonance. “Wind” begins with a delicate piano and GEA’s airy voice. The melody takes on a somber tone as GEA’s voice descends and then becomes breathy. The tune resembles a dark nursery rhyme. “Steps Out Of Sight” begins with chimes and a piano, along with an emergent synth followed by light strings. The tune carries a remote classical resemblance, minimal and brightly austere.

“Real You And Me” exudes a Finnish folk flavor initially, then segues to a new wave pop essence luminous with pigmented rhythmic elements. The vocals donate a singsong tang that’s a bit cloying. “Enemies” offers a slow, melodic piano intro, followed by GEA’s ethereal voice, resonant with melancholy and a devout texture. The title track begins with a luminous piano and GEA’s high-pitched, flute-like voice. The tune is supremely minimalistic and perhaps a bit jarring because of the juddering quality of the vocal timbre.

Butterflies has much to offer, with the first half of the album being superior to the second half. GEA’s voice works best when the melodies are stronger and more fluid, i.e. when the electronic flow of the music adds depth, texture and color, thus allowing her ethereal voice to stand out against the cascading harmonics of the instruments. If you’re into ethereal, spectral music, then you should definitely check out Butterflies.

Find out more about GEA here and here. - Huffington Post

Finnish Electro-folk / artpop act GEA blends the organic – mainly supplied by keyboards and piano – with minimalistic electronic arrangements to serve up a sound that is simultaneously modern and ancient, as you can hear on her track Alone. Check out the video below.

Just as the sparse Icelandic landscape inspires beauty in its minimalism, so does Alone. The splashes of musical colour are provided in the main by the ethereal vocals, but also by piano and violin rhythms which are inspired by ancient Finnish folk sounds. These all effortlessly combine to provide bright and dramatic contrast to the solid bedrock of the song. As the rocky plains of Iceland look primal yet are sometimes newly born a cataclysm of fire and ice, the track also captures that sense of a temporary permanence in musical form.

Alone is out now, and is available on all major digital platforms including Spotify. The track features on GEA’S Butterflies album which is out now in vinyl, CD and digital formats – you can find out more on her official website. - Electronic North

With her beautiful, angelic voice, like a gift from the ancients and her spiraling, soaring sounds GEA creates an almost circus like atmosphere full of layered vocals and gorgeous beats where one has the feeling that absolutely anything could happen.

Laura Avonius records under the name “GEA” and her sound is hard to describe. Her music puts one in mind of Bjork and Julee Cruise, but she’s far more mediaeval and icey in a Nordic way, full of humor and warmth. She writes song about love, life and whatever the universe seems to be channeling through her.

The songs are haunting, ethereal, full of fascinating percussion and instruments more at home in folk music. But this doesn’t sound like folk music. Her fluid keys and lovely atmospheric sound design and production create a space all her own. Avonius was inspired by heartbreak as well on the track “Snow” by the death of a friend. Our lives give us memories both happy and painful to inspire us to create.

This is a truly lovely EP. GEA’s sound is epic and polished and inspiring. Her deeply cinematic sound is hopeful and energized as well as powerfully soothing. It sounds like victory and peace and we need some peace in our lives right now. Loved it!

Musicians:

GEA - vocals, keyboard, piano

Mikkoa H Haapoja - bowed lyre, cello, keyboard, beats

Meriheini Luoto, violin

Lassi Kari, contrabass

Sarah Palu, harp

Joonas Hakava, beats - NoHo Arts District