Aino & Miihkali release new single “Ihana meri” on March 27, 2026
Aino & Miihkali will release their new single “Ihana meri” on Friday, March 27, 2026, on streaming platforms. The piece is based on Edith Södergran’s poem Ihmeellinen meri (“The Wonderful Sea”), whose timeless imagery takes on a new, musical form in the duo’s hands.
Kantele player and vocalist Aino Ruotanen, guitarist Miihkali Jaatinen, and drummer Anssi Nykänen—featured on the recording—create an airy sonic landscape in which kantele, kantele loops, guitar, drums, and percussion carry the vocal forward in a wave-like motion.
The composition was originally written in 2014, during a period when Ruotanen was creating a wide range of new music for kantele.
“Inspiration seemed to be everywhere. The poem felt timeless, and it seemed to crystallize many of the emotions I was experiencing at the time. I immediately felt that I wanted to compose music for it,” says Ruotanen.
“Ihana meri” was recorded and mixed by Miihkali Jaatinen at Aino & Miihkali’s Yellow Lodge home studio in Ikkala. The track was mastered by Pauli Saastamoinen (Finnvox).
Pre-save here: https://found.ee/ihana-meri
Lyrics:
- "Kummalliset kalat liukuvat syvyydessä,
- tuntemattomat kukat loistavat rannalla;
- olen nähnyt punaista ja keltaista ja kaikki toiset värit –
- mutta ihana meri on vaarallisin nähdä,
- se herättää tulevien seikkailujen janon:
- mitä on tapahtunut sadussa, on tapahtuva minullekin."
“Strange fish glide in the depths,
unknown flowers shine on the shore;
I have seen red and yellow and all the other colours –
but the wonderful sea is the most dangerous to behold,
it awakens a thirst for future adventures:
what has happened in the fairy tale will happen to me as well.”
Track details
Title: Ihana meri
Artist: Aino & Miihkali feat. Anssi Nykänen
Composer: Aino Ruotanen
Lyrics: Edith Södergran (1929), Finnish translation by Uuno Kailas
Arrangement: Aino & Miihkali
ISRC: FIAIR2600001