Åland in Pop Culture
The spirit and natural beauty of the Åland Islands have inspired people all over the world. by Iona Hillman
Photos Courtesy Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer, pictured in L.A.
Jeremiah & Marta Sofia at Hotel Svala, Kumlinge, Åland, photo by Joyce Kim.
Recordings from the Åland Islands During the summer of 2017, two musicians–Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer–traveled to the Åland Islands to help friends build an inn for an artist residency program. Soon after their arrival, the two artists were taken by the Åland serenity and the natural soundscape of the archipelago. Almost five years later, Chiu and Honer released the album Recordings from the Åland Islands, a musical collaboration inspired by Åland. The songs combine the organic sounds of Åland’s environment with Chiu’s synthesizers and Honer’s string performance. As written in their description of the musical project, “Honer and Chiu’s collective pallet produces a vivid three-dimensional hyperreality of painterly tones and textures–bright and kaleidoscopic, but with a deeply warm, earthen resonance.” By transporting the listener into the center of Åland’s
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vibrant natural domain, the album presents a unique and exciting opportunity for individuals to discover the wonders of the Åland Islands. To listen and/or purchase the album visit https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/recordings-fromthe-land-islands. Sources: International Anthem. n.d. Twitter. March 11, 2022, 6:16 AM. Accessed June 15, 2022. https://mobile.twitter.com/intlanthem/status/1502287426680676355?cxt=HHwWhoCznZCdmdkpAAAA. Jeremiah Chiu and Marta Sofia Honer: Recordings from the Åland Islands. 2022. PopMatters. March 17, 2022. https://www.popmatters.com/jeremiah-chiu-marta-sofia-honer-recordings. Middleton, Ryan. n.d. Album Review: Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer—Recordings from the Åland Islands. Magnetic Magazine. Accessed June 15, 2022. https://www.magneticmag.com/2022/03/album-review-jeremiah-chiu-marta-sofia-honer-recordings-from-the-aland-islands/. Recordings from the Åland Islands, by Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer. n.d. International Anthem. Accessed June 15, 2022. https://intlanthem. bandcamp.com/album/recordings-from-the-land-islands.
