KEESOJEN LEHTO [AKA: THE MATHEMATICIAN'S AIR DISPLAY; THE CONSEQUENCES OF INDECISIONS]

Probably at the behest of Virgin Records' majordomo Richard Branson, Pohjola was paired with Virgin cash cow Mike Oldfield for his third solo outing. It didn't make for a TUBULAR BELLS level of sales, but the music, definitely more Pohjola than Oldfield, is certainly valid.

This was as close to a "band record" as Pohjola had ever come thus far, with synthesizers and other keyboards the only means of orchestration. Oldfield's distinctive mega-compressed guitars crop up here and there, adding a decided Oldfield touch. Big sister Sally gets into the act as well, adding some airy wordless vocals to several tracks. Most of the rest of the band (keyboardist Wlodek Gulgowski, guitarist Georg Wadenius and drummer Vesa Aaltonen, specifically) are made up of members of the band Made In Sweden, with whom Pohjola was playing bass at the time. Gong's Pierre Moerlen also sits in on drums on a few tracks, making this truly an all-star supersession.

The music, Pohjola's usual transcendent blend of jazziness and symphonic flourishes, varies from the epic 15-minute, 2-part "Pääntaivuttelun seuraukset" to the cartoony album-closer "Varjojen varaslähtö". The latter features frantic piano/harpsichord/mandolin playing, plus some crazed laughter from Sally.