Mirror Ghost: Nocturne / Aubade

In the delicate transition from night to dawn, a profound transformation unfolds. The quiet of the night sweeps away the emotional remnants of the previous day, unveiling a new palette of colors and perspectives with the emerging sun.

The second album by Finnish electronic musician Mirror Ghost, “Nocturne / Aubade” invites listeners to reflect on the mysterious quality of this transition.


Infused with elements of ambient, dark contemporary jazz, modular synth music, and Japanese environmental music, “Nocturne / Aubade” takes cues from artists like Durutti Column, Bowery Electric, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Stars of the Lid.

The album opens with “Still,” a hauntingly beautiful blend of modular synthesizer harmony and chorused guitar, evoking a profound sense of longing. “Twilight Dub” blends degraded keyboard and flute loops with dubby rhythms and guides the listener to even darker paths, while the desperate distorted feedback on “Music for the Bottomless Void” is juxtaposed with glimmering chimes.

As morning breaks, we witness “Flight of the Cranes,” with gentle acoustic guitars weaving their intricate arpeggios. “Peonies Bloom” pulsates dreamily with ethereal fm-synthesized waves, sunlight finally filtering through the foliage on the album’s celestial ambient closer, “Gleaming Light.”

The emotional center of the album is perhaps “Unplayed Melody,” featuring the soulful lines of Finnish saxophonist Sami Sippola, a member of the renowned jazz trio Hot Heros. The piece draws its title and inspiration from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, contemplating the depths of our inner potential, the untapped reservoirs of human creativity and expression, and the countless melodies left unsung and unplayed.