Forgotten Finnish spiritual improv record from 1982, fully authorised by Jone himself. The tracks on Universal Mind are based on traditional Indian arrangements, with Japanese influence. As well as traditional improv instrumentation (saxophone, bass, drums) the record also includes synthesizers, gongs, finger pianos, a vibraphone and washbasins.

Jone says, recalling making the record: “We played a lot together, daily, at our rehearsal space before recording. We went through the melodies and talked about how to handle them with a kind of different angle, improvised a lot with different sounds. We talked about tempos, especially we were diving deep into special moods, how each of those melodies talked to us. They are mostly old love songs from India, more folk songs than classical music.

After the recording they left immediately on a European tour. “I told the people at the record company not to do anything to the record before we come back… but it was released while we were away. We saw the record on the windows of different record shops when we drove into town from the tour!”

The record has never been on CD, and the 1982 vinyl release has rarely been heard outside Finland. The only place Universal Mind has re-emerged in recent memory is on Son Of Arctic Hysteria, a CD compilation of Finnish avant-garde and experimental music.

Jone Takamäki is a reed player who’s been active in the Finnish avant garde and improvised music scene since the late 70s. In 1981 he received the first ever Pekka Pöyry Award and in the same year released his self titled debut (one year before Universal Mind) with Antti Hytti and Samppa Salmi. Between 1983 and 1989 Takamäki was involved in the Edward Vesala’s Sound and Fury workshops, and was also part of the group Roommushklahn with Raoul Björkenheim (guitars),Antti Hytti(bass),Tom Nekljudow(drums and percussion)and Jarmo Savolainen (keyboards). In 1991 he joined the ECM signed Finnish jazz/rock/improv collective Krakatau, founded and run by Raoul Björkenheim. In 1997 he co-founded the group Otná Eahket with Antti Hytti and Tom Nekljudow, and in the early 2000s co-founded large ensemble Suhkan.

He is a specialist in Japanese shakuhachi and hocchiku flute playing, doing solo and duo performances, including performances as KAN with Japanese butoh dancer Aki Suzuki and Finnish drummer Otzir Godot. Takamäki also acts, teaches and has done sound design for a number of films and theatre productions. www.myspace.com/jonetakamaki