Finnish Lapland makes its relaxing soundscape available to everyone
The unique and calming sounds and atmosphere of Finnish Lapland will be available to listeners around the world for the first time ever.
Three Sound of Lapland recordings will be released worldwide on Spotify at the end of April to transport listeners to the calming moments and silence of northern Finland. Accompanying videos will also reveal the natural landscapes behind the soothing sounds.
Visit Finland and Lapland marketing and communication company, House of Lapland created the compelling sound landscapes to highlight the year-round therapeutic effect and inspiring influence of Lapland’s natural environment.
The first Sound of Lapland single releases are part of the SCAPES album appearing in the autumn which will consist of eight seasons. The first recording will take listeners on a relaxing midwinter cabin trip to Levi, berry-picking in the woods of Rovaniemi and the soothing soundscape of a mountain brook in Pallas.
Katariina Imporanta, House of Lapland's Tourism Program Manager, said: “One of the greatest modern-day health hazards is constant noise pollution - something you can fight by quieting down with the natural soundscapes of Lapland.
“Going out in nature and listening to natural sounds inspires, calms and strengthens us Finns, and with these sounds, we can share at least a part of this experience with those who haven’t yet been to Lapland.
“Listening to the Sounds of Lapland not only provides a break, it also takes listeners to another place and helps them to relax; the sounds act as seeds of creativity that will hopefully germinate into art and interpretations. We believe the Sound of Lapland will inspire listeners and draw people to our unique and relaxing landscape.
Research has shown that even a 15-minute walk in the woods helps to lower stress levels, with a clear trend towards seeking quiet reflection in the natural world by travellers absorbing the quiet of nature, one of the oldest forms of meditation.
Research professor Liisa Tyrväinen, from Natural Resources Institute Finland, said: “Scientific evidence shows that nature clearly helps in recovery from stress and natural sounds are important part of nature experience.
“An ongoing experimental study at Natural Resources Institute Finland shows that natural sounds and nature video enhanced recovery from stress also at the office short during a break from work."
To accompany the Sounds of Lapland, specially short videos using a 360-degree filming technique will allow listeners to see as well as hear the natural beauty of Lapland via the Lapland.fi website.
Heli Jimenez, Head of International Marketing at Visit Finland, said: “The Sounds of Lapland are an absorbing and new way of branding Finland, and with them, we’ll be able to spread awareness of our incredible country to new target groups via these exciting new channels.
“The possibilities of sound are endless and we hope to see these sounds and images be used in activities and events worldwide. The sound and natural environment of Lapland is unique; we want to remind people that Lapland offers a clean and therapeutic nature experience no matter what the season."
In addition to the Sound of Lapland soundscapes on Spotify, a Lapland Sound Collection library of individual sounds of Lapland will also be available to composers, sound designers and other music enthusiasts. The clanging of a reindeer bell, the crackling of a campfire and even the buzzing of mosquitoes are available to be used freely in songs, commercials, content production or consumers’ own home videos. The album and sound library will hopefully provide inspiration on a broader scale - not just for creative work or for fun, but also for listeners’ personal meditation.
The Sound of Lapland campaign launches on 24 April, when the first singles from the SCAPES album will be released on Spotify under the artist profile “Sound of Lapland”.
You can find the Lapland Sound Collection at https://soundcloud.com/onlyinlapland.
For the videos and more information about the releases, visit www.lapland.fi/visit/sound-of-lapland.
Additional Information:
Katariina Imporanta
Tourism Program Manager, House of Lapland
tel. +35840 656 5140
Katariina.Imporanta@houseoflapland.fi
House of Lapland is a marketing and communications house for the Finnish Lapland. We promote Lapland as a travel and business destination as well as a filming location and a place to live. Most importantly, we share stories of the life above ordinary.
