Islaja is the stage name of Merja Kokkonen (born 19 May 1979 in Helsinki), a singer-songwriter, composer and visual artist. Since her debut album Meritie on Fonal Records in 2004, she has built a catalogue spanning experimental folk, psychedelic electronics and avant-garde composition, drawing praise from The Wire, Pitchfork and Kim Gordon among others. She is also a member of the free-improv collectives Avarus and Kemialliset Ystävät, and after more than a decade based in Berlin she returned permanently to Helsinki in 2024.
After over a decade based in Berlin, Kokkonen returned permanently to Helsinki in 2024.
Islaja released Angel Tape on the Helsinki-based label Other Power in October 2023, her most recent album.
Angel Tape was composed and produced by Kokkonen, with piano by Midori Hirano and violin by Eriikka Maalismaa, and was recorded by Timo Kaukolampi.
😴 Nothing scheduled with this artist in the near future.
67concertSat 14.11.Yona: Lost Pearls
61concertThu 5.11.Yona: Lost Pearls
61concertFri 13.11.Yona: Lost Pearls
53concertFri 30.10.Yona (FI)
50concertSat 5.12.Yona (FI)
45concertSat 31.10.Yona (FI)
45concertThu 12.11.Yona: Lost Pearls
36concertFri 6.11.Yona (FI)
36concertSat 7.11.Yona (FI)
36concertSat 21.11.Yona (FI)
36concertFri 27.11.Yona (FI)