Jääportit (traslated as The Gates of Ice or The Frostportals) is finnish act by Tuomas M. Mäkelä (keyboards/programming) and Mindy M. Heinonen (violin/voice). Originally formed in 1997 as Tuomas' solo project, the now-duo works somewhere in between genres like ambient, darkwave and experimental electronica using both synthetic and natural sounds to create frosty, fragile, bewitching, polarizing, deep, atmospheric, transcendental, moving, serene, layered, esoteric, powerful but soothing music to keep you afloat in the astral stream.


FULL BIOGRAPHY

First demo (1998) and cassette album “Kauan koskematon” (1999) introduced the music style as darkwave or synth-ambient, created in a vein of Mortiis, Arcana and Dead Can Dance, just to name few.

Tuomas has always had a need to experiment with the music & the sound, find different ways and develop his approach to the creation of music. Therefore the next album “Uumenissa” (2005) contained music that had transformed into dreamful ambient, painted with soothing electronic synthwaves, atmospheric and cosmic sounds, inspired by old school pioneers Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno, and modern artists like Biosphere and Steve Roach. Album was covered with beautiful water color paintings created by Mindy M. Heinonen.

Participation to compilation album “Sonic Visions Of Middle-Earth” (2005) contained 15 minutes long track Sydänyön samooja syvällä unten mailla ja metsien soilla drawing inspiration from J.R.R.Tolkien's stories, and used session musician J-M Kenttälä (of Ruotomieli fame) for playing the acoustic guitar.

In the autumn of 2005 Tuomas started to study sound design in the school of art and media at Tampere, to get deeper understanding of how to work with the sound on records and also on other media like movies. During the studies he has created music for a few short film soundtracks, tv-programs and radio play.

Next full-length album “Avarrus” (2006) was a journey into darker place, Downwards Beneath the Castle as the first track has been titled. It contained more detailed, sophisticated sounds and acoustic instruments like melodica, and violin played by Mindy. Album also has more rhythm, electronic beats and percussion, than the earlier releases. In lyrics' stead the story is carried along and afar by soundstream recorded from a live environment.

Jääportit took part to another compilation album, a tribute to band Ulver, called as “My Own Wolf: A New Approach” (2007) and created personal version of their track Gnosis. This time Vesa Partti (of Sadkarma fame) was asked to play electric guitar, and Mindy to sing the vocals.

Source : http://www.last.fm/music/J%C3%A4%C3%A4portit/