Many years ago I reviewed Lies, Sanctions, and Cruise Missiles, the impressive debut from Finnish post-rock act Plain Fade. But in the years that followed, amidst the shuffle of constantly listening to hundreds of different bands—both new and old—I lost track of Plain Fade along the way. So I was saddened to recently learn via email that the band's frontman, Juho Koivuaho, passed away in October of last year after a lengthy battle with leukemia.
He was just 31 years old.
Knowing the end was near, during his final month of life Koivuaho recorded a solo album, Valediction, with the help of friends under the band name Victims of Ikuri. A crowdfunding campaign is now underway to raise funds for the album's release on LP and CD formats, with 50% of the campaign's proceeds being donated to the Meilahti Triangle Hospital haematology wards where Koivuaho received portions of his treatment.
If you're at all familiar with Juho's prior efforts with Plain Fade, Victims of Ikuri is sure to represent an epic and emotional journey—even more so with the weight of its creative process in mind.
You can read more about Juho Koivuaho's background and the inspiring story behind his final work, as well as donate to the project, at the link below:
Donate: Victims of Ikuri, Valediction
