Aura (CMX album) explained

Aura
Type:	Album
Artist:	CMX
Cover:	Aura_CMX_Cover.jpg
Released:	February 1994
Recorded:	October–December 1993
Genre:	Progressive rock
Length:	55:47
Label:	Herodes/EMI
Producer:	Gabi Hakanen and A. W. Yrjänä
Prev Title:	Aurinko
Prev Year:	1992
Next Title:	Rautakantele
Next Year:	1995

Aura (1994) is an album by the Finnish rock group CMX. The album gained the band its first near-hit single and some commercial airplay with "Ruoste". Although many people consider Aura to be the band's seminal record, at this point many older fans were already scoffing at the more streamlined, acoustic songs and mellow soundscapes as compared to their earlier hardcore steamrolling. However, Aura pretty much defines the band's sound up to this day, with a mixture of heavy and light elements and songwriting reminiscent of 1960s and 1970s progressive rock.

Track listing

Songs written by A. W. Yrjänä, unless where noted. All lyrics by Yrjänä.

1. "Mikään ei vie sitä pois" – 3:18 ("Nothing Takes it Away")
2. "Sametinpehmeä" – 2:55 ("Soft as Velvet")
3. "Elokuun kruunu" – 4:32 ("August's Crown")
4. "Ruoste" – 4:01 ("Rust")
5. "Nainen tanssii tangoa" – 4:34 ("Woman Dances the Tango")
6. "Turkoosi" (Yrjänä, Halmkrona, Rasio, Kanniainen) – 4:20 ("Turquoise")
7. "Kultanaamio" – 4:56 ("Gold Mask")
8. "Raskas" – 4:12 ("Heavy")
9. "Talvipäivänseisaus" – 4:46 ("Winter Solstice")
10. "Työt ja päivät" – 5:17 ("Work and Days")
11. "Pilvien kuningas" (Yrjänä, Halmkrona, Rasio, Kanniainen) – 9:25 ("King of the Clouds")
12. "Aura" – 3:31 ("Aura")

Credits

• A. W. Yrjänä – vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, producer
• Janne Halmkrona – guitars
• Timo Rasio – guitars
• Pekka Kanniainen – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Martti Salminen – keyboards
• Risto Salmi – saxophone
• Henna Valvanne – recorder
• Frida Segerstråle – vocals
• Kaarina Kilpiö – vocals

Technical

• Veikko Huuskonen – string arrangements
• Gabi Hakanen – producer, engineer
• Dan Tigerstedt – mixing
• Pauli Saastamoinen – mastering
• Kain Ärjyvä – sleeve design
• Jouko Lehtola/Flaming Star – photography
• Inna Aarniala – photography
• Seppo Renvall – photography

See also

• CMX discography