Lowland

Petri Alanko (aka Lowland) is a BAFTA nominated Finnish composer, musician and producer. His dynamic repertoire ranges from the haunting orchestral/electronic score for Remedy Entertainment’s psycho-thriller, Alan Wake, to elegant and sophisticated classical arrangements for Imaginaerum The Movie, based on the album by symphonic metal band Nightwish. His latest opus is the epic and emotional electronic sci-fi score for Remedy’s next cinematic blockbuster, Quantum Break.
As an artist and performer, Alanko has toured extensively with popular Finnish bands, recorded two critically acclaimed albums Classical Trancelations 1 and 2 under his Lowland moniker, created special remixes (such as Armin van Buuren’s “Embrace” classical mix), and has collaborated with DJ Orkidea on his albums Metaverse, 20 and Harmonia, as well as their numerous joint production remixes. Recently Alanko’s concerts included “Classical Trancelations In Concert” performances, two groundbreaking sold-out-in-a-flash events of electronic dance music and trance classics with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and Ahjo Choir, along with special guest vocalists (MARiANNA, Paleface, Sami Uotila) and saxophonist Tapani Rinne (of Rinneradio). The concerts were part of the Helsinki Festival at Helsinki Music House, in August 26th, 2016. Music media all over the world noticed this special performance.
Alanko creates deeply emotional soundscapes for visual media, including games, television and movies. His scores feature a unique composing style, rich with vibrant harmonies and highly unusual hybrid instrumentation, thanks to his roots in both electronic and classical music. Ranging from hard-edged all-electronic to sublime and smooth orchestral scores, his arranging style varies depending on the needs of the production, combining contemporary instruments with cutting edge technology and custom built tools for sculpting the sound – creating a memorable, timeless result, which is instantly recognizable.
Alanko’s latest musical adventure was composing the complex musical landscape for Remedy Entertainment’s new action blockbuster, Quantum Break, featuring numerous different moods and themes written for the game over the course of its 4-year production.
“I mentioned once that Alan Wake was a so-called ‘easy tough gig’, but little did I know,” says Petri. “Just the initial moods I gathered from the very first meeting concerning Quantum Break’s storyline revealed it was to be an ambitious musical challenge, as a huge amount of custom sound libraries had to be created even before the main composing could commence.”
Furthermore, the game’s the main story arcs and themes deal with motives which demanded a “character toolkit”, so the driving force and motivator of each character are thread throughout the story, which is continuously reflected in Alanko’s score.
“In Alan Wake there was only Alan’s guilt (and fear of losing his anchor to reality; his wife),” continues Petri. “But in Quantum Break there is a lost brother, an old friend, a newly found relationship, not to mention saving the whole planet, all in one go! So I decided to apply my emotional anchors to loss, love, disappointment and payback – the whole score is built onto those four emotional pillars. One could say it’s a love story happening at the edge of all the chaos, while riding a rollercoaster. This kind of action-packed, story-driven emotional sci-fi is one hell of a music project!”
The Quantum Break Original Soundtrack was released by Microsoft Music to coincide with the release of the game in April 2016.