Onségen Ensemble to Release A Tale June 26; “Garden of Celestials” Streaming
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 4th, 2026 by JJ Koczan
This is a band I feel fortunate to have ever heard. And when I think about what doing The Obelisk for the last 17-plus years has brought into my life, Finland’s Onségen Ensemble are a perfect example. New, exploratory sounds that aren’t quite like anything else. They started out very heavy, and new single “Garden of Celestials” as the opening track holds a threat of impact that I’m curious to hear play out or not in the rest of A Tale, but is more ultimately about space than crush, its six minutes reminding some of the piano-laced alt-emotive sway of Ulver touched with Morricone guitar and an overarching hint of doom. Grails might be a touchstone, but Onségen Ensemble don’t really sound like that either.
Melancholy melody, breadth, and nuance of arrangement that later on lets in a bit of Mellotron, and a crux you can only really call progressive if you’re going to call it anything at all. “Garden of Celestials” is enticing, sure enough, and with the album out June 26, I would expect at least one if not two more singles before it arrives, so keep an eye out.
From the PR wire:
ONSÉGEN ENSEMBLE ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AND SINGLE
The Finnish collective Onségen Ensemble is set to release its fifth studio album, A Tale, on June 26th via Karisma Records. The album will be available on vinyl, CD, and all major digital streaming platforms.
Listen Garden of Celestials here: https://orcd.co/garden-of-celestials
With A Tale, our expression has become more ethereal and profound than ever before. While we continue to operate within a progressive mindset, we deliberately avoid traditional genre boundaries, allowing our music to absorb influences intuitively, free from stylistic dogma.
The band comments on the upcoming release:
“On A Tale, we felt a strong need to explore new territories. As with our previous records, we’ve introduced new elements—both instruments and musicians. Vilma Pesola’s contribution as a vocalist has influenced our sound far beyond that of a single instrument; her presence is defining. We believe this shift expands our expression into something broader, richer, and more nuanced. The central theme of the album is peace. In many ways, it feels like the only value that still truly holds meaning in today’s world. Peace is diverse—it is what we dare not be.”
The first taste of the album is the opening track, Garden of Celestials, released as a digital single and video on April 30th.
About Garden of Celestials:
“This track is an excellent example of the direction we’ve taken—hazier, softer, and more ethereal. Like many of our songs, it explores the far side of the horizon of thought: an unreachable destination that we move toward with deliberate determination, not fully knowing what it may ultimately offer.”
The album was produced by Niko Lehdontie (known for his work with Oranssi Pazuzu, Kairon; IRSE!, and Grave Pleasures). His involvement brings a subtle psychedelic undercurrent to the album, balanced by a strong sense of beauty and restraint. The artwork was created by Merja Järvelin.
Tracklist for A Tale:
1. Garden of Celestials
2. To be Led by the Lost
3. A Thought
4. The Word
5. Oldest Father
6. The First Casualty
7. Crystal Water of Spring
Personnel on A Tale:
Heikki Hallanoro – percussions
Tuuli Jartti – violin
Merja Järvelin – backing vocals, art work
Esa Juujärvi – bass, vocals, recording and co-production
Samuli Lindberg – drums
Joni Mäkelä – guitar
Vilma Pesola – vocals
Mikko Vuorela – flute, harmonica, soundscapes
Jarmo Väärä – trumpet
http://www.onsegen.com/
https://onsegenensemble.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/onsegenensemble/
https://www.facebook.com/onsegenensemble/
https://www.karismarecords.no/
https://karismarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/karismarecords/
https://www.facebook.com/karismarecords
