Birch & Gum was born from two worlds, the birch forests of Finland and the gum trees of Australia, and from one man’s search for home between them. Music became the bridge between two identities, two cultures, and two emotional landscapes.

Rooted in Nordic melancholy and shaped by the warmth and resilience of Australia, Birch & Gum explores what it means to belong, to let go, and to rediscover oneself after loss and change. The songs are written from lived experience, leaving Finland, starting again, rebuilding identity, and finding freedom through honesty.

Blending Finnish introspection with Australian storytelling, Birch & Gum is the heartfelt songwriting endeavour of Jarkko Laukkanen, who creates music for those who know what it means to live between worlds. The lyrics carry the quiet honesty of Finnish life, private, introspective, and emotionally layered, while reaching for the openness and freedom discovered in Australia. The result is a sound that feels both intimate and expansive, born from two cultures meeting halfway across the world.

Birch & Gum writes about the core human experiences that unite us all: joy, love, loss, nostalgia, friendship, regret, belonging, and the courage to change. Each song invites reflection, connection, and healing through emotional honesty and melodic storytelling.

Musical influences include Arttu Wiskari, Vance Joy, Passenger and Tom Odell, songwriters who tell stories that feel deeply human.
Non-musical influences include the Finnish concept of Sisu, a quiet unshakable strength that endures through adversity, the Australian spirit of openness, long drives through vast landscapes, and a lifelong fascination with how people rebuild after breaking.

What sets Birch & Gum apart is this cultural duality, the silence of snow meeting the roar of the surf, translating emotional growth and migration into universal language. Birch & Gum stands for emotional truth, resilience, and connection through honesty, crafting songs that make listeners feel seen, especially those who have ever felt between worlds.

Currently exploring digital production and open to collaboration with producers and singers, Birch & Gum continues to create music that bridges landscapes, cultures, and emotions for anyone seeking beauty and belonging in the in-between.

RA Bio: https://ra.co/dj/jimmystrat/biography
James Stratford, a.k.a. Jimmy Strat is a house and techno DJ known for his passionate crowd interaction and uniquely diverse record box. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, he spends much of his time in the city he calls his second home; Berlin.
Jimmy Strat blends a range of styles with the familiar rhythm of house and techno. Often he'll include multiple genres in one set, starting gently, building into peak time techno, then landing with beautiful house tunes.
Crafting journeys for his audience using music discovered during years of travels around the world, Jimmy Strat is renowned for his ecstatic dancing, bringing crowds into excited frenzies and then creating a sense of connected bliss.

Connect on Insta https://www.instagram.com/dj_jimmystrat/

Bookings (EU)
James Stratford
jstratford@me.com
+61 403 950 281

Bookings (UK)
Rory Watts
shibumirecords@gmail.com
+44(0)7799 402 535

Bookings (AU)
James Stratford
jstratford@me.com
+61 403 950 281

Coco Brown is a force to be reckoned with in the world of electronic music. Known for her ability to create an atmosphere of pure euphoria, she delivers sets that showcase her trademark deep, chunky house sound — raw, seductive, and unapologetically underground. Whether commanding the stage at iconic Queensland festivals like Jungle Love, Earth Frequency, and Rabbits Eat Lettuce, or exploring her more sensual side with deep melodic grooves, Coco’s music takes listeners on a journey across deserts, oceans, and beyond.
 

This is a podcast for people who are curious about the world and themselves featuring talks and conversations presented by the Public Programs department of California Institute of Integral Studies, a non-profit university in San Francisco. Listen here or on your favorite podcast app to a diverse array of visionaries, artists, and scholars sharing compelling experiences, offering new perspectives, and expanding creative horizons.

Adam Buchanan is a music composer and performer based in the Sunshine Coast, Australia. His compositions and performances convey his belief in music and the enduring need for music in our lives. Adam’s primary interest is world music with ethnic instruments and origins.

Contact/DJ booking/remixing: vibes4yoursoul@gmail.com

bedroom musician

Wanna buy a track? ^_^  check my bandcamp https://iyoma.bandcamp.com/releases

Want to collab? send me a msg

Check out Lamp Night - my collab with Silent Shadow
https://soundcloud.com/lamp_night

Music producer and Singer Songwriter and Artist. Electronic beats, alternative music with laid back grooves overlaid with haunting melodies and vocals, Deep and inspiring lyrics. Music co-created with talented musicians and I am inspired by the natural world and the beauty all around us.  Music with a conscious intent to elevate and inspire. All tracks shared and reposted are mine or collaborations. Enjoy

Solace of Sound is following