To celebrate Finland’s centennial, Apocalyptica‘s Eicca Toppinen teamed up with Visit Finland for “The Symphony Of Extremes – Born From Finnish DNA” campaign. The symphony required DNA samples to be gathered from Finland’s extremities: Nuorgam, Hattuvaara and the Hitis archipelago. The nitrogenous bases found in the samples have been converted into sounds with the help of Jonathan Middleton, guest professor at Tampere University, who has developed a specialized program for the task. Also on hand were experts Päivi Onkamo, professor of genetics at University of Turku, who specializes on DNA in and around ancient Finland, and Janna Saarela, head of research at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, who was in charge of gathering and analyzing the DNA samples. Saarela said, “The finished symphony is incredible, and we’re extremely happy to be part of this union of science and art.”

Toppinen added, “It was extremely intriguing to compose a song based on the Finnish genotype. It took time to find the right approach. The end result combines DNA in many forms, even as riffs. We wanted to create a distinctly Finnish feel to the song, which I hope the audience can pick up as well. This highly rewarding project is our tribute to Finland’s centennial.”

Enjoy “The Symphony Of Extremes” video below!

For more information, head to VisitFinland.com.