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: /____\ : >>> Arttu Takalo: Neverstopdreaming <<<
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:..:... Supplier : SER 2005 Release Date : 05/10/2005 ...:..:
: : Ripper : SER 2005 Street Date : 03/23/2005 :..:...
...:..: Genre : Fusion Source : CD : :
: : Label : Rockadillo Tracks : 12 Tracks ...:..:
: : Quality : VBR/APS/44.1kHz Channels : Joint Stereo : :
:..:... Language : English Size : 60 MB :..:...
: : Software : EAC v0.95 Prebeta 5 Encoder : LAME v3.90.3 : :
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Arttu Takalo's second album, enjoy!
In a world where imitators are so much more common than inventors,
people who actually shake up the status quo are worth their weight in
gold and diamonds. The courageous man of music represented in this
article is a rare commodity indeed, a real champion in the original
sense of the word.
The restless renaissance man of 21st century Finnish vibraphone, Arttu
Takalo (b. 1971) comes from a bloodline of music makers: His father
sang and played the harmonica in a dance band and his grand
-grandmother Marina Takalo was a renowned singer of laments.
In some way, this ancestry may provide the key in understanding
Arttu's often melancholy style of writing and scoring. Current
assignments like the 2002 hymnal arrangements for Jukka Perko's Blue
Note Finland/EMI Classics album "Kaanaanmaa" and his 2002 big band
composition "Confutatis Maledictis" mirror this background quite
clearly.
From vibraphone to MIDI-vibes
In his childhood, Takalo's very first instruments of choice were the
drums and the piano. But after getting his hands on the vibraphone at
the age of fifteen he has not looked back. Originally inspired by
Mozart and Mahler, the young man commenced studying at the North Kymi
Music Institute and strove to become a classical musician.
In the late 1980's he enrolled at the Sibelius Academy, moved to
Helsinki, and continued onwards on his chosen path. Nevertheless,
these plans were updated as Takalo met guitarist Jarmo Saari and
founded the exciting jazzrock team XL in 1992.
At this point in time Takalo was busily investigating his recent
purchase: An intricate MIDI system which allowed him to trigger
keyboard sounds and effects from the vibraphone. Inspired by the likes
of Mike Mainieri and Ed Mann, the instrumentalist had decided to widen
his palette by making the technological update which would allow him
to produce some truly outlandish sounds. First featured on the XL
debut offering "Xlent" in 1995, Takalo's MIDI-vibes would soon be
heard on a number of albums.
Come the latter half of the 1990's, Takalo was well on his way to
becoming the all-around vibes wizard he nowadays is. Aside from the
more jazz-oriented projects, he often collaborated with such local pop
stars as Mikko Kuustonen and Samuli Edelmann. In 1996, the man took
part in a special project called 'Otto e Mezzo', a jubilation of Nino
Rota's music.
1997 saw the Tampere premiere of Takalo's very first orchestral piece
"PimeΣ puoli". Other key compositions of the era were the chamber
works "Prinsessa ja jΣΣtynyt puutarha" and "Don't Go Away" and the big
band piece "NM".
XL
At the same time XL was busy recording, touring and staging special
performances with various soloists, sinfoniettas and big bands.
Throughout the years, the team of Takalo, Jarmo Saari, bassist Tuure
Koski, and drummer Tomi Salesvuo has provided a perfect perennial
experimentation laboratory for Takalo and Saari, the composers of XL.
Highlights in the discography include the 2001 concert recording "Live
Ballet" and the 10th anniversary album "Surreal". During the years
people like Pekka Pohjola have performed with XL, and in 2002 frequent
special guest DJ Bunuel (Mσns Str÷mberg) joined the group as a full
-time member.
Hand in hand with his progressive endeavours in the ranks of XL, the
mallet master was cultivating his career as an arranger and a
composer. First requested by Mikko Kuustonen in 1998, he began writing
string and other orchestral arrangements for many artists.
A culmination of sorts in this field was to come in 2002, as Arttu was
commissioned to score music for one of his personal heroes, the
inimitable rock singer Ismo Alanko. Inspired in this category by
composers like Magnus Lindberg and Danny Elfman, Takalo managed to
find his own voice quite rapidly through writing for many line-ups of
differing sizes and styles.
First solo album
During sessions and other projects, Takalo often found himself in the
studio or on the stage with drummer Anssi NykΣnen, bassist Harri
Rantanen, and guitarist Marzi Nyman. Once upon a time, the foursome
even performed a fierce set of jazz evergreens under the monicker
Standards Live.
Therefore it was natural for Takalo to use this talented team as the
bedrock for his first solo album as a leader. Recorded during 2001,
"When I Fall" is an ambitious whirlwind into the heart of sound as
seen through the eyes of Arttu Takalo. An original combination of
jazz, rock and classical, the bold disc was immediately compared to
some of Pekka Pohjola's and Anssi TikanmΣki's soaring works.
As his career choices show, the arduous Arttu Takalo epitomizes the
age-old adage of how hard it is to hit a moving target. With his
impeccable taste, feared prima vista skills, and deadpan humour this
2000 Pori Jazz Artist of the Year has accomplished something all
musicians wish for: His very own style and niche. When Takalo is
called to partake in a session, people get much more than just a
vibraphone player, a producer or an arranger. When Takalo is let loose
as a composer, one can expect class, originality and precise
execution.
http://www.xlfinland.com
Tracks:
01. Neverstopdreaming (5:42)
02. Where Will I Lay My Heart? (4:04)
03. Guardian Angel (4:38)
04. Sorrows Of Summer (2:24)
05. I'm Gonna Leave This Place (3:44)
06. I've Been Kurt (2:53)
07. May I Have This Dance? (5:11)
08. This Is How I Feel And Soon You Will Too (3:12)
09. Du Smakar Salt (3:03)
10. Hereos Are Back In Townl (2:32)
11. The Field, The Road, The Girl (2:21)
12. Take Me Home (2:50)
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If you like this CD, BUY IT! Artists deserve your support.