From the band's first gigs ever. Recorded live in Japan. Anyone who's witnessed Kimmo Pohjonen - often lazily referred top as Finland's Hendrix of the accordion - will attest to his power to shock. His performances are Read more
From the band's first gigs ever. Recorded live in Japan.
Anyone who's witnessed Kimmo Pohjonen - often lazily referred top as Finland's Hendrix of the accordion - will attest to his power to shock. His performances are equal parts art installation, virtuoso showcase and shamanistic ritual: Brooding, muttering hypnotic maelstroms that conjure up Jungian memory and dread in spades. So how does this translate into the two-dimensional world of the CD? Previous recorded work, while undeniably fearsome, has tended to leave you with a feeling that only with the aid of a DVD player would you get the full picture. However KTU's 8 Armed Monkey has no such shortcomings.
Working with sampler Samuli Kosminen and King Crimson rhythm buddies, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn, it appears that a more democratic approach has broadened Kimmo's palette accordi(o)ngly. This album contains noises that no simple squeezebox was ever meant to make! Recorded in Japan, Monkey...bubbles with menace (especially on Pohjonen's solo composition ''Optikus'') while retaining a digital clarity that allows Gunn's soaring Warr guitar lines to add a new level of yearning sadness. Pohjonen's very personal brand of voodoo really benefits from such a setting. Maybe the world is finally ready for Finnish prog-folk!
--BBC Music Product Description
"KTU, headed by accordion visionary Kimmo Pohjonen, and accompanied by the rhythm section of King Crimson, is an exploration in musicianship, melding sounds and elements from the past and the future. Employing ancient and modern approaches to the musical craft, this record is full of surprises. 8 armed monkey is a presentation of a truly creative and provocative collaboration that is a rarity in today's musical world."
Anyone who's witnessed Kimmo Pohjonen - often lazily referred top as Finland's Hendrix of the accordion - will attest to his power to shock. His performances are equal parts art installation, virtuoso showcase and shamanistic ritual: Brooding, muttering hypnotic maelstroms that conjure up Jungian memory and dread in spades. So how does this translate into the two-dimensional world of the CD? Previous recorded work, while undeniably fearsome, has tended to leave you with a feeling that only with the aid of a DVD player would you get the full picture. However KTU's 8 Armed Monkey has no such shortcomings.
Working with sampler Samuli Kosminen and King Crimson rhythm buddies, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn, it appears that a more democratic approach has broadened Kimmo's palette accordi(o)ngly. This album contains noises that no simple squeezebox was ever meant to make! Recorded in Japan, Monkey...bubbles with menace (especially on Pohjonen's solo composition ''Optikus'') while retaining a digital clarity that allows Gunn's soaring Warr guitar lines to add a new level of yearning sadness. Pohjonen's very personal brand of voodoo really benefits from such a setting. Maybe the world is finally ready for Finnish prog-folk!
--BBC Music Product Description
"KTU, headed by accordion visionary Kimmo Pohjonen, and accompanied by the rhythm section of King Crimson, is an exploration in musicianship, melding sounds and elements from the past and the future. Employing ancient and modern approaches to the musical craft, this record is full of surprises. 8 armed monkey is a presentation of a truly creative and provocative collaboration that is a rarity in today's musical world."