UZVA

Seven tracks over almost 72 minutes but out of these we get a three track suite that opens the album, a two track suite and then another three piece suite late. I like what Sean Trane says about this one as being more electric and jazzier than the previous two, in other words right up my alley. Highlight has to be the last part of that late three track suite called "Vesikko". It's the longest tune at almost 13 minutes on it's own, add another ten minutes for the first two parts of this suite. This track features some incredible guitar work that is almost surprising given the way the record sounds previous. So moving and it's hard to find the words to be honest. This really is a feast for the ears this album. Released in 2006 this was a breath of fresh air no doubt.

Album highlights include: the album's gorgeously scored opening suite, "Kuoriutuminen," Parts 1, 2 & 3 (10/10); the wonderfully Japanese-flavored suite, "Vesikko" (23:02) (10/10); 7. "Arabian Ran-ta" (10:00) with its wonderful shift at the 3:50 mark (9/10); the stepped down beauty of "Chinese Daydream, Part 1" (3:12) and then the shift into a higher gear for the brass-dominated "Part 2" (5:43) (8/10); the brassy, American jazz rock sounding, 4. "Different Realities" (11:14) (8/10), and; the pretty, if simple, harp-based, 11. "Lullaby" (4:22) (8/10).

There's a lot of music here, but it is all quite enjoyable and some of it compositionally masterful. Watching their live performances on YouTube I appreciate even more the jazz nature of these beautiful songs.

I must admit; I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Uzva's Uoma, the third (and presumably final) album of their career. I was first taken aback by their second record Niittoaika, a beautiful work that managed to reinvent the fusion of classic prog rock and jazz in a refreshing way. While nowhere near as impressive as their sophomore, Uzva's debut Tammikuinen Tammela offered a different sort of experience, closer to the chamber rock style of a band like Aranis than anything strictly jazz-related, although once again, Uzva managed to surprise me with their fresh take on a familiar genre.

There's no doubt that Uoma is a technical triumph beyond its predecessors- it took two years to record this album, and the instrumental wizardry Uzva only ever implied they were capable of on past albums takes a strong role in Uoma. Be that as it may, it is the first time I feel Uzva's venture into a new realm has not resulted in a fresh style. For better or worse, Uzva's third album saw them finally marry themselves to prog fusion, as well as the stylistic bells and whistles the label implies. The intimately pastoral tone that in part defined them has made way for progressive fireworks and a fitting demonstration of their obvious chops as players. In a way, it's as if the big wish I had with the debut has been fulfilled; still, I am left feeling like I would have preferred to hear Uzva continue their pursuit of woodland atmosphere and dynamic restraint.

Of course, I do not mean to imply that Uoma is a bad album by any stretch; the change is in most ways an evolution rather than a hindrance. Most of all, Uoma succeeds in bringing the talent and tightness of Uzva to the forefront. Before this, the band made it plainly obvious that they could pull off sophistication of a Gentle Giant or King Crimson calibre, but they chose not to, instead favouring whatever felt best for the composition itself. While there were times even during Niittoaika where I might have wished to hear something more explosive, I think the restraint did more good than harm; above anything else, it set them apart from the legions of equally skilled fusioneers that weren't afraid to strut their skills. In that sense, in spite of the fact it is undoubtedly the most challenging of the three Uzva albums, it is also the most conventional.

In keeping with the band's tradition, Uoma primarily operates with longer suites, broken up into shorter tracks to better get the impression across that they work better as movements of music rather than well-rounded songs. Among these, "Arabian Ran-Ta" is the most instantly gratifying piece, wrapping itself around exotic flute instrumentation and atmospheric tension unheard on Uzva's past work. "Chinese Daydream Part 1" is also noteworthy, if only for the fact that it recalls the immersive atmosphere of Niittoaika. The obviously King Crimson-influenced "Vesikko" ("Part 3" begins with a crunchy riff borrowed from Crimson's "One More Red Nightmare"); like the album's opener "Kuoriutuminen", "Vesikko" is best described as a meticulously composed jam rather than a full-bodied composition. Stretches of time are set aside for the sake of building leads, although Uzva never venture far or long from the written framework.

Uoma is magnificently performed, and aspects from both their chamber rock and jazz fusion styles have found their way here, although it's clear by this point that Uzva had declared their undying love for the latter. There is no doubt that Uzva's third album is the most challenging and layered thing they would ever produce. Even so, in spite of its technical accomplishments, I'm not hearing the same moments of near- cinematic beauty that defined y experience of Niittoaika. The compositions have given up some of their atmosphere for the sake of demonstrating skills we already knew Uzva were capable of. I have no doubt that some will see Uoma as the strongest offering by Uzva. I prefer the moderation and restrained arrangement of their second. If anything may be said to conclude an exploration of Uzva's striking (yet brief) discography, it's that they successfully managed to reinvent themselves with each new record. Regardless whether the changes were favourable enough, that is a feat in itself.

Uzva's second album Niittoaika ranks among the more promising albums I've heard lately. Although prog fusion is far from alien to most fans of progressive rock, it was the way they brought jazz in with the progressive traditions that made Uzva's sound and style so compelling. Unsurprisingly, the refreshing experience I had with Niittoaika impelled me to explore further into Uzva's relatively small discography. Anyways, here we have it: Tammikuinen Tammela, a debut that released quietly two years prior to its successor at the turn of the millennium. As I expected, the rich arrangements and thoughtfully restrained performances were part of Uzva from an early stage. Unfortunately, in spite of their strong technique and interesting stylistic foundations, Uzva's debut lacks the focus and purposeful momentum that made Niittoaika such a hit with me.

I don't believe I'd be making such a far stretch in calling Tammikuinen Tammela an example of 'lounge prog'; while Uzva are clearly capable of pulling off instrumental complexities of a Gentle Giant or King Crimson nature, they purposefully keep things mellow and light for the most part. Moments like the energetic, clarinet-led opening riff to "Part IV" allude to potential Uzva have yet untapped; for the most part, Tammikuinen Tammela takes the form of a laid-back, largely acoustic interplay between musicians. While Niittoaika and their third record Uoma may be defined (albeit prolematically) as a prog-jazz fusion, Tammikuinen Tammela would be relatively well-placed as chamber rock. Unlike many of the 'chamber rock' acts I'm familiar with (Aranis and Univers Zero, to name a couple), Uzva favour individual expression over rigid composition. Uzva's jazz influences aren't terribly apparent on the debut, but based on the fluid and not always apparent structure of their songwriting, it's not surprising they evolved into a jazzier act later on.

It's conceivable that this loose-yet-richly-layered sort of chamber rock exploration could have worked wonders- potentially even more than the later works which left less up to chance. The technical interplay is certainly here, but Tammikuinen Tammela is held back by how restrained and lacklustre the music often sounds in spite of the obvious technical skill. While dynamic and instrumental fireworks are by no means essential for great jazz, chamber rock or even prog, Uzva's decision to keep things light and meandering is a death knell for the album. It's clear from the harmonies and unison that Uzva composed the music with great care, but the muted energy and consonant harmonies feel hollowed somewhat by the lack of other elements of composition, namely purposeful structure, melodic hooks, a sense of build-up and dynamic. To be fair, there are parts of Tammikuinen Tammela that kick it up a notch (see: the aforementioned intro to "Part IV", or the album's jazz-rock and marimba-infused finale) but it's not enough to put the leisurely parts in context.

Tammikuinen Tammela is a portfolio of some excellent musicianship and talent with harmony-based arrangements. It may have been as engaging as Niittoaika too, if it had anything else to offer on top of that. True to the chamber music tradition, the performance feels amplified and simultaneously limited by the austere composition-based restrictions it places on itself. In the case of Tammikuinen Tammela, it feels like there are inspired performances wanting to get out and place an even greater emphasis on the musicians' individual expression (arguably being the strongest part of Uzva's debut) but it seems the band are torn between letting their spontaneity and dynamism run free, or focusing their structure and performance. As it turns out, with Niittoaika two years later, they chose the latter approach, and haven't looked back since.

Uzva is among the rare few that, while entirely deserving of the 'prog fusion' label that's tossed their way when discussing genre, fuel their music with a sensibility that appeals to the heart as much as the brain. Indeed, it's a shame that so many artists who pair progressive rock ingredients with a jazzy context (or vice- versa!) tend to lose sight of the fact that both styles are best when the technical prospects give way in part to hooks and atmosphere.

Given that preface, it should not be a surprise that Niittoaika trumps many of its contemporaries as a solid reinvention of traditional progressive rock. While many of the genre-based expectations a listener might have for either side of the fusion are fulfilled, Uzva's balance of traits is refreshing; the austere atmosphere and tonal experiments (closely resembling King Crimson in their heyday) and flute leads (fairly damned well analogous with prog in a rock setting) are here in full, as are the irregular chord choices that jazz listeners should be right at home with. It's the way that Uzva combines these familiar traits is what makes Niittoaika impressive; the egotism and fertile potential for loose jams are put aside in favour of compositions tightly structured and rich with atmosphere. Adding to that instrumentation heavy in flute and cello/violin leads, and it feels almost as if Niittoaika is the soundtrack to a wordless, woodland nature documentary.

Uzva's second album consists of three tracks, and to my delight, each distinguishes itself from the other two from the first listen onwards. "Soft Machine", as any seasoned prog listener might suspect, takes a fair bit of inspiration from the classic band of the same name. It's slow to build, but even at its most leisurely, there's the certain impression that Uzva haven't left much up to chance or spontaneity. The album's middle movement "Afrodite" is arguably the best of the three; it's helped a great deal by its warm atmosphere and focused attention on melodic lines. "Drontti" (an unassuming epic that reaches past the seventeen minute mark) continues the increasing momentum; after a short acoustic intermezzo ("Drontti 3.1"), Uzva pick up the pace and don't let up until the album is over. I might argue Uzva milk the finale too long for their own good (the otherwise mellow album has a near-ridiculously bombastic conclusion) but it is good to hear a more energetic side of Uzva before Niittoaika finishes up.

While the finale might leave listeners with a different impression, Niittoaika is a fairly mellow album; while the band themselves are tight and clearly focused (this stuff is undeniably far more difficult to pull off than the relaxed atmosphere might imply) Niittoaika demands nothing of its listener. Fans of progressive rock may see this as a fault. From where I'm coming from, it sounds like Uzva have done something that many in modern prog have attempted, and few others have actually managed to pull off; they've taken the traditional aesthetic of the genre and made it their own. Niittoaika lacks the boldness to rewrite the book as it were, but the vision here is refreshing and, above all, enjoyable.

Oh God how good this band sounds! The music flows efforlessly and has interesting details going on all the time. This is made possible by a long list of musicians: instruments include bassoon, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophones, flute, piccolo, cello, violin and harp (I hardly had noticed that keyboards are missing). All instruments are used very thoughtfully and economically. Orchestral, overblown grandiosity is absent.

I'm willing to rate this with five stars which I haven't done in ages. Well, actually by doing so I look through my fingers some slightly disturbing restless moments that I don't like, such as in the parts one and two of 'Vesikko', but then again some other listener might welcome those edgier moments. The closing track 'Lullaby' is a calm composition for harp, alto flute and bassoon, a perfect ending for such a colourful and rich album of 71 minutes.

Taking the back-road into Scandinavia, I've decided to swing round the Baltic sea and head for the majestic forests of Finland. Ever since the early 70s this country has been dishing out a regular swirl of progressive acts - often taking their cue from the psychedelic whims of the Floyd, the avantguarde and perhaps even more so the playful loony-bin energy from the British town of Canterbury. You can hear it in bands like Tasavallan Presidentti, WigWam, Haikara as well as in the eclectic catalogue of bass man Pekka Pohjola. The feel is that of whimsical melodic intonation and roaring galloping fusion.

Uzva too belongs to this Finnish branching of the Canterbury sound. While decisively more influenced by Nordic folk music, you still sense a good whiff of their natural heritage. If you ask me, the combination of the northern folk woof and blazing jerky Brit fusion should've been done a long time ago. Whereas this group would show even more signs of their Canterbury influences in their subsequent releases, the next one even sporting a suite entitled Soft Machine, this is still were it all began, and incidentally also where the lovable northern twist is at it's most audible.

Now don't go ahead thinking this'll have the same manic tempi and brute power of The Softs, because that is certainly not the case. On Tammikuinen Tammela(Man, I'm not typing that again) the Canterbury essence seems to be slowed down to an unhurried dreamy concoction. With all the different traditional folk instruments in play, the moods recall the very nature surrounding it - and why would you make reckless zooming music to portray the vast green carpentry of nature, when you can slow things down to an enigmatic folky steam? Maybe I am not making any sense, but the infusion of violin and cello alters this music and it's otherwise wild locomotion to an infinitely more sensuous and natural sounding entity. I hear deep blue forest lakes, black granite mountain walls, howling owls in trees and a genuine musical adaptation of the light we get up here, that at times gets so white that it feels like it's going to burn straight through your cornea like sunbeams of lava.

You additionally get clarinet, trombone, French horn(Yay!), steel pans, accordion and last but not least acid box(?) to complement the conventional gathering of bass, drums and guitar. With all of this frolicking about in reeds and zany things like steel pans and that acid box, these guys are almost bound to end up in the vicinity of Frank Zappa, and sure they do. Just imagine dear old Franky boy joined by a couple of Ewok musicians after a good healthy dosage of opium.

This album is as relaxing as an autumn breeze - only briefly do you sense a storm front brewing, like on the last track. Otherwise the moods are kept in an alluringly lush folky ambiance that only really shows signs of impending onslaughts by way of the ridiculously twitchy drum-work.

Recommended to Ewoks and people of the jazz forest. Yeah, you know who you are! Remember me for your upcoming winter event, where numerous blind dates with bears are to be won. Count me in - I'll bring this album with me for romance, serenity and peace of mind.

The band mixes Oldfield, baroque, folk, Caravan, Camel and early King Crimson (flute) and even African (Malinese) music. The only keyboard used is a piano wich adds to the organic feel of the music. A few guest musicians are added to the music, so you hear flute, clarinet, violin, cello, vibes, piano, electric guitar, drums, percussion and bassguitar.

The band manages to play soft, pastoral parts (wich sound like old Oldfield) and go over the top with heavy guitar (end section of Soft Machine).

This is the kind of music you can play on your headhones while walking (or riding a bicycle) through nature. That's exactly what pastoral music is meant for.

I know this website is meant for ROCKmusic, but I'm glad softer musicstyles are added aswell. This Uzva album is more intense than their debut but less intense than their 3rd album, wich has more heavy guitar and drums. This album focusses more on flute and violin and softer guitar sounds.

"Soft Machine" is the first section. Part 1 opens with the birds chirping while vibes, drums then bass comes in. Violin before 2 minutes as it stays pastoral. Flute a minute later. Part 2 has a fuller sound with heavy drums and lots of violin.The flute becomes prominant as well. Guitar after 6 minutes as bass throbs. It settles with violin 7 1/2 minutes in. Part 3 is violin led with a fuller sound a minute in. Some nice bass as well. Aggressive guitar 2 1/2 minutes in. It ends with the birds singing. "Afrodite" Part 1 continues with those birds hamming it up. This is very pastoral with piano and flute. The violin does become prominant.

Part 2 features some great drumming as guitar,then violin come to the fore. I like the guitar after 6 minutes. The birds are back ! Did they ever leave ? "Drontti" Part 1 opens with surprise ! Birds. It's mellow and violin led. Part 2 continues with the singing birds as vibes come in. Flute before 2 minutes. The tempo picks up as violin and guitar arrive. It settles somewhat again. An aggressive passage before 4 minutes. I like the darker section before 5 minutes with violin. A big finish follows. Nice.

The overall mood is fairly light, too light for my tastes. Having said that, there are some really good passages here that I enjoy a lot.