NIITTOAIKA

Last year , as I asked Anekdoten drummer Peter Nordin what had become of Hoyry Kone , he had told me that they had broken up which I knew but then asked what they (musicians) were doing as he knew most of them personally (he had played on their albums). He told me most of them had joined either Alamaailmam Vasarat or Uzva. As for AV , this is correct but for Uzva , I am still trying to find a link to HK (other than nationality or that they are also entirely instrumental & acoustic as AV is. This is where comparisons stops as Uzva is much more lyrical in their songwriting but still very jazz-classical-folk-prog. Not that this stops them from developping some incredibly dynamic and energetic moments - the last movement of the third number is particularly awesome. Please note that the influence pointed out in the first composition is not too overly obtrusive as Uzva manages to have its own sound somewhere between Mahavishnu , Canterbury and Genesis or GG. Quite a small find. Greg Walker told me their debut is out of print so hurry-up for this one as it is likely to also.

Greetings to previous reviewer who thought in the forum that his text was so lonely (yes, I'm a Finn). Unfortunately I haven't listened to Niittoaika more than couple of times a year ago, so I can't say anything deep about it. I taped few minutes extracts from each 3 long titles - that reveals I didn't fall in love with the whole album but found it interesting. I would compare it mostly - not to Canterbury scene or Gentle Giant but to the early works of Mike Oldfield (TB, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn); the sound and (totally instrumental!) structure are quite similar - not that Uzva is plagiarizing or even necessarily influenced heavily by those mentioned records. Also I sensed Soft Machine's fusion-rock, which probably HAS influenced, due to the name of the first piece. All in all, just a bit sleepy in its entirety (or maybe I didn't try enough) but definitely very nice, and in these days quite rare kind of art rock played with the addition of classical instruments, which makes the sound warm and pleasant. Worth checking if you like instrumental, folkish fusion.

This is a very happy and playful summer record, which creates a small theme of seasons, as the band's previous album was a peaceful winter album "Tammela at January". Some listening of 1972-1974 era KING CRIMSON was probably done during the time between these albums, as there are great freeform improvisations between the composed themes and more structured jams. The band also performed "Red" as an encore in their concert, where they also played material from this CD. The first two suites are pastorals, "Afrodite" being specially mellow, and "Drontti" has a more aggressive beat in vein of early 70's FRANK ZAPPA.

When I first listened to this record, it didn't quite catch my complete interest, and I first graded "Niittoaika" as a three star album. Luckily the problem was not in the album but in my own state, as I was both stressed and sick; Now carefully listened again, I got the good kicks which it can offer. Recommended sincerely!

Very pleasant and melodic instrumental Jazz music from Finland. They have divided this recording into three sections with 2 to 3 songs in each.

"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.

'Niittoaika' - Uzva (77/100)

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.