TIETOISUUDEN MAAILMA

Tietoisuuden maailma ("The World of Consciousness") is the debut album of SALAIVA, a young quintet from Jyväskylä, Finland. All music is written by Miikka Huisko who sings and plays the other guitar. Keyboards are missing, instead there's a saxophone, but the sound is rich and organic - and very retro: one could easily think this music came from the early 70's. This comment must be taken positively. Recording, mixing and mastering were done by the band themselves, and I believe they have reached exactly what they wanted. The sound lacks some sharpness and polish, but this slightly psychedelic jazz-rock makes you feel good and very much at home if you've grown with vintage prog.

Salaiva doesn't however sound like any particular 70's band. Associations - that come in turns, not simultaneously - may include e.g. WIGWAM, TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI, HAIKARA, even APOLLO and some other short-lived Finnish groups of the original prog era, and to some degree the jazz-rock of FRANK ZAPPA (less here than on their next album, though). Compared to that follower Hänk (2014), this album contains more vocals, but actually they add another level to the music's progressive nature instead of ever becoming the backbone of the compositions. The voice is distantly reminiscent of Jim Pembroke in the early Wigwam, or Y.U.P's Jarkko Martikainen. On tracks 1 and 2 the vocal parts are mostly calmer moments amidst edgier jazz-rock full of gritty saxophone.

'Tietoisuus' is rather experimental instrumental, hazy and psychedelic. 'Herra olkoon teidän skanssinne' (a Canterbury-like wordplay which I'm not trying to explain to you) is a bit slower track but equally loaded with witty charm. There's a blues flavour in the strangely titled 'Blur (Ei saa)'. Its nihilistic - but luckily very sparse - lyrics would better fit into angry punk rock. "Ei saa" means "not allowed".

'Divaani' (10:42) starts as a slow, atmospheric instrumental with a focus on the seductive sax. The vocals are spoken mumble, and it's a bit hard to hear the words properly. In fact the music would perhaps work even better completely without vocals. The solo for electric guitar is long and delicious. The soloing guitar is central also in 'Riding Camels'. Again, the brief vocal parts are quite unnecessary, but the fiery guitar solo is superb, bringing CAMEL's breakthrough album Mirage into my mind - naturally the title helps.

'Otis', the only track with english lyrics, sounds like a great collaboration between Jim Pembroke, Eero Koivistoinen and Frank Zappa. 'Lauluni' is a soft and hazy little song, a very nice ending to this personal and charming debut. Also Riikka-Maria Partanen's cover art is great!