KIILA

Eclectic Prog • Finland

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Kiila biography
Beginning in 1993, Kiila are a Finnish psychedelic folk group and initially the vision of Kemialliset Yst�v�t's Niko-Matti Ahti and Sami S�np�kkil�, the latter of whom runs the independent label Fonal Records. Kiila's wide-ranging sound is inspired by a similarly broad palette of music spanning C.O.B. and Harmonia to Bruce Springsteen along with jouhikko player Feodor Pratsu and contemporary experimental artists, weaving pop, post-rock, jazz and drone into a folk framework both composed and improvised, replete with the spirit of krautrock which hangs over virtually all the bands on Fonal's roster. The music press have compared Kiila's approach to krautrock acts Faust, Siloah, Witth�ser & Westrupp and Popol Vuh, psych-folk like Espers, Stone Angel, Akron/Family and the Incredible String Band and even free jazz icons Peter Br�tzmann and Sun Ra.

Originating in Ulvila, Kiila's first recordings were released from 1997 to 1998, demonstrating a hazy off-kilter indie-folk across two EPs and a split with Chamellows. Unlike their later albums, S�np�kkil� and Ahti evenly handled duties on vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, percussion and scores of other instruments. Kiila's more richly-produced 2001 debut, Heartcore, was the last to be recorded as a hermetic duo and perhaps the most poppy of their four albums. Over the next few years, Kiila expanded to a septet, adding Juri Puhakka (of Shogun Kunitoki and Avarus), Markus M�ki (of the Anaksimandros and also Avarus), Laura Naukkarinen (better known as Lau Nau), Juho Kaitaj�rvi (of Office Building) and Sami Rouhento (of Cessna and Artisokka). The influence of its new members was evident in the musical shift to psychedelic folk, with Finnish lyrics dominating compared to the English of Kiila's early days. The band's sophomore, Silm�t Sulkaset, was jointly released by Fonal and Belgian label KRAAK in 2004, the same year Fonal issued the limited edition VHS Contemporaries, containing music videos of songs from Kiila's second EP and Heartcore.

For Kiila's third full-length, 2009's Tuota Tuota, strains of free jazz began to infiltrate their freak folk, while S�np�kkil� and Ahti were accompanied by eleven additional all-stars of the Finnish underground: Jan Anderz�n (of Kemialliset Yst�v�t and Tomutonttu), Antti Tolvi (of Lauhkeat Lampaat and Rauhan Orkesteri), Jukka R�is�nen (of Tarujen Saari and Avarus), Pekko K�ppi (of P�iv�ns�de and Office Building), Jari Suominen (of Shogun Kunitoki), Jaakko Tolvi...Beginning in 1993, Kiila are a Finnish psychedelic folk group and initially the vision of Kemialliset Yst�v�t's Niko-Matti Ahti and Sami S�np�kkil�, the latter of whom runs the independent label Fonal Records. Kiila's wide-ranging sound is inspired by a similarly broad palette of music spanning C.O.B. and Harmonia to Bruce Springsteen along with jouhikko player Feodor Pratsu and contemporary experimental artists, weaving pop, post-rock, jazz and drone into a folk framework both composed and improvised, replete with the spirit of krautrock which hangs over virtually all the bands on Fonal's roster. The music press have compared Kiila's approach to krautrock acts Faust, Siloah, Witth�ser & Westrupp and Popol Vuh, psych-folk like Espers, Stone Angel, Akron/Family and the Incredible String Band and even free jazz icons Peter Br�tzmann and Sun Ra.

Originating in Ulvila, Kiila's first recordings were released from 1997 to 1998, demonstrating a hazy off-kilter indie-folk across two EPs and a split with Chamellows. Unlike their later albums, S�np�kkil� and Ahti evenly handled duties on vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, percussion and scores of other instruments. Kiila's more richly-produced 2001 debut, Heartcore, was the last to be recorded as a hermetic duo and perhaps the most poppy of their four albums. Over the next few years, Kiila expanded to a septet, adding Juri Puhakka (of Shogun Kunitoki and Avarus), Markus M�ki (of the Anaksimandros and also Avarus), Laura Naukkarinen (better known as Lau Nau), Juho Kaitaj�rvi (of Office Building) and Sami Rouhento (of Cessna and Artisokka). The influence of its new members was evident in the musical shift to psychedelic folk, with Finnish lyrics dominating compared to the English of Kiila's early days. The band's sophomore, Silm�t Sulkaset, was jointly released by Fonal and Belgian label KRAAK in 2004, the same year Fonal issued the limited edition VHS Contemporaries, containing music videos of songs from Kiila's second EP and Heartcore.

For Kiila's third full-length, 2009's Tuota Tuota, strains of free jazz began to infiltrate their freak folk, while S�np�kkil� and Ahti were accompanied by eleven additional all-stars of the Finnish underground: Jan Anderz�n (of Kemialliset Yst�v�t and Tomutonttu), Antti Tolvi (of Lauhkeat Lampaat and Rauhan Orkesteri), Jukka R�is�nen (of Tarujen Saari and Avarus), Pekko K�ppi (of P�iv�ns�de and Office Building), Jari Suominen (of Shogun Kunitoki), Jaakko Tolvi (of Taco Bells and Jarse), Sami Pekkola (of Hetero Skeleton and also Taco Bells) and Topias Tihe�salo (of Pymathon), with Lau Nau, M�ki and Kaitaj�rvi returning for the proceedings.

Kiila returned seven years later for their most recent work, N�k�piirin Rajoilla, issued as a limited edition LP by Alt.Vinyl in 2016. S�np�kkil� was absent for this recording, with Ahti once more joined by Anderz�n, Suominen and many others from Tuota Tuota along with new faces Tara Burke (of Fursaxa), Esa Santonen (also known as Sami Kukka), Marja Johansson (of Tsembla) and Niko Karlsson (of Orange Hora).

- Gordy, March 2024read more