FMQ - guitar Articles

“Subtle is the new fortissimo” – The Superpluck trio pushes timbral and cultural boundaries

“Subtle is the new fortissimo” – The Superpluck trio pushes timbral and cultural boundaries

“Subtle is the new fortissimo” – The Superpluck trio pushes timbral and cultural boundaries

Focusing on contemporary music, Superpluck are a trio made up of three plucked instruments. Over the past five years, Rody van Gemert, Eija Kankaanranta and Assi Karttunen have taken aim at prejudiced and established networks in Finland and beyond.

Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen

October 13, 2023

Improvised life: Guitarist Héctor Lepe’s odyssey from Mexico to Sibelius Academy

Improvised life: Guitarist Héctor Lepe’s odyssey from Mexico to Sibelius Academy

Improvised life: Guitarist Héctor Lepe’s odyssey from Mexico to Sibelius Academy

Guitarist Héctor Lepe has improvised his way from the jazz bars of Mexico City to a master’s degree from Sibelius Academy and a debut album on a Finnish label – just one of a growing number of musicians from around the world who are enlivening the once-insular Finnish jazz scene.

Wif Stenger

August 18, 2023

Sculpting silence with picks and amplifiers

Sculpting silence with picks and amplifiers

Sculpting silence with picks and amplifiers

Minimalistic soundscapes in the middle grounds between formal and non-formal experimental music.

Santeri Kaipiainen

May 16, 2023

Linking Finland and Spain in the classical guitar tradition

Linking Finland and Spain in the classical guitar tradition

Linking Finland and Spain in the classical guitar tradition

"The greatest merit of this disc is in demonstrating how natural even the oddest of musical combinations can seem if driven by genuine, experience-based musicianship."

Kare Eskola

November 30, 2021

Kumela’s musical bestiary

Kumela’s musical bestiary

Kumela’s musical bestiary

"The takeaway from this album is its enormous range of tonal colour and mood. This is remarkable, considering that it was created entirely without electronics. Kumela can produce an astonishing variety of bumps, scrapes, squeaks, creaks and pitched sounds from his guitar."

Hanna Isolammi

June 4, 2020

The role-playing contemporary guitar

The role-playing contemporary guitar

The role-playing contemporary guitar

"Kromos is a rewarding listening experience. This is, naturally, due to Eskelinen’s splendid musicianship, but also much to the diversity of styles and ideas in the chosen six works."

Anna Pulkkis

June 4, 2020

A Sort of Homecoming

A Sort of Homecoming

A Sort of Homecoming

"Sublime guitar lines that soar like birds of prey in the sky, daring harmonic innovations and immersive metric modulations to make your heart bleed with anguish, ecstasy and joy."

Petri Silas

April 16, 2020

Almost like one person

Almost like one person

Almost like one person

"One of the best folk music albums in a more traditional style that I've heard for a long time."

Tove Djupsjöbacka

February 14, 2020

Sensibility for wood in instrument building

Sensibility for wood in instrument building

Sensibility for wood in instrument building

Should musicians living in an era of climate crisis think about the ecological sustainability of their instruments? Can they afford to ignore the whole thing? Do choices matter? And where does the wood come from, anyway?

Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen

December 19, 2019

Instruments that play between the notes

Instruments that play between the notes

Instruments that play between the notes

Microtonal classical music comes across as a nerdy pastime operating in the margins between "real notes," and with good reason. An experimental microtonal instrument is typically encircled by a close-knit community of musicians and composers who are unable to evangelise their discoveries because of difficulties in playing technique or other challenges. However, in recent years so many microtonal instruments have been developed and adopted in Finland that the colourful world between the notes is finally opening up to wider audiences.

Kare Eskola

December 19, 2019

Berlin vibes: Kalle Kalima’s world ranges from re-inventing rock to jazz and opera

Berlin vibes: Kalle Kalima’s world ranges from re-inventing rock to jazz and opera

Berlin vibes: Kalle Kalima’s world ranges from re-inventing rock to jazz and opera

One thing can be said with certainty: Kalle Kalima, born in Helsinki and now based in Berlin, plays the electric guitar. But a quick glance at his discography can lead to confusion, because the sheer volume of Kalima’s output – as a leader or collaborator – is overwhelming. Andreas Müller met Kalima in his home town, Berlin, to find out more.

Andreas Müller

May 23, 2019

Jukka Iisakkila - the baton, the guitar and magic

Jukka Iisakkila - the baton, the guitar and magic

Jukka Iisakkila - the baton, the guitar and magic

Folk musician, conductor, composer, guitar hero. Jukka Iisakkila has tried all of that – with flying colours. A new feather in his cap is the recent collaboration with guitarist Steve Vai.

Petri Silas

September 14, 2018

Portraits of a guitarist-curator

Portraits of a guitarist-curator

Portraits of a guitarist-curator

"This release is a must for any guitar aficionado and probably Tolonen’s best recording. As of yet."

Juha Torvinen

May 25, 2018

Sensitivity and sense of intimacy

Sensitivity and sense of intimacy

Sensitivity and sense of intimacy

"Originally classically trained, J-P Piirainen takes his influences not just from Finnish folk, but from American fingerpicking styles too and flamenco. It’s an album for guitar lovers as well as folk fans."

Fiona Talkington

January 31, 2018

Guitar clouds

Guitar clouds

Guitar clouds

"Korpijaakko is clearly at home with the musical possibilities of the guitar with the solo guitar sonata Kimberley (2006), a standout as one of the most remarkable works of recent years for solo guitar composed in Finland."

Juha Torvinen

June 3, 2013

Rocketing guitarists

Rocketing guitarists

Rocketing guitarists

"Besides being a top-notch player, Patrik Kleemola is a relentless commissioner of new guitar compositions. (-) Otto Tolonen puts premieres and musical short stories aside in favour of two mammoth cornerstone-compositions of contemporary classical guitar."

Juha Torvinen

January 8, 1985

Raoul Björkenheim - One foot in each world

Raoul Björkenheim - One foot in each world

Raoul Björkenheim - One foot in each world

Raoul Björkenheim is a guitarist and composer in a constant search for new levels of expression. This versatile musician is at home on two continents and in various musical styles. For him, improvisation is a matter of life philosophy and music should have true personal value.

Jan-Erik Holmberg

January 8, 1985

Guitarist, catalyst

Guitarist, catalyst

Guitarist, catalyst

Guitarists are unusually keen to commission new compositions. The guitarist, composer and audience all benefit, because the guitar, being a popular instrument, lowers the threshold to listening to new music. Finnish guitarists Petri Kumela, Otto Tolonen and Patrik Kleemola rank among the most active champions of new guitar repertoire.

Juha Torvinen

January 8, 1985

Lutherie beyond national

Lutherie beyond national

Lutherie beyond national

Many Finnish guitar builders have gained international recognition with their quality instruments.

Timo Östman

January 8, 1985

Les Six strings

Les Six strings

Les Six strings

"Otto Tolonen’s first solo recording is wonderful. Effortless playing and a total control of sound colours, together with a musically and historically interesting set of recorded works, leaves little room for further desires."

Juha Torvinen

January 8, 1985

Faster, higher, stronger

Faster, higher, stronger

Faster, higher, stronger

The Helsinki Universal Guitar Festival features all the dimensions of six strings.

Mika Kauhanen

January 8, 1985