TEE "The Earth Explorer"

TEE is a five piece flute front progressive rock band from Tokyo, Japan. Their so-called 'European' sound is unique considering their far-east origin. The imaginative tunes with complex ensembles and rhythms will definitely catch the attention of prog lovers all over the world. Their sound will remind you bands like Camel, King Crimson, Asia Minor or even Frank Zappa on some parts. The band was formed in 2004 when... more

Kevin BARTLETT

You may not know his name but you have definitely heard his music more than once or twice in your life. Maybe on HBO, or on MTV, or on VH1, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel. Doesn't ring the bell? How about American Idol Rewind, or Dr. 90210? We had interviewed Kevin Bartlett a couple of years ago when his second solo album GLOW IN THE DARK was released. Bartlett has been quiet since that time but but he has been secretly brewing new projects. A few months ago he had put a new song...more

Peter Hammill, founding member of Van Der Graaf Generator, released his 28th solo album " nearly 3 months ago. He recently got back home from a short tour covering North America, Canada and Italy. In the 70's when bands like...more

FRIGHT PIG Barque At The Lune *** REVERSAL OF GRAVITY Scuba Gear ***

SENNI ESKELINEN & STRINGPUREE BAND

Stringpuree Band plays 100% progressive "Kantele" music. This three piece Finnish band comes from the Northern Savo region with a very unique instrumental sound mixed with traditional and contemporary elements including psychedelic and progressive spices topped with jazz and folk. What brings out this unique sound is of course the band's lineup which consists of electric kantele, bass and drums. All original music reflects the roots of Finnish folk music and Scandinavian prog and psychedelic sound.

Kantele is a plucked string instrument of the zither family and it is also part of the Baltic psalteries. The oldest form of the instrument had 5 or 6 strings but today it can have up to 40 strings. Although Senni plays electric Kantele on the album she is a student at the Sibelius Academy of Folk studying the traditional kantele. Her style is a blend of this: contemporary meets traditional. Her kantele has 39 strings and it is her biggest passion.

The members of the Stringpuree Band come from different backgrounds. Their music has elements of these different backgrounds like folk, rock, jazz and even some classical. Some parts (especially with percussions) almost sound traditional Jewish or Middle-Eastern. Niko Votkin is doing a great job on drums and percussions, however Stringpuree Band is not his only project. He is also part of the bands Cosmo Jones Beat Machine and Knucklebone Oscar.

The bass on this CD will absolutely fascinate you. The man who plays this instrument is Kalle Ylitolo. He also plays slide guitar and is a member of the bands Trembling Old Man, Dragging Spoons and Saa Sayed besides the Stringpuree Band.

The band's CD came out a couple of months ago. It is pure instrumental music, with 9 songs. The opening track "Embers" has some sort of a Medieval feeling with strong bass lines. "Little Fish" will most definitely be one of your favorites not just because it has a great fusion of different genres like prog rock and oriental, but it also stands out with Niko's percussions. The band members added some notes to the booklet which you will find interesting to read. The first one of these notes is Senni's childhood memories about trees in their yard dying before they even grew. She says back when she was a kid, they all died in winter since the winters were a lot colder then they are today. The song "Dying Appletree" is about that with a nice pop-jazz touch.

"Dead Man's Dance" and "Nightmare" are two waltzy songs with psychedelic influences. The first one starts off as a waltz and then turns into a heavy, deep Pink Floydish sound and ends up a waltz. "Nightmare" which starts off the same way becomes a very nice oriental sounding tune with some odd time signatures.

"Fastfood Agent" also has some "in your face" odd time signatures and it comes with Niko's notes in the booklet: "Like a mindless lunatic / Runs across heaths, jumps in the trees / He is happy / Worries don't bother him / The quick detective of the forest / Thinks he is looking for the / Chosen one of his heart."

Stringpuree Band bring a refreshing sound to the instrumental music scene especially with the electric kantele as their leading instrument. The band members have great knowledge of their traditional music, it is very obvious. What makes them really unique is the way they bring their traditions together with today's sound. This CD will definitely be one of the most popular ones here at TheProgFiles.

Visit the band's website at: www.myspace.com/stringpureeband

Visit Senni Eskelinen's website at: www.sennieskelinen.net

Purchase the band's CD at: www.jukeboxshop.net. This website is specialized in Finnish progressive and folk music along with jazz. Very good resource if you are looking for something new to discover.