Nieminen & Litmanen - Nieminen & Litmanen (2004)

1994, Helsinki. The newly formed group the Hypnomen is rapidly evolving in size - from a Duo to a quintet. Players classify their own style with the phrase "psychedelic rock' n 'soul", while constantly drawing inspiration from the work of surf and funk teams of the 1960s / 1970s. The ideological and musical training ground, which, in General, was the ensemble the Hypnomen, becomes an excellent school (or, if you like, universities) for organist Sami Nieminen and drummer Juhi Litmanen. At the end of 2003 both, without ceasing to work in the ranks of the group, decide to privately construct a quick album. In the old "old-fashioned" way-on a two-track stereo recorder, if possible without involving outsiders in the process. In order to realize their plans, Sami and Juha go to the town of Hollola (southern Finland). Here, in the mid-1990s, programmer and sound engineer Petri Rappula, for certain reasons, organized a demo recording Studio on the family farm. The analog equipment of Petrax Studio perfectly met the needs of convinced vintage'men. Having cut out a couple of November evenings for joint sessions, Nieminen (organ) and Litmanen (drums), under the control of producer Lasse Kurki, produced absolutely gorgeous material that would be unacceptable to ignore.
Retro witchcraft begins with the first bars of the "N&L Theme". The deep tones of Hammond's sometimes choking patter and virtuosic swing add up to a self-contained, artistically flawless picture. Deftly lassoing the listener, the tandem mesmerizes him with a melodic lounge cocktail amalgam entitled "El Jazz". Next, the "delicious" rhythm and Blues jam "A Man from Marseille" is introduced into the sound cycle, captivating with a masterfully recreated "old school" atmosphere and luxurious compositional feints. Number " Vesuvius (The Moment of Truth) – - a genuine deception; the mid-tempo rolling lenza in the prologue / epilogue is just a masking screen for a mad chthonic gallop. Having come off on glory, heroic Lapland men for the sake of entertainment arrange a trifle-pleasant "Caribbean Twist". And then, together, they implement the hypothetical hymn to pacifism "Enemy of Violence". In the mood angles of the etude "Monica in the Morning" you can easily guess the Scandinavian polska Foundation. And the accompanying sadness is a very characteristic touch of Northern European origin. Acid-jazz'the cavalcade' Leo Jokela (Bailaa Kalastajatorpan Pyöreässä Salissa Vuonna 1969) ' is guaranteed to burn through the liver of an elderly ex-"fashion" and yearning for the stormy sixties parties of a "nostalgia"lover. In the context of the sketch "Leaving You in November", the companions clear the ground for Mature lyrical revelations, spiritual dreams of a romantic nature. While the next opus, accompanied by a marching drum roll, "Stockholm" is unexpectedly gloomy and gloomy. Lasse Kurki (guitar) and Miika Paateilainen (theremin) join the guys at the stage of implementing the final design of "Next Stop: Moon". The result is an ominous cosmic trip, in the black abyss of which the warm organ chords of Maestro Nieminen flash with rare lights of hope.