QUINTESSENCE
It started out as a three-person project in a Helsinki basement-studio.
Guitarist Aki Haarala and DJ/Programmer Jouni Helminen (nowadays known
worldwide as DharmaOne) asked vocalist Emma Salokoski to sing on a
couple of tunes. In 2001 the first "White Light" EP was released on the
Dorado label. It could soon be found on the playlists of Dj's such as
Gilles Peterson and Trevor Nelson. For live gigs the band was extended
to a six-piece. After a relatively short search-period the right people
were found (Mikko Kaakkuriniemi, drums; Heikki Laine, Bass; Verneri
Pohjola, Trumpet and Tuomo Prättälä, keys). The band developed such a
distinctive and strong groove, that beat-guru DharmaOne decided to step
aside, leaving room for a more organic sound. In November 2002
Quintessence released it's full-length debut "Talk Less Listen More" on
Finland's hippest indie-label, Texicalli records.
Their unique mixture of (nu)soul, jazz, funk and Scandinavian cool found
it's way into the hearts, ears and record collections of music lovers
and critics alike. Through extensive touring, their fan base has grown
even stronger, as Quintessence is now known as one of Finland's coolest,
yet grooviest live bands. In addition to clubs they have performed at
numerous rock and jazz festivals. They opened for The Roots on the main
stage of Finland's biggest jazz festival, Pori Jazz, in 2003. They have
also played gigs in Estonia, Norway and the Netherlands.
Early 2005 the album "Talk Less Listen More" will finally be
released in Britain (and some twenty other countries) through the
prestigious
Whatmusic label.
Meanwhile, in Finland, Quintessence has just come out with their second
album "5 am".
This instant classic takes the Quintessence-formula to a new level of
deepness, adding sweet soul sounds of the seventies and echoes of
pulsating afro-beat. The album is released on Texicalli's new sub-label,
the already-legendary Jupiter. Four years after it's birth, Quintessence
is more Quintessential than ever!
Emma Salokoski
Verneri Pohjola
Aki Haarala
Heikki Laine
Mikko Kaakkuriniemi
Tuomo Prättälä
Discography:
QUINTESSENCE
Raindrops
TEXCDS-54
2002
1. Raindrops (Prättälä -
Haarala lyrics: Lindgren - Prättälä - Salokoski)
QUINTESSENCE
Talk Less Listen More
TEXCD 050
2002
1.Sticks & Stones (Haarala_Helminen-Salokoski)
2. 1st Impressions (Prättälä - Haarala - Helminen)
3. Never (Prättälä - Haarala - Helminen - Salokoski)
4. Raindrops (Prättälä - Haarala lyrics: Lindgren - Prättälä - Salokoski)
5. The Right (Helminen - Prättälä)
6. Skywalker (Haarala - Helminen - Prättälä - Salokoski)
7. << (Cyklic Skit) (Prättälä)
8. Sparkle (Helminen - Haarala - Salokoski - Prättälä)
9. Ballad In 6/8 (Haarala - Salokoski)
10. White Light (Helminen - Salokoski - Lindgren)
Wonderfully groovy, chill out soul from Finland's Quintessence -- and warm batch of tracks the blends the echoey, tripped out 70s jazz aesthetic with hip hop and club production techniques as seamlessly as just about anything out there! Sublime keys, trumpet and occasional fluegelhorn lilt over programmed beats and live drums, but what really makes the groove standout are the breathy, layered vocals of Emma Salokoski -- who sings and sometimes scats in English, with a real affinity for natural soul. 10 tracks in all, including "Sticks & Stones", "1st Impressions", "Never", "Raindrops", "The Right", "Skywalker", "Sparkle" and more!
QUINTESSENCE
Think We Should
JUP 006 CDS
2004
A really great little groover from Quintessence -- served up with all the jazzy brilliance of their great full length set! The track's got a skipping groove that slides back and forth nicely -- setting up a catchy rhythm for the tune's sweet female lead vocals -- sung in English with a really nice hook!
1.Think We Should (Haarala- Prättälä -Salokoski)
QUINTESSENCE
5 am
JUP 010 CD
2005
1. 30th Hour
2. Delirious
3. You Don't care
4. Burn On With A bitter Flame
5. Game Over
6. All The Wrong Places
7. Speciality
8. Think We Should
9. Broken
10.Friday
11.Dig Deeper
12.5 am
The soulful second set from Quintessence -- even better than their debut, and the kind of record that's sure to take the world by storm! The Finnish combo seem to have refined their sound even more -- working in a cool, laidback groove that's got lots of sweet jazzy bits in the instrumentation -- but which also comes across with an unabashedly strong crossover groove! Vocalist Emma Salokoski sounds especially lovely -- singing in English with a really universal appeal -- hardly what you'd expect from the icy north of Finland, and much more what we'd expect to hear from the London scene. Titles include "Delirious", "You Don't Care", "Burn On With A Bitter Flame", "Speciality", "Broken", "Dig Deeper", and "Friday"