Circle (the Finnish band): S/D

I'm about to watch this in 15 min increments, pausing for frequent status checks as to whether or not I'm regretting it.

Not regretting it at all so far, a few thoughts because why not:

-- love the electric orange baby bottle eye
-- Christmas tree discussion was typical for Finnish people in general or no?
-- love the sun through the trees, lots of pretty things to look at
-- shiny and dull in all the right places

* caveat, i love things that are extremely banal, including but not limited to frederick wiseman movies, dry history books with excruciating details about normal life during different eras, found items and sentimental crap that winds up in thrift stores, shit like that

it has been worth my $7 already. can't imagine the rest being a full out assault on my sensibilities.

A wee clip from Circle's performance at Jättömaa 2012 this weekend just gone...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR-LUCJHEdA

xp

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/juicyfrt/finneganswakeoffinnishrockdocs.jpg

I rather like SR myself although it took a bit to grow on me. It's worth a second and perhaps even a third look IMO. If nothing else the soundtrack, especially towards the end when it all gets dreamy and nostalgic, is very nice indeed.

I finnish friend who turned me on to Circle told me never to watch either Saturnus Reality or Man With a Video Camera... I wondered if that was just his personal taste but reading the above I can perhaps see why!! Not sure I'd like to have any insight into the band whatsoever, so as to be able to take the music at face value and not have anything else colour that. Also it's a help that I havn't a notion about any of the lyrics, my finnish friend again told me they are, for the most part, total nonsense!! (He did translate Laake for one time we were listening to Rautatie and it actually did give me a further appreciation of that song, the picture of a spilt bottle of pills on the youtube vid for the song is quite apt!)

How do people feel about Manner??? Only got it last week and I've literally listened to nothing else this week except it and Lunar Jetman (which is also phenomenal, didn't expect much since I hated Out of the Darkness)

I think New Fantasy will become a "Circle classic"(a la Nopeuskuningas), such a fantastically written track. I was unsure after Infektio if Circle would return to that perfect NWOFHM/psychedilic mix on Rautatie, and so delighted they are still evolving it!

Frug, you're prob right, it's better to get to know them through the music, the mystery is half the fun! But once you do Saturnus Reality is an interesting insight into how they operate and how much playful humor and joy actually goes into this seemingly very serious and heavy music. I too like not knowing the words, it's why I mostly listen to foreign stuff in general in fact. Then they can be about anything!

Haven't heard Manner yet because I don't have a record player! Fuck! I borrow one from a friend to rip things every now and then but I wait until they pile up. I like the songs from the live disc Serpent and the stuff floating around youtube so I'm sure the album proper rules.

Yeah, I haven't heard Manner yet either. I managed to snag one of the last copies at my local shop, but my record player is in storage right now (much of the music stuff had to go when we converted our second bedroom into a nursery).

Circle followers may be interested that Janne Westerlund (Circle and Pharaoh Overlord guitarist and singer and leader of his own band Plain Ride) has a debut solo album 'Oran' coming out on CD on the label 9pm Records in September.

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/jannewesterlund_oran_cd_cover.jpg

There are a couple of tracks available on his soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/jannewesterlund

Cool, all the Plain Rides are kinda samey but this lullaby stuff is a nice change. It makes me really wonder what a 2012 Chainsmoker album would be like.

Quick search of youtube turns up JW doing a Forest song! Cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blmPoQjBGAM

Thanks liam, I'd not seen that before.

In Circle news...

'Hissi' and 'Fraten' get the reissue treatment on Ektro! Remastered CD versions are due 7th September. These are the third and fourth albums, from 1996 and 1997 respectively, originally issued by Metamorphos (and Captain Trip).

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/circle_hissi_cd_cover.jpg

http://www.nwofhm.com/images/records/circle_fraten_cd_cover.jpg

Man I love Lunar Jetman; I still haven't heard much from these guys, but this might be my favorite thing they've done

They've got a new split with Grails coming at the end of October, which I'm anticipating greatly!

They being Pharaoh Overlord, as per Lunar Jetman, I mean.

Awesome news Krakow!

I'm really looking forward to the Kuusumun Profeetta, too. Although this one seems completely different, their last album from 4-5 years ago called Lyhtykuja is easily one of the best albums in the whole Circle axis. That cd is highly recommended to anyone who is a Mika Ratto fan and likes the idea of minor key and mysterious synthesizer prog. It's kinda like an operatic take on the band Goblin.

Can't find any Lyhtykuja videos from the album proper but here's a live version of the best song on it (which doesn't quite do the tune justice, but...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YzfTVAW-30&

The new Quietus mix opens with Pharaoh Overload and may (or may not) be relevant to this thread's interests:

Quietus Mix 71: Hexvessel Present Current Affairs Of The Finnish Psychedelic Underground

(the rest isn't Circle-related to the best of my knowledge, though there is a lot I don't know about such things, but I check the Quietus's weekly mixes every week and thought I'd take the opportunity to plug one)

..."check" in a purely home-listener sense, in case that read like I actually have anything to do with their curation or anything

New Circle 7'' coming in the next couple of weeks! Circle cover Jesters Of Destiny's 'End Of Time' and 'God Told Me To' with Jesters members Bruce Duff and Ray Violet as part of the Circle line-up. Out around 30th October on Full Contact...

http://soundcloud.com/ektrorecords

http://ektrorecords.com/shop/images/krypt-025_markkinointikansi%20(pieni).jpg

Amazing news! That sample is fucking great!

As for the recent slew of albums that came out recently: I think the Arkhamin Kirvasto rules although I'm not crazy about the death metal singing, the Kuusumun Profeeta is very beautiful but very easy-listening AOR and the Janne Westerlund sort of totally kicks ass in a very mild mannered and quirky way... with lots of banjos.

I have Janne Westerlund coming up to Glasgow for a gig here on Thursday 6th December while he's in the UK with Mäkkelä's Trash Lounge...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A541xMUCEAARF2t.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/events/230586177070211/

So what were the Janne Westerlund gigs like Karakow? Did he have a band?

Finally heard Manner now that it has a CD reissue. It is... very mannered, ha. Stately. Much of it is sparse rhythmically, at least the framework, but the whole is dense with novel sonic textures and effects. So many little details. Very cool. Very colorful. I'm personally not crazy about the Eno cover but that's only because it's a song I don't like much and it drags a little. For me it fits better into the context of Serpent.

Manner might be the Circle album with the most singing, the Ratto songs are all performed with completely different vocal styles. He's very much an actor performing different roles in these miniature melodramas! Overall it is pretty great stuff but slightly weaker overall than the Rautatie and Infektio albums which precede it and feature the same lineup. Weaker only in that it's not quite as exciting/adventurous.

Also have been loving the Kuusumun Profeeta which is almost like a whole album of the most mellow and spacey Pink Floyd tracks from the 70s. Incredibly lush and understated (almost precious) but still very prog in spirit, it's all driven by the bubbling bass guitar and subdued synth textures. Highly recommended if you like that sort of thing!

busted out the last kuusumun profeeta again today. still love it.

also

Incredibly lush and understated (almost precious)

this album often sounds so emo to me! not a pejorative thing, I kinda dig it tbh. "sataa lumi maahan hiljaa ja varhain" is like american football with chops. so then maybe... how it feels to be something on?

also listened to circle's suur-pori the other day. fairly aimless jam session. not sure it even needed a cassette release, really.

Still haven't played those new cassettes! I'm looking forward to the Ektroverde one most. The Circle/Verde Giardino was pretty WTF and perhaps not really necessary too, ha. Still glad to have it.

I still really love that last Kuusumun album also. It really hits the spot. I agree it is very American Football!! I haven't thought about that band in years.

The PO split with Grails has one super good new song along the lines of P0 #3 (except with way busier guitars!) and one song that is some weird slowed down jam ala Guillotine which is kind of a let down after that first song but still interesting, a real head scratcher. I need to spend more time with it.

the ektroverde tape is fun! I like giardino as well.

sounds like I need to hear that split since #3 is easily my favorite PO. trying to imagine busy guitars on top of that ultra-minimal sound...

The PO is really cool! Leppanen and the two brother guitar guys, one left channel and one right, really own it. Someone put the first song up on youtube I guess:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bzx9dqKSslw

The second song might not be slowed down, I did a close listen and it's possible they might be playing with extreme discipline, ha.

I have to say I think Suur-Pori is awesome and totally essential! I don't find it aimless at all, just confusing in the best possible way. If Leppanen wasn't there as an anchor it'd be harder to take but he IS there and so is Janne Tuomi! Good stuff, I can't believe it's 80 minutes long. Still the best and most interesting working band in the world that I know of!

The Ektroverde tape seems to be the complete session of the Music for Supermarket EP, and is indeed fun and charming in a quirky, robotic way.

New Ratto ja Lehtisalo 7" is really great too. Very colorful!!!

guess I have to give suur-pori another listen, huh? maybe I just wasn't in the mood?

dug that PO track, thanks for posting.

No prob, Alan. They had put that PO song up on Soundcloud at one point but I guess they took it down after the album came out.

As far as suur-pori I guess it depends on how much you appreciate confusing improvisation, ha. It is something I personally really go in for when the performers have very distinct personalities like these guys! I listened with headphones and had a lot of fun but I did only listen to only one side of the cassette at a time. The whole thing is indeed a bit much for one sitting!

Maybe it's worth listening for the percussionist's contribution, he is always adding subtle color, and also the work of the mixer guy. The latter is very active in shaping the overall sound and adding the effects (they never had effect pedals the times I've caught them live at least.)

yup, I'm definitely into improv, so I'll listen again soon and hone in on the percussion. ;-) I honestly don't remember much about it at this point (only listened once) except that I found it a bit too 'jammy' for my tastes.

also recently spun the second ratto ja lehtisalo record for the first time and it's been on high rotation ever since. pretty killer. love all the percussive vocal stuff on it.

I know, right! Glad you checked it out. That Ratto ja Lehtisalo is so neglected and so fascinating. The typewriter song is so funny. And also the one that is like "jue jue, ou ou ou, knock knock, push push, bebopaloolaloolaloola" is just out of this world with the goofy chanting contrasted by the kind of sacred church atmosphere!

Did you ever hear their side of the split 12" they did with Reverend Bizarro? So great, along the same lines vocally as the 2nd album but with motorik Leppanen drumming, electric guitar & synthesizers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPPFIfeulZk

no, I'd never heard this until just now, but wow, I love it!

and yeah, the typewriter and "knock, knock, push, push" tracks are both hilarious and great!

listening again, and although they don't sound awfully similar, this one definitely reminds me of pharoah overlord #3. both lps strip things down about as far as they reasonably can and this intense focus really makes individual elements pop out. the impact of sounds interacting magnifies and becomes a lot of fun for the listener to follow and the introduction of new elements gets more dramatic as well.

It's always a happy day when a new package from Aquarius shows up on my desk with new Circle. This time I picked up Manner on CD (already had the vinyl, but hey) and the Golem/Vesilirto reissue. Particularly excited for the latter, as I've not heard that one at all yet.

The Manner, Golem/Vesiliirto and Horn reissues are all essential! The bonus tracks on the latter two are pretty unexciting, though. Jon, if you get a chance let us know what you make of G/V, it's pretty confusing stuff! I find the Vesiliirto disc in particular pretty rewarding with the manic clockwork drumming, bass noodling and strange swirling freak out space organ.

I agree about the POs, Alan. I always thought #3 was super skeletal, it is so stark and high contrast. Maybe the artwork also reinforced this reading! They just sound so great as a band unit. The timbre of the drums and the bass is so delicious. Focused. And the guitars are so very insistent and tastefully stripped down. I also love how you can hear the minute mistakes, a stray missed drum hit or a single dead guitar note, they don't go back and overdub everything to perfection, they get a great performance and let it breathe and live - in high fidelity!

The two guitar playing brothers are pretty interesting on the newer Circle and PO albums, they aren't so rigid/disciplined and they often improvise and let their guitars get all tangled together in a very organic way. Which is part of the fun in listening to Suur-Pori. They work in unison. I don't know if they are actually twins, but they sound like twins. You can't really tell them apart, kind of like when the Beach Boy brothers harmony sing together. It is a cool dynamic!

Heh, I've only had a chance to spin G/V once so far, but right now I'm slightly preferring the studio stuff - there is a nice jazz vibe going on that I really love.

Speaking of Pharoah Overlord, I swung by a shop yesterday afternoon and picked up not only the Horn reissue, but also CD copies of #3 and #4! I was pretty excited to find 'em all at once.

Ha, you're going to have a lot of fun with that haul! Cool shop! The ersatz metal of #4 might not line up with most people's tastes but I sure think it's a blast.

Well I've heard both #3 and #4 before, just happy to finally have copies of each.

Falcon (ex-Circle): https://soundcloud.com/ektrorecords/falcon-ex-circle-beer-and-ribs

First heard talk of this a year ago, thanks to a Finnish magazine interview with Jussi, but they're only just announcing it. I think it is a crazy but brilliant idea.

Falcon (ex-Circle) kicks off by whacking on the table the hit single Beer and Ribs. Strongly influenced by AOR and soft rock, this catchy rocker knocks on the doors of shady radio playlist cabinets. The lowest common denominators and the hottest rock and roll clichés launch Falcon (ex-Circle) as the rock heaven's wildest new name, whose success story is just waiting to be written down. Slashing riffs, speeding synths, motorik beats and soulful vocals are combined with the dazzling vision and flair of these experienced rock veterans.

"From 1991 through 2013, Falcon operated under the name of Circle. The need for the sudden name change arises from the Circle brand's becoming somewhat of a burden due to the expectations of Ektro Records and audiences. Making music was turning into work and an obligation. The Circle brand has been leased to a group of artists, who are currently working on the next Circle album. The full-lengths of both Falcon (ex-Circle) and Circle will be released later this autumn. The current plan is that the lease contract dissolves by the end of 2013 and the Circle brand will be returned to Falcon, who then may continue under the name Circle (ex-Falcon). All Circle concerts booked for 2013 will be performed by Circle's long standing line-up: Mika Rättö, Janne Westerlund, Jussi Lehtisalo, Tomi Leppänen, Pekka Jääskeläinen, Julius Jääskeläinen, Tuomas Laurila." Jussi Lehtisalo / Falcon (ex-Circle)

What? What's happening?

Basically...

Circle as we know them (Jussi, Janne, Mika, Tomi, Pekka, Julius & Tuomas) are tired of being Circle, so they are changing their name to Falcon (ex-Circle) in order to produce their likely twisted take on AOR/soft rock.

They are then leasing 'Circle' as a kind of brand to another band, as yet revealed, who will produce records under the Circle name.

After a short while Jussi et al will claim back the Circle name and henceforth be known as Circle (ex-Falcon).

Brilliant madness!

*as yet unrevealed

Ex-Circle not to be confused with Circle X

or a collaboration w/ The Ex

I would like to hear that. Also I approve of this clearly insane idea.

Yeah, me too, ha. So funny and not at all problematic. The Manner album was kind of moving away from the normal circle M.O. towards this more hard rock through-composed song oriented style so I'm sure the temporary name change will be liberating for all parties.

I'm really happy Jussi is doing a cd compilation of his two LPs, I hope more people will check his stuff out now. They're both pretty staggering albums, Interludes for Prepared Beast being especially unique, otherworldly and masterful.

If we are united in our support of the idea, what does anyone think of the first Falcon (ex-Circle) song, Beer & Ribs?

My first reaction was to laugh, then to feel a bit non-plussed, but now I do keep finding myself humming it as I cycle about.

I think a whole album will be really fun! Also interesting is the fact Jussi even bothered to explain what's happening, he usually just sends the music out and you're left scratching your head. Kind of crazy to think the band is 20+ years old at this point!

Six Day Run soundtrack LP is pretty fun, too, albeit short. Side two gives off a distinct Taantumus vibe to my ears and in the best way possible.