Uusitalo - Karhunainen

The resurrection of Uusitalo six years after the classic "Vapaa Muurari" with "Tulenkantaja" may have confused and surprised many Ripatti watchers. Certainly there was little inkling that the beautifully emotive sound and soft textures of "Vapaa Muurari" would be largely replaced with punchier grooves more reminiscent of Luomo than Vladislav Delay. And while there were some good moments, "Tulenkantaja" still felt a little awkward and transitional, which possibly explains the relatively quick appearance of "Karhunainen". Perhaps over the course of one year, the listeners have gotten used to the idea of the new Uusitalo, or perhaps Ripatti has worked incredibly hard to cement his "new" direction. Either way, the results of "Karhunainen" at least feel spectacular, even though he isn't really trying anything new. The success is mainly found in Ripatti's newfound ability to construct much tighter and less rambling albums (which was really first seen on "Paper Tigers"), while the sound is like a more upfront version of that on "Tulenkantaja". Thusly, the standouts on the album are the trio of "Sikojen Juhla", "Karhunainen" and "Satumaa". These tracks feel something like a blend of various aspects of the Kompakt sound and "Tulenkantaja"; the schaffel of "Sikojen Juhla", the almost bubbly synths of "Karhunainen", the insistent groove of "Satumaa". Even the comparatively stiff "Nalkalaulu" seems to bear more than a passing resemblance to some of Jurgen Paape's contributions to "Total" over the years. All in all, the elevated energy and more concise feel of the album make it one of Ripatti's more compelling works, but it still falls short of being a classic.

Amazing release from the Finnish electronics master Sasu Ripatti. Sasu reaches luminary status with this release, if he hasn't attained it already of course. Like Oliver Lieb's status in 90s trance, or 242's status in 80s EBM, Sasu is now the leader of 21st century tech funk. Some of the most creative and thoughtful production to pass by these tired ears of mine, after years of pounding techno or nostalgic trips through the 90s ambient/techno scene... this is exactly what i want to hear in 2007 and hope that this approach just gets better and better with Sasu as he continues to mature. Buy this release, enjoy it often. Hats off Sasu.