Laura Annika Quartet issued their debut EP on 8 May. The release came out in a digital format only, being now available on Spotify, iTunes and SoundCloud.
Founded in spring 2013, Laura Annika Quartet released their first EP on Friday, 8 May. The release, entitled Le Lac, was recorded at the Finnovox Studios in January, earlier this year and it constitutes of five tracks, all penned by the leading woman Annika Mustonen and pianist Aleksis Liukko. Their compositions draw from modern and modal jazz, Brazilian rhythms and blues. The EP is released digitally, but a limited number of CDs will be available for purchase at gigs. Indeed, the group will play their new material live at different venues later this year.
Perhaps best described as messengers of modern vocal jazz, the quartet have not been in a hurry with their debut. “Since the beginning Laura Annika Quartet has been a musical laboratory for me, allowing me to freely experiment with different ideas. Now along with the original material it seems that we have found our sound and reached a new level of sensitivity when it comes to communicating as a group”, says Mustonen. In addition to her, pianist Aleksis Liukko, known also from group Tulilu that participated in the Young Nordic Jazz Comets competition, composes for Laura Annika Quartet. Liukko’s piece, “Mind the Gap”, was recently selected among the finalists in the Esko Linnavalli composition competition. Laura Annika Quartet’s rhythm section is composed of double bassist Joonas Tuuri and drummer Juhana Kiiski. Mustonen gives plenty of credit to her colleagues’ commitment to the group, stating that it shaped the sound of the EP decisively: “We have rehearsed a lot and performed the material live, which, I think, rendered our work in the studio easier and more relaxed.”
The EP contains a wide range of different feels, and despite the distinctive undercurrent of modern jazz with some additional flavours the composer pair wants to avoid unnecessary pigeonholing. Partly with, partly without lyrics, the pieces that were selected on the EP make up only a slice of all their material. “We felt it was time to record our music to make it more widely available. We also wanted to do it properly so we headed to Finnvox Studios last January. The recording sessions took one day.
Originally from Varkaus, Mustonen is currently doing studies in jazz voice as an exchange student in Conservatory Liceu, Barcelona. The exchange period forms a part of her degree at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. She has also studied at the jazz department of the Sibelius Academy as an open university student. The vocalist-composer is also known as a producer of the summery Jazz-Espa concert series and the event We Jazz. Aleksis Liukko has graduated from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and is currently pursuing a freelance musician’s career. In addition to his own Tulilu group, Liukko plays in the ranks of Sointi Jazz Orchestra and Kuullos Orchestra. Double bassist Joonas Tuuri is a student at the jazz department of the Sibelius Academy. The Kitee-native is a sought-after up-and-coming player, whose bass-playing can be heard in, for example, Johan Bowman Trio, Tulilu and Sointi Jazz Orchestra. Juhana Kiiski is a versatile drummer who wields the drumsticks in a number or groups, such as the folk pop band Tilhet, Pajut ja Muut and in the crew of Lucie, who recently brought out an album. Kiiski is currently wrapping up his degree at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
LAURA ANNIKA QUARTET
Annika Mustonen – vocals, compositions, lyrics / Aleksis Liukko – piano, compositions / Joonas Tuuri – double bass / Juhana Kiiski – drums
Laura Annika Quartet: Le Lac (EP)
Distributor: Music KickUp (Release date 8 May 2015)
1. Intro (Subconscious Winter) / 2. Islanti / 3. Lost in Congestion / 4. Le Lac / 5. Sambleu
Tracks 1, 3, 4 & 5: composed & arranged by A. Mustonen and A. Liukko. Track 2: composed by Annika Mustonen, arranged by A. Mustonen and A. Liukko. Lyrics in tracks 2, 3 & 4: A. Mustonen.
Digitally available on:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/lauraannikaquartet
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/fi/album/laura-annika-quartet-le-lac/id983029861?l=fi
Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/6YxORsEhgi8DLHfsE2gIDt