Electronic soundscapes, jazz, and modern concert music blend into a magical experience at the Sid Hille Contemporary Collective's anniversary concert at Temppeliaukio Church on Friday, March 22nd. The concert will also mark the release of the band's second album, Lightyears Ahead.
Composer-pianist Sid Hille leads the Sid Hille Contemporary Collective, which played its inaugural concert at the Temppeliaukio Church in Helsinki on March 22nd, 2014. After an intense two-year period of performances, the group took a creative break, only to return to the scene exactly ten years later on the same day. In addition to this comeback, the concert will also celebrate the release of the album Lightyears Ahead on the same day.
The Sid Hille Contemporary Collective, comprised of four fearless explorers, has found a realm teeming with possibilities in the intersection of jazz and modern concert music, evoking imagery of outer space. Alongside Hille, the collective includes guitarist Teemu Viinikainen, cellist Markus Hohti, and bass clarinetist Heikki Nikula. Together, these highly skilled improvisers guide their audience on a journey beyond the boundaries of style and genre. The captivating performance arises from the chemistry and trust among the musicians, enabling liberated improvisation and taking risks.
The Sid Hille Contemporary Collective operates as an organism composed of four independent parts, dynamically shaping the sonic landscape towards a common goal, moulding it into increasingly imaginative forms. A review from Rondo Classic described the concert ten years ago with the following words: "A cohesive, intensely focused, nirvana-like event where spaces ultimately culminated in unbearable beauty."
For Sid Hille, it's crucial to find a spontaneous space in music and during concerts, which he seizes. "When a musician improvises or performs a composer's written structure, they make decisions in a fraction of a second," he explains. "Decisions about their own playing, intensity, shaping of a single note at a specific moment, and the overall structure of the piece – all while reacting to the collective performance."
The concert at Temppeliaukio Church will coincide with the release of the second album by the Sid Hille Contemporary Collective titled Lightyears Ahead, following their well-received debut album Outer Space in 2014. Released on LP and digitally on March 22nd, Lightyears Ahead consists of a single long piece divided into two parts for the A and B sides of the record. The composition takes listeners on a journey through edgy improvisational bursts as well as calm eddies. Different landscapes, moods, and events emerge naturally and organically from the music's flow.
The creation process of the new album aptly reflects the spontaneous nature and adventurous spirit of the collective. After completing the music recordings for Saara Cantell's film Sisters at Finnvox Studios, Hille had about an hour of studio time left. Remaining in the studio with Hille were Markus Hohti, Heikki Nikula, and Teemu Viinikainen – in other words, the Sid Hille Contemporary Collective. On a whim, they decided to record something together.
"The old magic was definitely still there, and we played continuously for 34 minutes. There wasn't a single note too many or too few in the end result. It was perfect," Hille enthuses. "We just had to make an album, even though it wasn't originally planned."
According to Hille, the recipe for the concert at Temppeliaukio Church will be the same: "We'll create magic – there's no need to agree on anything in advance."
Sid Hille (b. 1961) is known as a prolific and versatile composer, as well as an active pianist and bandleader. His catalogue as a composer includes award-winning film music, compositions for big band, string quartets, chamber music, and piano concertos. In addition to the Sid Hille Contemporary Collective, his best-known bands include F#, Hille-Könighofer Experience, Foreign Friends, Sid Hille Camerata, and Platypus Ensemble. Temppeliaukio Church holds a special place for Hille, as he has been performing weekly solo piano recitals there for over 20 years.
Sid Hille Contemporary Collective 10th Anniversary Concert
Friday, March 22nd, 2024, at 7:00 PM
Temppeliaukio Church, Helsinki
Tickets €22.60 / €17.60 (Lippu.fi)
Event on Facebook
Sid Hille Contemporary Collective: Lightyears Ahead
SatnaMusic (SatnaMusic LP241)
Release Date: March 22nd, 2024
A-side
LIGHTYEARS AHEAD part 1 ISRC: FI-2SH24-00009
Beyond The Kuiper Belt
Pulsar
Nebula X
Electromagnetic Spectrum
By The Wormhole
B-side
LIGHTYEARS AHEAD part 2 ISRC: FI-2SH24-00010
Remembering Home
Make It So / Consensus
To Dissipate Into The Void
Photo: Maarti Kytöharju