Joose Keskitalo (Helmi Records, Finland) + Kadonnut Manner + Niamh Bower

From Finland – Double Headliner Special!!
Joose Keskitalo + Kadonnut Manner
Sunday 16th April 2023
The New Adelphi Club
£5 Advance

Joose Keskitalo is an acknowledged Finnish singer-songwriter who has released 10 albums since 2004 as solo artist and with various backing bands. He’s associated as part of the “Finnish Forest Folk” movement of the early 00’s and also a frequent collaborator of the Paavoharju collective (Fonal Records) that has occasionally reactivated in recent years.

Most of his output has been sung in Finnish language, but in 2019 he released an album of English versions of songs from his back catalogue under the moniker H.C. Slim, and in 2021 came “New Songs for Old Motifs”, his first album consisting of original material in English.

Writing and singing in English is actually quite natural for Keskitalo as he lived in London for a period of time as a child. The songs on “New Songs For Old Motifs” range from the wistful to the ominous, incorporating elements from both British and American folk ballad traditions. One can also hear echoes of for example Leonard Cohen and Will Oldham. The arrangements are minimal and earthy, creating a quietly mesmerizing album.

On this tour Joose (guitar and vocals) will be performing music from “New Songs For Old Motifs” accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Ville Linna (banjo, dulcimer and backing vocals).

Kadonnut Manner (“the lost continent”) is the stage name of Lauri Manner, an acoustic guitar picker from the Northern Finland.

Drawing influences from John Fahey school of American Primitive Guitar playing, country blues of Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt and finnish folk music, his music has been described as cinematic, raw and emotional, featuring lots of open tunings, hot syncopation and driving rhythms and expanding the country blues form with things borrowed from different folk traditions, 20th century classical music and other inspiring sources.

The fourth Kadonnut Manner album, simply titled “Finnish Primitive Guitar, vol. 4.” is due to be out by the time of the tour in early April 2023 as CD and LP, co-released by the finnish labels Hillotehdas and Creative Class War and Ramble Records, an australian label specializing in experimental guitar music.

+ Niamh Bower

Wonderful new performer doing songs in English and Spanish with fine guitar playing!

Part of the new breed of songwriters coming out of HU5.

£5 Advance