Finnish ambient music tape by Uzu Noir here teaming up with Ontelo to produce Invisible Labyrinth (ELEKTROKUUTIO EQ-01), a follow-up to Uzu’s 2022 debut Zo!. As Antti Uusimaki, Uzu Noir has been in high demand as a producer and engineer, and his CV is an impressive read dropping names of various UK and Finnish bands whose work we much enjoy, including Circle and Pharaoh Overlord; indeed Ontelo, who is Penna Jaakelainen, is a member of both of those Jussi Lehtisalo bands.
The aim with these three short instrumentals is to emulate “kosmische music”, as practised so memorably by Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze, but our Finnish friends also bring a slew of more recent references and contemporary musicians, whose portraits they wear around their neck in a locket. The track titles ‘Amulet’, ‘Sketch Map’ and ‘Orients’ allude vaguely to unexplored terrains or mystical occult knowledge. The music they make is well-produced, quite melodic, exhibits some nice sounds, could be described as slow-moving and relaxing, and never exceeds its allotted timespan on this planet. I’m not quite feeling the “grand unveiling” moments which Schulze and T. Dream managed so well as they lifted a veil on the cosmic bowl and uncovered the wonders of the cosmos, but at least Invisible Labyrinth does exude a positive and possibly healthy balm for the ears.
The first release on Elektrokuutio, a Finnish label for electronic music and a sub label of Ektro, which intends to focus on cassettes. (23/10/2023)