Style: Jazz Rock, Jazz Fusion, Prog Rock, Afrobeat (Mostly instrumental, some clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Frank Zappa, Snarky Puppy, Kokoroko
Country: Finland
Release date: 2 August 2024
Finland’s mischievous jazz rock ensemble Utopianisti first impressed me with their second album Utopianisti II—showcasing a defiant eclecticism, the band explored everything from klezmer and opera to 8-bit and tango, as well as an unnecessary compilation track of leftover jams (the appropriately titled “U.L.J.C (The Unnecessary Leftover Jam Compilation)”). On more recent albums, the band, led by Markus Pajakkala, traded their eclecticism for commitment: Brutopianisti consistently played with breakcore, zeuhl, and metal influences, while Tango Solo infused the titular Latin dance influences into their jazz rock style.
On Reason in Motion, the intrepid Finns suffuse all their trademark jazz rock, psychedelia, and prog wonkery with afrobeat, swelling their numbers with the addition of two percussionists/vocalists: Senegal-born Ismaila Sané and Mauritius-born Gilbert Kuppusami. Djembes and shakers add a refreshing sense of funkiness and vibrance, as does the fact the album was recorded live in studio. “Greenwash” opens Reason in Motion with trippy keys, wild saxes, and a magnificent drum solo trade off between Sané and Kuppusami, their afrobeat injection pushing the band into sounding more like Kokoroko, as well as some of Snarky Puppy’s worldlier tracks.
But Utopianisti’s signature sound remains undiminished, with Anssi Solismaa’s keys and Matti Salo’s guitar work keeping the songs firmly attached to the psychedelic fusion realms of Frank Zappa and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Meanwhile, Utopianisti’s main stock in trade, the horns, are covered by Pajakkala on the baritone and tenor saxophones, Inari Ruonamaa on alto, and Olli ”Trumpenator” Helin on the… well, you can probably guess what he plays. Pajakkala also breaks out the flute on a few tracks—notably “All Whale Panel”— but it’s unfortunately used quite sparingly. Most of Utopianisti’s main motifs are centred around the horns, but it’s when they opt for the lightness of the alto sax, the keys, and the flute that the tracks glide along at their most effortless.
We see that on “Yegaa Nu Betaa” (which is led into by the brief “Yegaa Intro”), Reason in Motion’s best fusion of psychedelic and afrobeat, which emphasises Sané and Kuppusami’s vocals and percussion with synth, horns, and guitar aplenty, showcasing the entire band’s talents. “Kakistocrats”, too, leans hard into the afrobeat with extended drum solos, jaunty rhythms, shouts and chants, a real live feel that’s joyously upbeat, with a moment for every performer to truly shine. That sensibility continues on the ten minute finale “Le Nuit Des Morts-Vivants”, a big ol’ jam track that gives every performer their moment in the limelight (those sax trills, man), the rhythm bops along gently, and the vibes are just off the charts.
Not every swing works, however, “No Culture, No Soul” turns up the psychedelia with an emphasis on freaky synths and a stripped back rhythm section with languid horn work all at a low tempo, but at over eight minutes long, the unchanging rhythm and perpetual languor outstay their welcome. Indeed, the staticity of the rhythms can be an issue: Utopianisti tend to vibe with a rhythm idea and then jam over it, but sometimes you want them to do more, to progress, with those underlying elements; often they do, but sometimes—usually when it’s a heavy dose of the horns in unison—said rhythms trudge along a bit, feeling all too rigid. Their high points are always when the compositions are at their most loose and flowing.
Reason in Motion is the most assured of Utopianisti’s albums, a successful melding of afrobeat and jazz rock where the new nuances of the percussions are vital to the vibes—be they laidback or groovy—and the vocal contributions of Sané and Kuppusami add a vibrant immediacy to the work. While some of the zanier eclecticism of their early work is missed—and there can be a lack of progression in places—this is a strong work of jazz fusion; each composition has a solid identity, the afrobeat influence is an absolute blast, and Utopianisti remain a criminally underrated group of deeply talented performers.
Recommended tracks: Kakistocrats, All Whale Panel, Le Nuit Des Morts-Vivants
You may also like: Seven Impale, Cloud People, Karmic Juggernaut, iNFiNiEN
Final verdict: 7.5/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | YouTube
Label: Independent
Utopianisti is:
– Ismaila Sané – Percussion, voice (left channel)
– Gilbert Kuppusami – Percussion, voice (right channel)
– Ville Hatanpää – Drums
– Jaakko Luoma – Bass
– Matti Salo – Guitar
– Anssi Solismaa – Keys
– Olli ”Trumpenator” Helin – Trumpet
– Inari Ruonamaa – Alto sax
– Markus Pajakkala – Baritone and tenor sax, flute, additional synths, percussion and voice
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