Totally missed the new album from the Antti Vauhkonen-led Finnish jazz outfit Oiro Pena when it dropped in late September. However, we’re making up for lost time with repeated spins.
We first got on board the Oiro Pena train with Vauhkonen’s, ‘Music From Moments’ album back in 2020. The album featured a selection of the multi-instrumentalist’s first solo recordings, originally released in digital format on his own platform, Häzling Recordings, in 2018. 2 Headed Deer Records rescued these compositions by creating an LP that showcased the musician’s wide musical range, evolving around a warm, organic sound.
Three years later Oiro Pena returned with, Puna. Combining elements of lo-fi spiritual jazz, experimental, and avant-garde music across seven captivating tracks, the collective crafted an exceptional astral, outsider jazz album.
In an era where global conflicts cast long shadows, the collective’s latest offering, ‘Béke’, emerges as a poignant meditation on tranquillity. The title, Hungarian for “peace,” invokes the concept while the instrumentalists infuse it with conviction. While the album may only stretch to six tracks, it manages to pack all kinds of musical magic over its 38 minute duration.
The album opens with ‘Päästäkää’, a song that ventures into psychedelic territory, featuring vocal chants, piano lines, and dissonant saxophone solos. Another one not to miss is ‘Puhkea lehteen ja kukkaan’, where wild sax, soft viola strings, expressive vocals and syncopated rhythms all converge beautifully. ‘Rannalla itkijä’ stands out as a more melodic string-driven track that blends spiritual jazz and experimental avant-garde. Another one not to miss is ‘Puhkea lehteen ja kukkaan’, where wild sax, soft viola strings, expressive vocals and syncopated rhythms all converge beautifully. The rousing, emotionally charged closer ‘Voimaa’ serves as a fitting end to the album, pulling listeners through a whirlwind of powerful emotions and leaving you with a crescendo of energy.
At its core, Béke is a sublime exploration of atmospheric soundscapes, where songs bleed into one another, blurring the boundaries between structure and improvisation. This isn’t mere background jazz; it’s a call for disarmament and reflection that demands active listening.
Béke stands as a testament to Antti Vauhkonen’s evolving artistry through Oiro Pena. True to the theme of peace, he’s crafted a record that doesn’t shout for attention but whispers profound truths. Highly recommended for fans of spiritual jazz seeking substance over spectacle.
