Mäläskä is a brand new band/project which was established in 2016. They are doing their first (mini) European tour...that must be something to look out for! The band members Remy Stroomer and Petter Janse are

Petter Janse and Remy Stroomer (r)

far from unexperienced as they have worked wonderful together a couple of times before in a project named FreeArts Lab, which is also still active. Mäläskä's debut album Uncle Jim's Cidney Factory was just released before their tour started, and I had the honour to see them at music pub De Hommel in Vlaardingen. They told me it was going to be an evening completely based on improvisation, which made me very curious! The pub itself is not too small, and looked very cosy and warm. There was no stage (which isn't necessary in my opinion), so the band played on the same floor the audience was standing on. There was even a psychedelic screen projection, which fits the music perfectly.

Petter Janse (L) playing guitar with a bow

The music the gentlemen played that evening was a combination of eclectic electronic music, psychedelic music, and serene soundscapes/sampling interspersed with heavy moments. Remy has a wide range of keyboards/synthesizers, sequencers and (sound) panels. Petter plays guitar, has a lot of guitar pedals/effects and also uses a laptop in combination with sound panels. The music never bores for a moment because they know when to change the musical themes and drag you into a new atmosphere of refreshing sounds. Petter and Remy are well attuned with each other. They give each other enough space to improvise when needed. Some guitar solos of Petter's remind me of Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree.

They played one long set, and the audience really loved it. It was also their intention to stick to one set, but the men surprised the audience with a second, unannounced set! They started the set with a blast. Petter grabbed a bow and used it on the guitar strings, making a special sound. The men played until deep in the night, and I had no clue that it was 1:20 AM when their performance was finished! It's a very good sign when you totally forget the time during a gig, it means that you got totally sucked up in the music and forgot anything else.

I had a wonderful evening and enjoyed the complete performance, and I'm sure Petter, Remy and the complete audience had a fantastic evening as well. The gentlemen know how to improvise and make splendid music. I hope I will see them live again soon!

Text and pictures by Iris Hidding (edited by Robert James Pashman)