Guitar music is evolving. The virtuoso explosion of the 80s, defined by the likes of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani has helped inspire many generations of guitarists since. Today, progressive music is benefitting from a generation of players that aren’t content with simply showing off. With his debut album, Introlation, 26-year old Finnish guitarist Venehsalo and his band, Mavon Safia, is stylishly introducing himself to that world. Through the record’s inter-genre dabbling, the guitarist seamlessly integrates himself with the current crop of hyper talented players voicing their abilities in tasteful and colourful ways.
Across Introlation, the Helsinki-based musician puts his voice through many stylistic lenses. Plaiting these styles together, he is able to produce richly varied music that bends and bows through genres, emotions and narratives. At times dark and mysterious, at others fizzing with technicality or lilting through jazz, surf rock and folk territories, the record feels like a celebration of the guitar as a voice unto itself.
“Composing, arranging and producing my own album has been a dream of mine for a long time,” says Venehsalo. “It has been a huge learning experience for me, but we haven’t cut any corners. It feels good.”
Importantly, he didn’t do it alone. Venehsalo and drummer Jaakko Pöyhönen – who have worked with pop vocalist Katri Ylander and progressive folk act Tatu & Tutkimusmatkailijat amongst others – have compiled a band of seasoned players. Together, they add greater character to the album and its performances. Keyboardist Vili Itäpelto was part of the short-lived melodic metal project, Bodom After Midnight, created by the late Children of Bodom guitarist, Alexi Laiho. Bassist Oliver Karttunen, meanwhile, plays in fusion group, Peela and is an in-demand session player.
“In the beginning of the process, we went to our rehearsal space and started jamming,” says Venehsalo. “After a few sessions, I realised that these tunes actually needed some one-on-one time with me, so I went home and basically did a full demo of the album, combining some of the rehearsal recording audio and composing something new. I had a pretty clear idea of what the final result was going to sound like even before we went to the studio, but my awesome colleagues made it sound even better than I would have imagined.”
Venehsalo builds his music upon atmospheres and emotion, rather than his talent alone. Take his lead guitars out of the mix and the songs still have depth. This song-led approach to instrumental guitar music has helped catapult artists like Plini, Animals As Leaders and Yvette Young far beyond a guitarist-specific audience. It's no surprise then, that Venehsalo's writing oozes that similar, impressive-but-tasteful aura.
Naturally, Venehsalo can and does set his fretboard alight across the album, but they're moments that have earned their right to be there. Each song is carefully established and developed before any muscles are flexed.
On Projekt 13, the esteemed jazz guitarist, Frank Gambale (Chick Corea Elektric Band) guest stars. It’s quite the coup. As he recently explained to Finnish magazine, Riffi, the Australian is highly selective about who we works with, saying: "The project must have something that in my view deserves my name on it. I will agree if the music in question is very good and the artist is clearly talented. I don't play on anything just because I'm asked to do so."
With 20 albums to his name and numerous guest appearances across a 30 year career, it would be easy for the Grammy-winning guitarist to steal the limelight from Venehsalo. The fact their playing so fluidly intertwines together across the track’s rolling bedrock, punctuated by an earworm motif throughout, is credence to both his talent and his ability to craft memorable, grounded songs.
Through dark fusion flavours (Introlation), effervescent jazz (Jazz Ballad), grinding metal rhythms (Radioactive Diesel) or funk freak outs (Made In Finland), Introlation offers plenty to satisfy a range of musical appetites. As a growing number of artists are proving, there is a real hunger for forward-thinking instrumental guitar music and Venehsalo is putting himself at the forefront of what is arguably progressive music’s most exciting movement right now.
Introlation is out now via Eclipse Music - https://markusvenehsalo.bandcamp.com/
