Katoa

Huku
"Huku" translates as 'Drown'. This album can be seen as the official start of Käki as a group project instead of a one man project. Here, perhaps a bit hesitant at first, the band starts to work together, resulting in four long tracks. Again, you can hear flashes of shoegaze, post and psychedelic rock, plus a decent dose of jazz goodness. In a way, there is a certain restraint here, as the tracks don't really reach an apotheosis. Yet, in a way, this careful and minimal approach feels destined to become something great. Slowly, you can feel the chemistry building up. Personally, I can't wait to hear the next one.
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Valu
On Valu ('Drip"), the band engages in an acoustic experimental jam. These four tracks have been recorded live and you can hear passing cars, beer cans opening and cigarettes being lit. Perhaps that sounds a bit weird but to me, this is where the real chemistry happens. Nothing says "We're a band" more than casually improvising together. In a way, Anathema comes to mind, obviously because of the acoustic guitars, but also Sepultura's 'Kaiowas'. In all, 'Valu' is something completely different from Käki's other work but it remains an interesting piece of work.
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Thought Patterns
The last one sees the use of a DIY instrument and Jere playing saxophone for the first time in his live. The opener 'Dead Cranes' sounds quite weird because of that but nonetheless, we're digging deeper into the jazz scene with this effort. From then on, the band engages in a gloomy jam session, again with four lengthy tracks. The minimal approach still stands but you can hear that these guys are stubbornly going their own way. I like that and I think it's time that Käki leaves the Finnish soil to embark on a European tour. I'm sure that they will enchant dark jazz aficionados far and wide with these jams.
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