OSLO, Norway -
Dec. 30, 2025 -
PRLog -- Risto Holopainen releases a new album of historical recordings on 30 December 2025. Perhaps best known as a composer of contemporary music, Holopainen also has a background as pianist and improviser. In the 1990's he frequently performed and played in concerts as a solo artist or with various groups.
Improvisations & Mishaps Vol. 1 is the first of a planned series of hitherto unpublished archival recordings from 1988 till today. The recordings were made in a variety of locations on obsolete media such as cassette and DAT tape. This first volume presents a selection of solo piano improvisations.
Risto Holopainen was most active as an improviser on the piano in the years 1988–2000, the period captured on this album. Important collaborations during this time included the avant-garde quartet SUNX AM (Eskilstuna, about 1988-1990), the Swedish folk music group Sälta (1992-96), and the free improvisation trios Hunger and (x,y,z), both active in Oslo in the second half of the 1990's. Although influences from free jazz and folk music may be recognisable, the pieces carry Holopainen's unmistakable signature of intricate harmony and rhythmical subtlety. The timbral delicacy of the prepared piano is explored on several tracks. Those who have followed Holopainen's work closely will recognise parts of the soundtrack for the animation Leçons de Pythagore on the last track, as well as material that appears on the album Garbage Collection (released on MERE Records, 2008). This album has been described as a collection of 18 unhinged lyrical gems, and there is more to expect in the near future.
https://ristoid.bandcamp.com/album/improvisations-and-mis...
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