Both Janne Westerlund and RADIOPUHELIMET are names that resonate with people who have been following the Finnish underground music scene. Westerlund, of course, is a man of many trades: the versatile guitar player is a part of bands such as CIRCLE, PHARAOH OVERLORD, and PLAIN RIDE, ranging from krautrock to stoner and space rock. His solo project has more of a folkish approach, but it definitely leans towards the darker side of folk. On the other hand, RADIOPUHELIMET have been doing their noisy hardcore-funk thing for four decades since 1986. When the two combined for a RADIOPUHELIMET record release show on a late October night, October 28th, 2023, at G Livelab in Helsinki, we set out to see what the veterans could deliver.
Janne Westerlund served as the opening act for the night. Westerlund had brought along a three-person band: Anssi Hallio on the drums, Pekka Jääskeläinen on guitar and bass, and Hilla Kohtamäki on bass, keyboards, and guitar. Westerlund himself played the banjo and a baritone guitar. His performance was marked by a striking minimalism, with compositions that allowed ample breathing room for the music, of which Westerlund‘s vocals are a key element.
Westerlund released his latest album, “Talvikaravaani,” this year. It is the first one with lyrics mainly written in Finnish. The concert at G Livelab consisted mostly of songs from the new album, supported by a few older songs, such as the fabulous “Tuonelan lautturin tytär.” There was also a rare cover song in the repertoire, as Westerlund performed his version of the Saara Suvanto song “Kaikki kissat ja koirat ja linnutkin.” The anti-war anthem, written from a child’s perspective, was a painfully timely statement.
Next, it was time for RADIOPUHELIMET to take the stage. After the melancholic and mellow performance by Janne Westerlund, the accelerator was pushed to the stage. Vocalist J.A. Mäki, with his trademark sunglasses and black gloves, is the central figure of RADIOPUHELIMET‘s stage presence. He’s backed by the central songwriter Jarno Mällinen, Katz on guitar, Antti Annunen on bass, and drummer Jyrki Raatikainen.
RADIOPUHELIMET is known for their aggressive playing with a strong focus on the rhythmics of the songs. The seated audience at G Livelab somewhat restricted the crowd, and for some of the new songs, vocalist Mäki still had to refer to a tablet with the lyrics. However, the music was enough to get part of the audience moving, especially towards the end of the concert. During the encore with some older songs, there were even some quite wild dance moves in the audience. The new songs had also brought a new element to the stage: Jarno Mällinen‘s son, Vilho Mällinen, with his synthesizer. One of the highlights of the show was “Aatteiden hautajaiset,” which delved into slightly more hypnotic waves. Check out our photos here…
Janne Westerlund
Radiopuhelimet
Photos by Arto Alho
