Adventure music full of emotional expression and irresistibly catchy grooves
Exploring his imagination and the fascinating sounds of the world, the bandleader Arola writes strong visual music that takes the listeners to places. The group of five musicians from the top of the Finnish rhythmic music scene creates an interesting mix of folk and jazz expression combined with elements of pop and film music. Middle Eastern flavors are especially strong in their music.
In their newest album Adventures in the Now (2025) Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine embraces the sounds of psychedelic ethno-jazz fusion and Turkish funk music from the 70s. The music invites the listeners to the dance floor, but also dives deeper: the songs explore topics such as the power of presence and how to surrender to it. The album was recorded mostly live in 1-3 takes per track to capture the magic and danger of live performance and improvisation.
At the moment Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine is working towards its fifth album, which is set to to be released later in 2027.
Ilkka Arola – Quartertone trumpet, bouzouki, baglamas, synth, vocals
Topi Korhonen – electric guitar, oud, vocals
Esko Grundström – bass, synths, vocals
Juuso Hannukainen – percussion
Okko Saastamoinen – drums
Albums
Shop CD’s and vinyls here.
Videos
“Whispers’, a high point in a sonically thrilling album, gives one of the best demonstrations of their wild imagination and versatility. Exploratory jazz trumpet lines, cycling bouzouki parts, skittering drums and psych-inflected guitars come in and out of the mix on what is a multi-phased epic.”
— SONGLINES, Andrew Taylor-Dawson (2025)
_____________
“Kun levyn laittaa soimaan, ensimmäisenä huomio kiinnittyy itsepintaisena jatkuvaan grooveen, joka kuljettaa musiikkia määrätietoisesti eteenpäin. Pian kuulijaa saa kiinni yhtyeenjohtajan Ilkka Arolan trumpetista, joka vahvimpana sooloäänenä kaartuu hellittämättömän rytmimaton yllä. Vielä tarkempi kuuntelu paljastaa koko yhtyeen huolellisesti kutoman kudoksen, johon kielisoittimet (kitara, bouzouki ja oud), lyömäsoittimet ja koskettimet punovat omat säikeensä. Myös hienovaraiset laulutaustat avartavat paikoin kuulokuvaa.”
— VALONKUVIA.FI, Jukka Piiroinen (2025)
_____________
”Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine käyttää aina niitä aineksia, jotka ovat kulloinkin tarpeen. Tilanteen mukaan ja teeman hengessä mahdollisuuksiin heittäytyen, sekä äänimaiseman tukkeutumisen tehokkaasti välttäen.
“– musiikki huokuu hetken ainutlaatuisuuden oivaltamisesta syntyneitä ideoita.”
— DESIBELI.NET, Mika Roth (2025)
_____________
“*Adventures in the Now* is a fitting title, as the entire album feels like an adventure where something is constantly happening right in the moment. Truly exciting stuff!”
— LIRA, Rasmus Klockljung (2025)
(translated from Swedish)
_____________
Ilkka Arola’s compositions are strongly visual music that transports the listener to different scenes and places. Mostly around the Mediterranean but sometimes there are so many superimpositions of images in my head that the result is some kind of cinematic jazz psychedelia. Very imaginative without blurring the lines.’
— LIRA, Lars Brinck (2022)
(translated from Swedish)
