Promotional Material
This is our own one-page promo leaflet: IHO Spaced Out promo leaflet.
Articles
There was a lengthy interview about us with a music sample in the cover-mount CD of Fireworks Magazine #88 (Oct-Dec 2019). Here’s a PDF of the interview: Intergalactic Huso Orchestra – Fireworks.
Local newspaper Kunnallislehti made a full-page story about us on 28-Nov-2019, complete with a review of the album; naturally all in Finnish. The paper itself may be difficult to obtain besides the digital content subscription at https://www.kuntsari.fi/digilehti/. Here’s a PDF version of the article: Kunnallislehti 20191126: “Musiikkia Huson ja Linnunradan laidalta”.
Another local paper also honored us with a full-pager on 27-Jan-2020, still in Finnish. Also the paper copy and digital subscription pretty much match the above (subscription here). Here’s the PDF version: Kaarina-lehti 20200127: “Epämusiikkia suoraan sydämestä – ja vinosta päästä”
Spaced Out Reviews
suomijazz.com
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Progen puolelle vaakaa kallistaa yleinen soundimaailma (tymäkät sähkökitaraluukutukset ja avaruudellisina ujeltavat syntikat hallitsevat), rytmimaailmakin osaltaan, kaiken soittamisen matemaattinen tarkkuus ja tiukkuus. Jazzin vapaampia svengikäsityksiä ei juuri haikailla (bop-klassikko A night in Tunisia muuntuu sekin avaruusprogeksi), mutta toki fuusiojazzin maistumat ovat alati lähellä.
Riitalan sävellykset ovat tehokkaan iskeviä ja kahden miehen perusbändi tekee niissä kovaa jälkeä. Jimbo Mäkeläisen muskulaarisen rummuttelun varaan on hyvä rakentaa, ja Riitalan monipuolinen instrumenttiosaaminen mahdollistaa vaikka minkälaisen sinfonian toteuttamisen. Vieraista Teemu Mäkisellä on iso rooli levyn alkupuoliskon toisena soolokitaristina, ja vastaavasti jälkimmäisellä puolikkaalla Ilkka Rantamäen väkevät soolot nousevat rintamasta esille.
Hitusen turhan turboahdettu kaikessa synteettisessä voimallisuudessaan kokonaisuus minun makuuni on, mutta jos proge tai fuusio yhtään iskevät, galaksienvälinen orkesteri kannattaa ilman muuta tsekata omin korvin.
Tapani Hokkanen
Sea Of Tranquility
Their first disc titled Spaced Out was released in May of this year and a fine progressive fusion album it is.
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Their vast experience is easily heard throughout the disc’s twelve tracks […]
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Spaced Out is a highly listenable slice of fusion that I can easily recommend to any fan of the genre. The guitar and drum work are particularly impressive.
Jon Neudorf
Arlequins
The jazz-rock theme of “Odour In Court” was probably the start of IHO’s adventure, which—in addition to fluid solos—stands out for certain truly intricate drum passages.
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…while “Old Rabbits Die Hard” resumes a more lighthearted jazz, at times almost like a film festival soundtrack, moving through fun solos on both guitar and synthesizer. The more vibrant “A Night in Tunisia” is a classic jazz theme brilliantly reworked with a call-and-response between Riitala’s synthesizers and Iikka Rantamäki’s solos, alongside drum rolls and space digressions.
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…move on to “In Your 80’s Dreams”, whose structure was apparently actually dreamed by Riitala. True to its title, the vibe is very 1980s and clearly mimics the opulent showiness of that decade. However, there are a whopping four guitar solos, Zappa-esque at times, three of which are again entrusted to Iikka Rantamäki. Riitala executes one of them, which is absolutely roaring, in addition to managing the vocoder guitar score and various synthesizers.
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“In The Absence Of…” is truly remarkable, originally conceived after forgetting the keyboardist… at home! Over time this absence was remedied, but what really hits you here is the variety of solos by Jari and yet another guest, Kari Riihimäki, who both play in a chameleonic way over a funky rhythm without ever distorting the track. It is a funk style that seems to carry over into the following “Back To The Storm”, though infused with cosmic and psychedelic moods. Once again, the solos by Jari (whether on the six strings or the synths) and Iikka Rantamäki are highly unique; Mäkeläinen’s performance behind the skins is truly demanding.
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And since the direction is now set, the final, nearly ten-minute track “Nebula Risa II” is done in grand style. Cosmic music and jazz/fusion are merged into a single soul, developing the theme heard at the beginning and middle of the album. The piece is embellished by Bill Lieske’s flute and Michael Lake’s trombone, interspersed with passages that evoke spacewalks and perhaps even walks on the Moon. Room is then left for solos entrusted to the usual Jari Riitala and the two guests, Iikka Rantamäki and Steve Thornbrugh, creating an effect that is (very) vaguely in the style of Camel.
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The first part of the album, although very pleasant, feels a bit more rough around the edges, mostly from a production standpoint. The second part, despite being characterized by a greater presence of guests—which could have made it feel more fragmented—instead displays greater compositional maturity, sounding more decisive and homogeneous. All this probably indicates the chronological difference between the various composition phases. A fun debut that is, for long stretches, truly well played; we hope to have a follow-up soon, with a stable band and clear ideas.
Arlequins (Google translation [now improved version 2] from Italian)
Kunnallislehti 28.11.2019
As a whole, ‘Spaced out’ is varying and relaxed for a prog album. It mostly steers clear from being artificially artistic and it is boring at most in some places, which is a great achievement in instrumental music of this genre.
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Simple combines with complexity in a natural manner.
Perttu Hemminki (IHO translation from Finnish)
Retrokkiblogi
Tämän levyn kohdalla nostan kyllä hattua, isosti!
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”Spaced Out” on nimittäin hyvinkin kirjava, erityyppisistä biiseistä rakennettu sisäavaruusmatka ilman tyhjiä hetkiä.
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Mäkeläinen on joustava ja monipuolinen rytmittäjä.
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Erinomaisen maukasta ja melodista!
Pekka Koskivaara
THE ROCKER
But musically, it’s a cracker as they head off into the world of Weather Report, John McLaughlin and others of that ilk.
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Although it’s mainly classic fusion they do reach out into the words of pure jazz, rock and even prog on what is an absolute gem.
The Rocker
The internals of The Rocker site is are a bit difficult to link to. Look for “Reviews Roundup October 25, 2019”. The content was also posted on IHO Facebook page on 27-Oct-2019.
DUTCH PROGRESSIVE ROCK PAGE
Both Jimbo and Jari obviously have a wicked sense of humour, which demonstrates itself both in the musical compositions, as well as the song titles.
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The packaging is a great accompaniment to the music, with insightful notes guiding the listener along the journey. The images used are also stunning, adding to the physical package.
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Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys instrumental music based on jazz, but heavy on the fusion element. It is certainly a disc I will return to.
Stefan Hennig
STORMBRINGER.AT
“Spaced Out” is a varied yet harmonious album that never sounds dusty or cramped despite a long production time, but creative and fresh. An all around successful debut of the Husos from Finland.
Lennart Paul (Google translation from German)
MWE3.COM (LONG PAGE, SEARCH FOR IHO)
Building upon the foundations of classic 1970’s Finnish fusion, Intergalactic Huso Orchestra brings the genre up to date with style and passion. IHO boldly goes where no Finnish fusion band gone before.
MWE3.com
ILKKA, POHJALAINEN 26.8.2019
Sen fuusioituneet ainekset syöksähtelevät rockiin, jazziin ja progeen virtuoosimaisin virnistyksin, joten käsijarrulle ei ollut tarvetta.
Juha Seitz
Full content in an IHO Facebook post 26-Aug-2019.
COLOSSUS.FI
Mitään kertakaikkisen pysäyttäviä tähtihetkiä Intergalactic Huso Orchestra ei kenties tarjoa, mutta varsin miellyttävät 64 minuuttia ammattitaitoisesti soitettua hyvän mielen jazzfuusiota.
Matti Pajuniemi
EMPIRE MUSIC
On the second song (Afternoon Romp) they remind of their countrymen XL, and on their level they also act on the remaining songs.
Jürgen Meurer (Google translation, slightly improved but still clunky)
Full content and translation in an IHO Facebook post 17-Jul-2019.
ROCK IMPRESSIONS
… it is instead highly enjoyable music, based on really engaging grooves, even in the most technical moments.
Rock Impressions (translation from Italian)
BEREUTES PROGGEN
Progressiver Jazz/Fusion, wie man ihn hören möchte: kreativ, dynamisch, traditionell und doch im modernen Gewand
Horst-Werner Riedel