Instrumental music can be somewhat hit or miss at times – without a vocalist, lesser bands can struggle to get this music to leave an impression on you and songs inevitably blur into one, but if it’s done well, it can result in a truly special listen. Enter Poutatorvi, a seven-piece collective from Finland that play impossible-to-classify instrumental music – although to give you some sort of insight into their musical style, it is billed on their Facebook page as Epic Disco / Progressive / Jazz / Electronica / World / Balkan! And quite simply, if that description alone doesn’t pique your interest, just wait until you hear the music. This is a band that is memorable for all the right reasons.
Tweaking The Space Time is the latest offering from the band, a five-track EP destined to worm its way into your head and rattle about there for days. Each track brings something different to the table, with Poutatorvi masterfully combining a whole host of different styles and ideas into their music. One of the best things about this EP is the fact that each song has its own unique identity, yet the tracks all flow well from one to the next.
Opener Select Character has a funk/prog feel to it, second track Universe Baby is more of an electronic piece that even features some vocals with a synthesised effect to them, middle track Furious Climbing is more of a jazzy number and fourth track Starship Garage has a psych/classic prog vibe to it…and then we come to the closing song. A cover of the first Dr. Wily stage theme from Mega Man 2. As someone who is a humongous fan of that particular game, it felt particularly rewarding to hear such a well-constructed interpretation of the theme!
As a whole, Tweaking The Space Time is an excellent little release – this is a thoroughly engaging listen that you’ll keep wanting to come back to.
9/10
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