Kimmo Pohjonen - The Official Website

POHJONEN & KUOPPAMÄKI

K CUBE:
KIMMO POHJONEN
SAMI KUOPPAMÄKI
TIMO KÄMÄRÄINEN

K Cube is :

Kimmo Pohjonen - accordion
Sami Kuoppamäki - drums

Timo Kämäräinen - guitar

Their goal is to explore new possibilities, sounds, compositions and improvisations as trio, duos and soloists.

The first collaboration concert was a duo with Pohjonen and well-known drummer Sami Kuoppamäki in 2005 at Patti Smith’s Meltdown Festival, London at Queen Elizabeth Hall. The event was called Songs of Experience featuring the music of Jimi Hendrix. Pohjonen and Kuoppamäki arranged and performed two Hendrix pieces, “Burning of the Midnight Lamp” and “Drivin’ North” (“Drivin’ South”). Other artists in the program included Patti Smith, Johnny Marr, Jeff Beck, Robyn Hitchcock, Tom Verlaine, Yat-Kha and Joanna Newsom. They continued in late 2008 with a performance at Korjaamo, Helsinki, with all new compositions. The duo returned to Korjaamo in April 2009 for the Arctic Paradise Live concert with special guest Timo Kämäräinen on guitar.

The Pohjonen / Kuoppamäki / Kämäräinen trio, known as K Cube, performed at Viapori Jazz Festival, Helsinki on August 27, 2009. They will make a tour of Finland in October 2010 and a tour of Belgium / Netherlands in March 2011.

KIMMO POHJONEN:
Kimmo Pohjonen is now firmly established as the world’s most adventurous accordionist, taking accordion sounds, composition and performance to heights never before reached. He has composed, performed and recorded worldwide in countless projects, bands and ensembles including the Uniko project with Kronos Quartet and Proton String Quartet, the KTU band with Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn from King Crimson and many more. He has performed with graphic artist Marita Liulia and worked with choreographers Tero Saarinen, Lisa Torun and Carolyn Carlson. His music has been used in dance performances by Jorma Uotinen and he has composed music for Russian and Finnish feature films including Jade Warrior for which he and partner Samuli Kosminen were awarded the Jussi Prize for best filmscore. A recent project Earth Machine Music, featuring performances with farmers and their machines, toured UK and Australia. His most recent project, Haitaripainia / Accordion Wrestling which features ten Finnish wrestlers, light, video and surround sound, was performed twelve times in Finland in 2010 and will be performed on a larger scale at the Turku Cultural Capital events of 2011. Pohjonen's international performances have included The Proms at Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican Center (London), Brooklyn Academy of Music (NYC), Macau International Arts Festival and many others.

www.kimmopohjonen.com
www.myspace.com/kimmopohjonen

SAMI KUOPPAMÄKI:

Sami Kuoppamäki is a top of the line drummer and a first call studio session player in Finland since the beginning of the 90s. He's recorded and performed with all the major pop/rock/jazz artists in Finland including Von Hertzen Brothers, Anna Eriksson, Lahti Symphony, Apocalyptica, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Pekka Kuusisto, Rinneradio, Stratovarius, Iiro Rantala, Rajaton, Tarja Turunen, Eero Koivistoinen, Jari Sillanpää, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Anssi Tikanmäki, Michael Monroe, Dave Lindholm, Janita, Tuomari Nurmio, Avanti Orchestra, Johanna Iivanainen and many more with over 1400 studio tracks to his credit. He has studied in Manhattan School of Music/New York and Musicians' Institute/Los Angeles, and learned his lessons touring regularly with Kingston Wall (1990-95), Anssi Tikanmäki Film Orchestra (1995-), Vesa-Matti Loiri (1994-), Eero Koivistoinen Music Society (2003-) and others. He also has long careers with Helsinki City Theatre and as a drum teacher in Sibelius Academy.

TIMO KÄMÄRÄINEN:
Timo is one of the most respected and talented guitarists in Finland having recorded and performed with top bands and artists such as Hector, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Five Corners Quintet, Pepa Päivinen, Ismo Alanko Säätiö, Sakari Kuosmanen, Husky Rescue, Kaija Koo, Mikko Kuustonen, Jukka Perko, Tuomari Nurmio, Radio Symphony Orchestra, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Severi Pyysalo, Eero Koivistoinen, Olli Ahvenlahti, Jukkis Uotila, Emma Salokoski, Aki Sirkesalo, Leningrad Cowboys and more. He was also a soloist in Enrico Chapela’s contemporary piece Antagonica with Estonia’s Nyyd Ensemble and a soloist with RSO in Erkki-Sven Tüür’s 5th Symphony. His studies include Helsinki Pop-Jazz Conservatory and Sibelius Academy Jazz Department. He has composed for film, TV and theatre and has released three albums of his own including a collection of instrumental compositions.

K CUBE VIDEO: "Sumo", live at Korjaamo, Helsinki, 2010

"Sumo" video