Our Favorite Things

Nuspirit Helsinki

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 16, 2008)
• Original Release Date: September 16, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Backdrop/ObliqSound
• ASIN: B001CW7M6A
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,857 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Nuspirit Helsinki, the groundbreaking Nordic Jazz production team whose 2002 debut self-titled album received worldwide critical acclaim, present a collection of musical treasures on their new Backdrop compilation Our Favorite Things.

The album marks the Backdrop imprint¹s second release and is the start of a brand new series. Our Favorite Things is Backdrop¹s new series of most beloved music, freely and thoughtfully selected by notable genre-bending artists, in the spirit of legendary collections like Back To Mine and Late Night Tales.

In presenting their ³Favorite Things², Nuspirit Helsinki chose a mix of contemporary Scandinavian and northern European sounds, blending folk, pop, electronic and jazz. Artists and remixers include Aisha Duo, Joakim, Trentemøller, Korpi Ensemble, Five Corners Quintet featuring Mark Murphy, CocoRosie, Detektivbyrån, Flügelschlag!, Tales in Tones, and Wai Wan.

The broad spectrum of musical influences and perspectives included in the compilation demonstrates why Nuspirit Helsinki¹s past releases have received extensive support from taste-making DJs including Jazzanova, Thievery Corporation, Norman Jay, Patrick Forge, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Dr. Bob Jones, and UFO, and accolades from major publications such as Billboard, URB, MixMag and Penthouse. Nuspirit Helsinki also founded the incredibly popular Flow Festival in Finland and has had notable success with the worldwide release of the highly acclaimed Five Corners Quintet, an extension of the Nuspirit collective. Continued touring and remix work has increased the group¹s worldwide visibility and fan base, setting the stage for the release of Our Favorite Things.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Our Favorite Things, November 14, 2008

By	Mike Newmark (Tarzana, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Almost as if to exonerate themselves from blame ("They may not be your favorite things"), Finnish nu-jazz technicians Nuspirit Helsinki offer a bricolage of musicians for the first entry into Backdrop's Our Favorite Things mix series, where obscure European jazzbos like Flügelschlag! rub elbows with CocoRosie and Trentemøller. Surprisingly, this makes for a slick and agreeable set that enjoys diversity without standing out in any one direction.

Acoustic or electronic, all the songs are unified by ideals of cleanliness, austerity and melodic surface appeal, and it's clear that Nuspirit Helsinki have paid attention to how they fit within the greater whole. The high point arrives in the middle, when Korpi Ensemble's nocturnal "A Moment of Love" (reworked by Nuspirit's Tuomas Kallio) kicks up the energy, then slides into Tales in Tones Trio's piano-led "Sabari" that snakes like low-key Jaga Jazzist before Flügelschlag!'s African booty-wiggler "Mendiani" sweeps the image away. It's particularly effective considering the album's brevity--only 10 songs in 40 minutes--and provides a few key reference points for Nusprit's own productions.

There's a narrative arc in play that involves taxiing (Aisha Duo's quietly auspicious "Beneath an Evening Sky"), liftoff, cruising, and landing (Flügelschlag!'s tuckered-out "Zwei Elfen") that should keep listeners engaged. That's a big plus since not everything is immediately engaging. A few more vocal pieces, a less neutral mood and a shot of soul might have put this on the level of their eponymous debut in 2002 or the better entries in the Back to Mine series. But still, it works together, and Backdrop employees can go home happy. In lieu of a Nuspirit Helsinki sophomore effort, this will do for now.

(This was published in PopMatters on 11/14/08)