Kadi Vija’s Tiny Hands in the Press
Further Kadi Vija Emma winning album reviews are here!
Levyhyllyt — Auli Särkiö-Pitkänen
- Kadi Vija tekee äänitaidetta laulaen – LevyhyllytLevyhyllyt
- English translation by google: here
“Tiny Hands is an intuitive, organically structured whole, one you listen to wide-eyed and with a fluttering heart. The sonic world lingers in the moment — softly rustling, dimly gleaming, and intimate.”
“Vija’s use of voice is free and breathing, minimalist and endlessly rich.”
“Instead of a scat virtuoso, Vija is now nakedly a person observing the world, and jazz phrasing surfaces only now and then, as if from another reality.”
SuomiJazz — Pentti Ronkanen
- Vija, Kadi: Tiny Hands Gathering Wonder, The World Becomes Magic · SuomiJazz.com
- English translation by google: here
“A bold visionary who always makes music on her own terms, without worrying about others’ opinions.”
“Many of the tracks are puzzle-building, and we’re often talking about very small pieces. Skillfully they find their place, interlock, find a shared pulse — the instrumental and the vocal blend. Vija and Mäkynen paint with powerful color combinations.”
“At the same time, this is a total artwork — the album should be heard as a whole, from start to finish, to really feel it.”
UKVibe — Imran Mirza
“A captivating and incredibly nuanced record that finds Vija conveying the album from the perspective of a child, capturing the joys, wonder and curiosity of those early years.”
“The very categorisation of Vija as a ‘vocal instrumentalist’ is demonstrative of the dynamic and considered approach to her own affections for vocal improvisation.”
“A genuinely fantastic release that just gets better with repeat listens.”
We Jazz presents: Friends & Neighbors!
Our friend label from Helsinki came up with this neat new concept for their subscribers on Bandcamp. We had pleasure to join the first patch with Hatka’s & Kadi’s albums! Here’s how We Jazz describes the concept:
Friends & Neighbors is a new initiative by We Jazz. We select music from artists and labels we love and, with their approval, share these discoveries in the form of a free monthly digital compilation with all We Jazz Bandcamp monthly subscribers. As Ornette Coleman & co put it: “Friends and neighbors, that’s where it’s at!”
We plan to share tracks in batches of 5 dropping once a month, but we kick things off with volumes 1–3 (Jan through March) and 14 tracks in total. Subscribe to access this and future editions: wejazzrecords.bandcamp.com/subscribe
Eero Savela Road Movie is here!
Kadi Vija Wins Jazz Emma 2026!
Last night at Emma Gaala 2026, Kadi Vija took home the Jazz of the Year award for Tiny Hands Gathering Wonder, The World Becomes Magic! We couldn’t be happier!
The competition was fierce. This year’s Jazz Emma nominees were a testament to the strength of the Finnish jazz scene right now: Helmi Antila (Kuvia nuoruudesta / Kuohu Records), Joona Toivanen Trio (Gravity / We Jazz), Harri Kuusijärvi (Aallot / Flame Jazz Records), Pepa Päivinen Peacepipe (Vihmoo / Flame Jazz Records), and Varre Vartiainen with Mike Stern (Head and Heart / Eclipse Music). An incredible lineup.
Kadi came out on top, and it’s a well-deserved recognition of her singular artistry. As a vocal instrumentalist who blurs the lines between voice, improvisation, and modern sound design, she continues to push what jazz can be in 2026.
Congratulations, Kadi! This one’s for the books.
A huge thank you to Kadi for your vision and music! And to everyone who was part of bringing this album to life.
Hatka – Quartet Is Out Now
The title Quartet carries its own quiet story. Originally intended as a four-piece live performance and studio session, the music became something else — a document of presence and absence, of what remains when plans shift and listening takes over.
This is free jazz, yes. But it’s also texture, momentum, humour, surprise. It’s not about complexity for its own sake. It’s about attention.
Today the record is yours to hear.
Also available on all other major streaming services.
Hatka. The transatlantic free-jazz meeting point: Alan Wilkinson (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, voice), Darin Gray (upright bass, preparations, electronics) and Janne Tuomi (drums, percussion).
Hatka performed at Telakka Jazz (Tampere, Finland) on the first Friday night of January 2025. The following Sunday the trio visited a studio to record a session – music captured in the festival afterglow, fuelled by a shared commitment to free expression.
The album is titled Quartet for a reason. A fourth voice, saxophonist Jone Takamäki, was originally meant to join the group for both the live performance and the studio recording. Quartet is what was planned and what remains. Jone couldn’t make it, so he never played under the name Hatka. His absence became especially poignant after his passing in summer 2025, and Quartet inevitably became a memory piece: a way to honour a deeply valued fellow musician, his sound, and his life.
Buy digital and vinyl from Mustik Motel’s Bandcamp!
First Hatka Media Bites Are Here
Hatka’s album Quartet lands on 26 February and the signal is already out there. Before the record is even officially released, the trio has been picked up by international jazz media and radio, and you can see and hear why.
To set the scene, here’s a clip from Hatka’s explosive live set at Telakka Jazz 2025 in Tampere: Darin Gray (bass), Janne Tuomi (drums), Alan Wilkinson (saxophone) in full flight. This gig happened two days before the Quartet album recording session.
Hatka also appears in Rob Garratt’s All About Jazz festival report from Telakka Jazz 2025 — capturing the trio’s intensity and the sense that something new had arrived. Read the gig report here: Telakka Jazz 2025: Finland’s Second City Gets Spiritual article @ All About Jazz
“Describing this music would be like trying to catch bullets in your teeth, and spit them out onto a plate…”
“…did not let up for breath until 40 minutes later.”
Valon Kuvia blog wrote review of the Quartet album. Blog post it self is in Finnish: here! For your convenience here’s same blog post with Finnish to English translation by Google: here!
“Alan Wilkinson’s raw sound, and occasional electronic effects, enrich the album’s palette of timbres.”
“Shaping a tense dramatic arc without melodies or a catchy tempo.”
Daniel Spicer is a writer, broadcaster, improviser and poet based in Brighton, UK. He writes about music for The Wire, Jazzwise, Songlines, WeJazz and The Quietus. He runs monthly radio show one One Jazz streaming radio called Mystery Lesson. Hatka is featured on his February 2026 show on around 27 minutes mark.
Canada-based One Man’s Jazz featured Hatka on episode #1447, with the host giving the trio (and Mustik Motel) a lovely spotlight and selecting a track from Quartet in the show. Listen around 1h 40mins.
As we have the vinyl in time, we are shipping it prior to full digital album release. Get your copy from Mustik Motel’s bandcamp: Hatka – Quartet
Way To Highlights
As Way To continues its journey, we want to highlight a few mentions and milestones around Eero Savela’s release.
In Norway, Salt Peanuts also reviewed the record, adding another respected Nordic voice to the conversation. Read full review in Norwegian here: EERO SAVELA | salt peanuts*
“An excellent release overall.”
“…places the band among the very best in today’s jazz…”
UK Vibe featured the album in their review coverage, bringing Way To to a wider international jazz audience. Read the full review here: Eero Savela ‘Way To’ LP (Mustik Motel) 3/5 – ukvibe – astral travelling since 1993
“Savela’s trumpet tone is lyrical and unforced, more conversational than declarative.”
“…the dialogue between trumpet and Wurlitzer is especially rewarding…”
Eero was also featured via Estonian host Lauri Leis on Klassikaraadio, extending the album’s reach through radio. Listen the radio show here: Fantaasia. Lauri Leis | Klassikaraadio | ERR
North Star Sounds show on Jazz90.1 radio station Rochester, NY featured Eero’s Timangi on their show. Listen around 2h 11minutes mark.
Arttu Tolonen wrote a review of Way To on: We Jazz Magazine / Winter 2025 “Weathering” | We Jazz Records
“Now Savela steps out of the section with his debut as a leader, Way To.”
“Savela possesses a cool and controlled sound, one that is eminently capable of carrying an album.”
“There are several standout tracks on this strong album.”
Eero Savela was nominated as one of the Indieco‘s Jazz Artist of the year!
Eero was also nominated at the Funky Awards 2025 in the Artist of the Year category.
That one guy on Discogs commented!
Superb album and the vinyl sounds very good! IMO probably the best jazz album made in Finland in recent years. Highly recommended!
We’re grateful for every mention, listen, and share.
Thank you to everyone helping this music travel.
Sharing the story of Tampere Jazz City!
Eero Koski from the Finnish Music Quarterly magazine wanted to know what’s up in Tampere and we had a pleasure sharing our story.
Read it all here: FMQ – Finland’s jazz underground teams up to go global
A few key takeaways from the article:
Over the past few years, the city has spawned a cluster of adventurous jazz labels: Ultraääni, Mustik Motel Music, Puro Recordings, and the long-running Eclipse Music.
With its steady stream of daring releases… Tampere has become an unlikely but undeniable hotspot for contemporary jazz.
Kadi Vija Wins IndieCo 2026 Jazz Category!
Kadi Vija winning the jazz category at the 2026 IndieCo Indie Music Awards feels genuinely special to us. Not only because the recognition is so well deserved, but also because it arrives at the end of an incredible year for Mustik Motel Music.
With both Kadi Vija and Eero Savela nominated at the IndieCo Awards, and with Eero Savela and Lauri Kallio both receiving five-star album reviews, we were already deeply proud. Kadi’s win now feels like a meaningful closing moment. A crown for 2025!
We’re grateful, happy, and honestly moved. Thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, collaborated this year with us.
Introducing: Hatka!
We’re introducing a new creature in the Mustik Motel roster: Hatka — a transatlantic free-jazz trio where three seasoned improvisers meet: Darin Gray (bass), Janne Tuomi (drums), and Alan Wilkinson (saxophone). Expect music that’s physical and spacious at the same time.
Hatka’s sound can be described as physical and spacious at the same time. Instead of the familiar “front line + rhythm section” setup, the trio works as a constantly shifting balance of equals: shaping resonance, friction, silence, and sudden momentum in real time. Intense, playful, unafraid of noise, abrupt beauty, or the unknown.
Single: ETS – 29.2.2026 – DIGITAL
The album becomes available on Bandcamp the same day.
What does “ETS” mean?
“ETS” nods to a very Finnish phrase: “en tiä saatana” — roughly “hell if I know / oh shit, I don’t know.” The title comes via guitarist/comedian Heikki Silvennoinen, describing tour life: you count the days until you’re finally home… then you’re back in the dark, rain tapping the window, staring out from the kitchen thinking ETS. A perfect anti-slogan — the opposite of tidy productivity mantras.
We’ll share the full album context later. For now, “ETS” is the door handle. Turn it.