Lampen is the Finnish duo of Berlin-based guitarist-bassist-bandleader Kalle Kalima (leader of Klima Kalima and member of KUU! and Z-Country Paradise) and Helsinki-based drummer-percussionist-sampler player Tatu Rönkkö who has been active in the experimental music scene of Helsinki and Berlin during the past decade. The duo played for the first time in the mountains of South Tyrol at the Italian Bolzano Jazz Festival, where they were sent on a blind date gig to the village square with singer Andreas Schaerer.

Inspired by the joint improvisation, Kalima and Rönkkö performed further concerts in Berlin and Hamburg. Halogen is the duo’s sophomore album, following the self-titled debut album (released by Karkia Mistika in 2020 and re-released by We Jazz in 2022). Like the debut album, it was recorded at Studio Zentrifuge in Berlin.

The atmosphere of Halogen is reminiscent of wide-screen, breezy meditations that bring to mind the extended improvisations of the Australian legendary trio The Necks, but are much more compact and on a territory of their own. These post-jazz meets post-rock and post-ambient, unhurried and low-key meditations may suddenly and briefly erupt with edgy, intense power, which may be surprising at first but quite logical given the open, genre-binding dynamics of Kalima and Rönkkö.

Kalima composed six of the nine pieces and the other three were co-composed with Rönkkö. But all pieces flow as if in a peaceful river stream and all highlight the close, deep dynamics of Lampen. This is sonic rafting for the curious listener.

Eyal Hareuveni

Kalle Kalima (electric guitar, electric bass), Tatu Rönkkö (drums, percussion, electronics)