UUSIKUU

LauraLaura Ryhänen (born in Iisalmi, Finland, 1972) began her career in the age of three with a kitchen roll as a microphone. During her childhood she took lessons in piano and flute and had her first singing lessons at Kaustinen Music High School with Anni Kentala and Sirkka Haavisto. She studied Education at the University of Oulu, specialising in music education. While in Finland, she sang folk music, jazz and techno in a number of bands and worked as a background singer for studio productions. In 1999 she, together with Tiina Petäjä, founded the group Vaaralliset huulet in Tübingen, Germany. She performed and recorded Finnish tango with the band until her move to Oxford in 2006. Since 2002, she has also sung in the thriving folk trio Jääräpäät. In addition, Laura works together (both live and in studio) with the German Drum’n’Bass label Santorin and with the producers Simon V and Resound. She has performed in Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Austria and Germany. The Uusikuu boys are going to have this straightforward teacher in their tour bus. Are they going to be able to explore the notorious back stage parties at all…?

Mikko Kuisma (born in Rovaniemi, Finland, 1976) started studying piano at the age of five and violin when he was nine. He studied classical music in Kotka Music School, North Pirkanmaa Music School and the Conservatoire of Central Finland in Jyväskylä. He has played in various chamber ensembles and orchestras, including the opera project Karhu (1995-1997), where he was the leader of the orchestra in 1997. He is one of the founding members of Vinku, who won the Finnish Folk Music Championship in Mäntsälä in 1994. Their CD Sahantälläri was released in 1999. Mikko was the chief composer and arranger of Vinku’s music. They regularly performed all over Finland, including the main folk music festivals (Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, Sepän Soitto, Folklandia) and also abroad (Hungary, Norway and Germany). They were awarded the Sepän Soitto prize in 1995 for their achievements in Finnish folk music.Mikko also featured as a guest musician in the seventh studio album of Absoluuttinen nollapiste, a popular Finnish rock band, and so he is proud to be the only Uusikuu member who has featured in the charts! Mikko is our musical guide and the archivist who finds interesting musical treasures for Uusikuu

Norbert Bremes (born in Geislingen, Germany, 1966) took his first steps as an accordion player with Erich Läßle in Geislingen. Soon he was also an energetic member of the youth accordion orchestra of Baden-Württemberg. With the successful Swabian folk music group Albraabänd he finally entered the real world of entertainment. He has played Finnish tango with Vaaralliset huulet since 1999 and with the band he has travelled to perform in many parts of Germany and also in Austria and Netherlands. Since 2002 Norbert has been the conductor and artistic director of the Accordion Orchestra of the University of Tübingen. In addition, with guitarist Sergio Pinto, he is a founding member of duo Arrabal who explore the roots of the traditional Argentinian tango. Having got to know such a variety of musical styles and taken so many artistic trips to different continents, we happily claim that his real home lies in these Finnish melodies and harmonies. Norbert’s accordion very often sounds more Finnish than those of his Finnish colleagues and so Uusikuu are very lucky to have him!

Leo Laikola (born in Tampere, Finland, 1980) received his first piano lessons at the age of six and continued his musical education in classical music studies in West Pirkanmaa Music School, including a couple of years studying the flute. He started playing guitar at the age of thirteen in 1993 by experimentation and found his niche. His musical outlook with the guitar has been heavily influenced by the instrumental jazz/funk trio formed with musicians Jari Ilomäki (bass) and Petri Lindstedt (drums). The trio accompanied various singers during 2000-2003, including Jani Korkeakoski with whom they performed dozens of gigs playing traditional Finnish and popular pop/folk music. During 2002-2003 he played guitar in the modern rock band Shirkers Ink and released material by Uplift Records and performed in the Augusti Rock Festival, Finland. He has been invited to play at various other projects and performances and actively writes and records songs for his own musical projects. Uusikuu was lucky to have found this talented young musician who is just waiting for the right moment in order to unleash the red-blooded Latino in him…

Dominic Lash (born in Cambridge, 1980) has played bass guitar since 1994 and double bass since 2001. He studied with Hugh Boyd and Pascha Milner and at Basstech (London) with Rob Burns, Terry Gregory and others. Dominic received an MA in Composition from Oxford Brookes University in 2003, having studied with Paul Whitty, Ray Lee and others. He is active in musical genres from jazz to funk to rock.