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Pendulum

Martti Vesala

Label: Mustik Motel Music
Released: 2026
Duration: 00:43:21
Views: 21

Tracks

Pendulum; Ancient Sunlight; Sands of Time; This Is For Wayne; Fireflies; Road Rage; End Of Land Sadness; Obsidian; High Hopes

Personnel

Album Description

Pendulum is the fourth album from Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet and the group's first release for Mustik Motel Music. Nine new compositions by trumpeter and composer Martti Vesala, performed with the long-running lineup of Petri "Pope" Puolitaival (saxophones, flutes), Joonas Haavisto (piano, Rhodes), Juho Kivivuori (double and electric bass) and Ville Pynssi (drums, percussion).

The opening title track introduces the album's central idea: the pendulum swing of history. It reflects the idea that history, cultural trends, and politics tend to move in cycles, swinging back and forth between extremes until a tipping point is reached and the momentum shifts in another direction.

Written in a period marked by global challenges, the music carries the hope that the weight of time will return toward calmer ground. "Ancient Sunlight" takes its title from Thom Hartmann's book on the use of fossil fuels and considers humanity's future energy supply. "Sands of Time" follows time's drift toward less stormy waters. "This Is For Wayne" is a tribute to Wayne Shorter, a recurring guiding figure in Vesala's writing. The closing piece, "High Hopes," is an optimistic gesture toward brighter times.

The repertoire also marks a step toward a more modern sound for the quintet. Vesala utilizes the modular synth and processed trumpet sounds, Puolitaival brings out the alto flute, and Haavisto leans further into the Rhodes. Contemporary touchstones behind the writing include bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh and trumpeter Dave Douglas. Jack Kerouac's prose sits in the background as a literary spark.

Recorded over three days in February 2025 at E-Studio in Sipoo with Tuukka Tervo, a long-term collaborator on Soundpost sessions, mixed by Tervo and mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers West. Out on vinyl, CD and digital.

Credits

Personnel:

Martti Vesala (trumpet, flugelhorn, modular synth)
Petri Puolitaival (saxophones, flutes)
Joonas Haavisto (piano, Rhodes)
Juho Kivivuori (double bass, electric bass)
Ville Pynssi (drums, percussion)

Recorded at E-Studio, Sipoo, 17–19 February 2025
Recorded by Tuukka Tervo
Mixed by Tuukka Tervo May 2025
Mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers West, 2025
Produced by Martti Vesala

Cover art by Verna Kovanen
Photography by Verna Kovanen
Layout by Verna Kovanen & Miiro Seppänen

Lacquer cut by Timmion Cutting
Pressed by Helsingin Levypuristamo Oy
Released on Mustik Motel Music. Vinyl, CD, digital, 15 October 2026.

Album uploaded by DJ Jukola