Kärtsy

Kärtsy ”Duty Freedom”

Release information:
Finland, IVK Music Finland on autumn 2010 (Promotion: ProPromotion Oy)
Scandinavia, Playground Music on spring 2011
Great Britain, Kudos Records on spring 2011 (Promotion: TheoPR)
Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Popdis! on May 2011 (Promotion: Popdis!)
Czech, Emi on spring 2011

Feedback:
Radio Rock Café Canada, internet radio: Top 20 of requests list on January 2011
The Real Radio Show, WGBB AM, USA, broadcasts live from Times Square – live invitation.
Foley Entertainment Inc, USA: RATING SCALE
"1" Indicates the Lowest Score
"5" Indicates The Highest Score
Recording Quality/Production: 4.5 Lead Vocals: 4.5
Musicianship: 4.5 Lyric Writing: 4.5
Music Composing: 4.5 Melodies: 5
Song Arrangement: 3.5 to 4 Overall Delivery: 5


I enjoyed the music! The songs are very strong and professional. Round The Roundabout exploded (in a good way) out of my computer speakers and had everyone in the office paying attention and ask "who is that?" We are all very impressed! To give you insight to the scoring scale above, the majority of artists score in the 2.5 to 3.5 range in the various categories. Whenever an artist sees a 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 or 3.5 as a score in a certain category (or categories) it means that's an area I feel they need to improve and develop. When an artist sees 4, 4.5 or 5 as their score in a category, it's a validation from a professional, confirming that the songs are of the highest level and show strong potential in the ultra-competitive music industry. To really raise the bar, every artist should work hard to earn a 4.5 or 5 in every category. It's a very competitive business and people averaging in the 3's (or less) will probably not get too far without a great deal of improvement and development. I don't give out 4's and 5's easily, so any of those you see, you have earned. Well done! // Eugene Foley
INDIE104 and iRADIO LA, award winning INDIE Station, USA, Kärtsy has been added to them playlist.
The Next Big Thing In Rock Vol. 2 USA, Candidate for compilation cd
Review from GB: This is the sound of someone who knows what he's good at - catchy pop rock. Kartsy is the leader of successful Finnish band Waltari - a band known for fusing every type of rock invented - whilst adding techno and hip hop if they felt like it - but even that wasn't enough for him so he decides to release a solo disc (Waltari are still a going concern). On this, his debut disc, he manages to evoke sounds of Feeder, Paramore and even bands like Reverend And The Makers. He writes catchy pop numbers that half of the talentless Top 40 would kill for (and/or Kerrap! magazine wannabes for that matter).'Wicked' starts us off and you realise Kartsy knows his stuff, this is the kind of material that make Feeder regulars on the festival circuit and appeals to both rock and indie crowds as well as the non-rockers of this world. 'You Say Love, I Say Hate' is a song that makes me conjure up images of an American glossy teen film with its chorus of "Hey, hey, hey" and loud, quiet, loud breakdown. 'Lost It' is the sort of song Keane would play and yet I like it? (Sshh, don't tell anyone I said that - Strange feeling!!) and the Feeder undercurrent rears its pretty head again on 'Out Of Control' and 'Round The Roundabout'. Backed up by young Finnish talent with fresh attitude and ideas, this really does showcase a man full of quality ideas and energy that shines through all eleven of these songs with a blatant passion and creativity still burning after over 20 years in the business. Any Uber Rockers with a slant on the softer, poppier side of rock couldn't do any worse than try this out. // Uber Rock Written by Ross Welford


Review from Germany: KÄRTSY „Duty Freedom“
(IVK/Rough Trade)

Bei KÄRTSY ist niemand Geringeres als Kärtsy Hatakka Namensgeber, also der Sänger der finnischen Crossover-Könige von Waltari. Wie im Albumtitel bereits angedeutet, sieht der charismatische Frontmann dieses Soloprojekt als Möglichkeit der Befreiung an. Doch Kärtsy wäre nicht Kärtsy, würde auch diese Nebentätigkeit nicht einen völlig anderen Charakter besitzen als in der gängigen Musikszene üblich.
Normalerweise versuchen sich Menschen, die ihrer Stamm-Band einstweilen den Rücken kehren, etwas auf die Beine zu stellen, das mit dem, was der Brötchengeber zu verzapfen pflegt, nicht allzu viel zu tun hat. Wenn dem nicht so wäre, würde sich berechtigterweise die Frage nach der Sinnhaftigkeit eines solchen Solo-Projektes stellen. Nun, da Kärtsy mit Waltari ja bereits zwischen allen Stühlen sitzt, Breschen schlägt, wo einst gar keine waren, Brücken baut, die die unterschiedlichsten musikalischen Landstriche miteinander verbinden, bekehrt sich der Finne auf „Duty Freedom“ zu stinknormalem, eingängigen, sagen wir mal Modern Rock. Das Crossover-Potential Waltaris findet sich auf diesem Album definitiv überhaupt
nicht wieder, stattdessen werden simple, zeitgenössisch - T.T. Entertainment

This is the sound of someone who knows what he's good at - catchy pop rock.

Kartsy is the leader of successful Finnish band Waltari - a band known for fusing every type of rock invented - whilst adding techno and hip hop if they felt like it - but even that wasn't enough for him so he decides to release a solo disc (Waltari are still a going concern). On this, his debut disc, he manages to evoke sounds of Feeder, Paramore and even bands like Reverend And The Makers. He writes catchy pop numbers that half of the talentless Top 40 would kill for (and/or Kerrap! magazine wannabes for that matter).

'Wicked' starts us off and you realise Kartsy knows his stuff, this is the kind of material that make Feeder regulars on the festival circuit and appeals to both rock and indie crowds as well as the non-rockers of this world. 'You Say Love, I Say Hate' is a song that makes me conjure up images of an American glossy teen film with its chorus of "Hey, hey, hey" and loud, quiet, loud breakdown. 'Lost It' is the sort of song Keane would play and yet I like it? (Sshh, don't tell anyone I said that - Strange feeling!!) and the Feeder undercurrent rears its pretty head again on 'Out Of Control' and 'Round The Roundabout'.

Backed up by young Finnish talent with fresh attitude and ideas, this really does showcase a man full of quality ideas and energy that shines through all eleven of these songs with a blatant passion and creativity still burning after over 20 years in the business.

If Kartsy was 22, had hair styled by the latest trend setters and was American, this would fly off the shelves. As it is, he's 44, probably does his own hair and is from Finland - maybe a reason why he's been allowed to do his own thing rather than be pushed to fit into a box of the record management's choice? And that's what we hate, remember?

Any Uber Rockers with a slant on the softer, poppier side of rock couldn't do any worse than try this out.

- Uber Rock (UK) Written by Ross Welford

( 8 /10)

Käytössä olevat lähteet eivät kerro, onko Waltari taaksejäänyttä elämää, vai ainoastaan tauolla. Sen formaatti, tarkoituksellinen linjattomuus, ainakin on. Kärtsyn soololevyn kappaleet ovat melko hyvin linjassa, ja tuo linja on suoraviivaisempi, vähemmän kokeileva ja pääsääntöisesti popimpi kuin Waltarilla.

Levyn alkupuolella kuullaan nykyään radiosoittoon vaadittavaa kitaravallia, mutta onneksi melko vähällä säröllä. Nämäkin kappaleet pysyvät pinnalla Kärtsyn ilmeikkään laulun voimalla. Aavistuksen nasaalista soundista joko pitää tai ei, mutta laulumelodiat ovat kohtuullisen onnistuneita ja itse suorituksessa on imua. Soittoon on siihenkin ripoteltu pieniä, mutta mukavia yksityiskohtia. Esimerkkinä vaikkapa I Believen wah-wah tai Round the Roundaboutin kosketinosuudet. Give Me Your Love Tonite on käännekohta, josta lähtien meno paranee ja muuttuu astetta monipuolisemmaksi. Raskaampia kitaraosuuksia ilmestyy mukaan kuin varkain ja Weak Inside sisältää jo melkein mättöä.Se sisältää myös Duty Freedomin ensimmäisen vierailevan laulajan Kathy Koskelan. Ilmankin olisi pärjätty, kyse lienee muista yhteyksistä joillekin tutun julkisuuden henkilön mahdollisesti aiheuttaman nosteen hyödyntämisestä.

Out of Control on reipas huudatus, jossa on oikeastaan suotta koneistusta taustalla ja Colderilla esiintyy seuraava duetto-kumppani. Kwanin Mariko sopii tähän raskaan rymistelyn ja hiljaisempien osuuksien vuorovetoon paljon tyylikkäämmin kuin etukäteen osaisi odottaakaan. Tempon- ja tunnelmanvaihteluineen kappaleen voi sanoa olevan kattauksen "waltarimaisin". Tarttuva kertosäekään ei ole hullumpi, ei ollenkaan. Jostain syystä levyn päättävä Running Away seuraa Kingdom Comea vasta kahden minuutin hiljaisuuden jälkeen. Moisen kikkailun olisi suonut jo jääneen cd-formaatin alkutaipaleelle. Kappaleen piilottaminen ihmetyttää siinäkin mielessä, että tämä tarttuva kappale ei suinkaan ole sieltä huonoimmasta päästä. Uniklubin Jussi Selo on tällä kertaa vieraileva solisti ja ihan hyvin miehen ääni sointuu Kärtsyn kanssa yhteen. Kappale on suhteellisen samantyylinen kuin Colder, eli eivätköhän nämä kaksi biisiä riitä pitämään Waltari-fanit tyytyväisenä. Ja vaikkeivat pitäisikään, Duty Freedom esittelee aikuisen solistin, joka ei enää hirveästi hötkyile, mutta joka ei ole silti myynyt sieluaan.



26.08.2010, Ismo Karo - Imperium.net