Janne Westerlund (born 1973) is a Finnish musician, songwriter and visual artist known from such Finnish groups as Circle (with the band since 2001), Pharaoh Overlord,[1] and Plain Ride.[2] His main instrument is guitar but on his solo gigs he plays banjo as well.[3] He sings and writes lyrics mainly in English. Westerlund's career started in the beginning of the 1990s in a small Finnish city called Hamina when he founded Sweetheart, an experimental noise rock group, with his friends. After Sweetheart, he released two albums of "organic electronica" with a trio called Chainsmoker.
Janne Westerlund | |
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 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 1973 (age 50–51) |
| Origin | Hamina, Finland |
| Genres | Experimental rock, krautrock, folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer, songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, banjo |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Ektro Records, 9pm Records, Bad Vugum, BV2 Productions |
All the studio and live recordings with his past and present bands included, Westerlund has played on approximately 50 albums.[4] In the autumn of 2012 he released his debut solo album named Oran.[5]
In 2013 he started a collaboration with Jyrki Nissinen, a Finnish cartoonist and musician, composing a soundtrack album for his comics book, Kehittymättömät ufot ("The Undeveloped Flying Objects").
Marshland, his second solo album, is released in January 2015 on Ektro Records.[6]
Discography
editChainsmoker
edit- 2001: Guarana Planet, CD (Bad Vugum)
- 2003: Stations, CD (BV2 Produktions/Bad Vugum)
Circle
editPharaoh Overlord
editPlain Ride
edit- 2005: Oh the Flow, CD (Ektro Records)
- 2007: Strange Trial, CD (Ektro Records)
- 2009: House on the Hill, CD (Ektro Records)
- 2011: Stonebridge, CD (Ektro Records)
- 2014: Skeleton Kites, LP/CD (Ektro Records)
Solo career
edit- 2012: Oran, CD
- 2013: Kehittymättömät ufot, a soundtrack LP/CD for a comics book by Jyrki Nissinen
- 2015: Marshland, LP/CD
Sweetheart
edit- 1991: Mr. Cocktail / White-Eye, 7" (Bad Vugum)
- 1992: Forestside / Rag Paradise, 7" (Bad Vugum)
- 1992: Well-Dressed Meat, LP/CD (Bad Vugum)
- 1993: Branchline / Diesel Engine, 7" (Bad Vugum)
- 1994: An Ordinary Family Visits Hell, LP/CD (Bad Vugum)
- 1996: Intoxicated Boom Boom, CD (Bad Vugum)
- 1998: Stitches Removal Day, CD (Bad Vugum)
References
edit- ^ "Music – Pharaoh Overlord". BBC. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Information". Plain Ride. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Ilosaarirock 2009 | Club Kasettiaseman kesäterveiset: Janne Westerlund". Ilosaarirock.fi. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Janne Westerlund Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ "Circle – NWOFHM". Circlefinland.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ^ Nyyssönen, Janne (4 December 2014). "Plain Riden monitoimimies Westerlund: Kraut on täysin loppuunkaluttu sana". Kaleva (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.