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Unintelligent Designs

by Elmo Karjalainen

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The debut album by Elmo Karjalainen, as a CD version.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Unintelligent Designs via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      €5 EUR or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The debut album by Elmo Karjalainen, as a signed CD version.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Unintelligent Designs via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 1 day
    Purchasable with gift card

      €8 EUR or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 8 Elmo Karjalainen releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Back Where We Belong, Age of Heroes, Where We Belong, The Free Guitar Album, The Free Guitar Album Backing Tracks, Unintelligent Designs Backing Tracks, Unintelligent Designs, and Unintelligent Leftovers. , and , .

    Purchasable with gift card

      €18.50 EUR or more (50% OFF)

     

1.
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3.
4.
Lovely Spam 04:32
5.
6.
Home 03:59
7.
8.
Jammy Jam 01:06
9.
10.
11.
Sanna 05:35
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

about

Elmo's first solo album, which has received much critical acclaim, is a 16 song journey through many genres of instrumental guitar. There is shred, metal, rock, fusion, some jazzy stuff, a few ballads, and always a bit of humour.

"And this chap is a virtuoso and could probably play endless guitar duels with the likes of Malmsteen, but the beauty of it is that he doesn’t. Instead he always keeps his playing within the limits of the tasteful and never uses a song as a mere unimportant vehicle for showing off. His solo melodies are well-crafted and fit well harmonically, he shows flashes of blinding speed but not too often, he even cracks a great joke […]. There’s nothing left to be desired here." - Metal-archives

"From Python-esque humour to expertly shredding over a broad canvas of tones and styles, this album simply has it all. We say embrace your inner prog and indulge in an album that is as varied as metal guitar can be. Praise cannot be high enough for the sheer virtuosity on display here and we’ll finish with this….please can somebody nail this guy down in a studio, we want more!" - Worshipmetal

credits

released January 17, 2013

Credits:

All instruments by Elmo except where noted.

Chromatic Tuna: Christer Karjalainen-perc.
The Demise of a Karaoke Bar: Janne Venho-drums
Jammy Jam: Janne Venho-drums
Unintelligent Designs: Masi Hukari-1st guitar solo, Antti Härmä-2nd guitar solo
Tuire & Ville: Christer Karjalainen-drums
The Feigning of Altruism: Tuomas Yli-Kovero-keys
Home: Tuomas Yli-Kovero-keys
Mixed by Elmo Karjalainen & Christer Karjalainen
Recorded at KC Sound and my flat.
Engineered by Elmo Karjalainen & Christer Karjalainen
Mastered by Sasa Opacic

Thanks to: Sanna Johansson, Maija & Christer Karjalainen for tolerating the incessant woodshedding when I was a nerdy teen, Sasa Opacic for the guitars and the vibrato and bends, Deathlike Silence (past and present), Conquest, Tuomas Yli-Kovero, Masi Hukari, Antti Härmä, Sauli Luttinen, Janne Venho, Slavek Telka, Henry Valanne, Marko Alajärvi, Roland Wilson, Arto Rintamäki, Bengt Mangs, Olavi Karjalainen, Anna-Liisa Sysiharju, Timo Sysiharju & Elina Jokinen, Piia Karoliina Sysiharju, Marcus Hietanen, Marcus & Arna Pellas, Tobias Björkwall, Maija Liittokivi & Jari Prami, Sven & Veera Rogers, Tuire & Ville Immala, Emppu Suhonen for the production help, the Forest FC gang, Soitin-Laine, Peter Sellers, Monty Python. Most of all a big thank you to anyone who bought this record!

Elmo Karjalainen uses Sale Custom guitars and other things too.

This record is dedicated to the memory of Greta Karjalainen, Pekka Sysiharju and Heidi Konsell.

Unintelligent Designs is a process that was started 10-15 years ago. It has been my intention since then to make this (or some) record. These things do, however, have a habit of being delayed and this project has been no exception. All manner of things, such as work, studies, space bats, football, musical growth and a general confusion about life, (tuosta puuttui pilkku aikaisemmin) the universe and everything have conspired to get in the way. This is no complaint though, because this record is a product of that process. This record is the best I could do. And because I’m the best there is, it follows that this record is the best there is. I also run on solar power, never need sleep, have night vision and I’m 55 litres tall (the wonders of the metric system). But seriously, I do think that this record turned out quite well. I hope that you enjoy it too.

1. Spark of Hope
2. Headlight Violence
3. Chromatic Tuna
4. Lovely Spam
5. The Promised Land of Roundabouts
6. Home
7. The Feigning of Altruism
8. Jammy Jam
9. The Voices in My Head
10. Oneself as Another
11. Sanna
12. Unintelligent Designs
13. The Demise of a Karaoke Bar
14. The Difficultist
15. Tuire’s and Ville’s Wedding Waltz
16. Until We Meet Again

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about

Elmo Karjalainen Finland

Elmo is a guitar player from Finland.
He always aims to make his music fun and expressive, things that he appreciates in music. He has been called "very good" by Yngwie Malmsteen, and a "modern prog god" among other strange things. Elmo currently also plays in Kilpi, Seagrave and Helena & Kalevi. ... more

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