It’s fair to say The Duplo! blazed a trail of punk rock-nirvana in the late 1990’s with the release of a series of EPs that were not only ground-breaking in their ’who gives a fuckness’ but reached outside cosy Finnish environs. In 2016 Soliti collected these EP’s/7” onto the thrillingly debauched Full Speed, No Brain – The 7″ Singles Compilation. Tellingly The Duplo! reconvened with the original line up for a series of shows to celebrate the re-issue.
Aleks Duplee (Aleksi Pahkala), Lars Duplee (Lasse Kiehelä) ja Waikiki No Tom Tom (Wallu Valpio) didn’t put a stop to their reunion once the collection dates had been delivered. To the studio they went and delivered their first new sounds in 20 years. Here my friend you’ll find a new chapter of The Duplo!’s notorious existence = it’s 2018 and Soliti is delighted to bring you The Duplo! Is Rock N Roll EP.
The Duplo! is Aleks Duplee (Aleksi Pahkala), Lars Duplee (Lasse Kiehelä) and Waikiki No Tom Tom (Wallu Valpio).
“It opens with a slightly gentle plod with vocals, guitars and minimal percussion while the video pans over a frozen landscape. Suddenly, distortion pedals are pressed, cymbals crash and the beast is unleashed; it’s quite a juxtaposed sound, but very much welcome in a landscape that occasionally goes mundane.” Austin Town Hall
“kokonaisuutena kolme pikkukiekkoa antavat tarkan, armottoman ja värikkään kuvan The Duplo! -nimisen orkesterin tilasta ajalta, jolloin voima virtasi vielä sen suonissa.” Desibeli.net
“Bändin uudelleen heräämisessä ei ole kyse mistään hissuttelevasta sunnuntaikruisailusta muistojen kujalla. Kaikkea muuta! Julkaisu kuulostaa tuoreelta kokonaisuudelta, ja biisit tuovat kaivattua särmää nykypäivän turhankin kliiniseen musiikkitarjontaan.” Sylvi
”Ajattelen, että me voitaisiin näyttää nuorille, miten musiikkia tehdään aidosti. Saataisiin aikaan sellainen pieni ’smells like teen spirit’ -ilmiö. Tuskin me saadaan nuorisoa massoittain meidän keikoille, mutta ne voisi perustaa omia sonicseja tai ramoneseja”, Valpio haaveilee. Voima
Watch the ‘Jansku’-video animated by Aleks Duplee
Aleks Duplee tells us of the inspiration for the song “Jansku is a tribute song to our dear friend Jansku, who we have not seen for ages. Jansku is one of Finland’s best ever songwriters well known from our favourite bands Karkkiautomaatti and Liekki. Between those bands he also played in The Duplo! for a while. He’s a genius you know.”
Watch ‘She’s A Vegan’ directed and filmed by Pia Koskimaa
Watch the ‘September 10’ video shot on 16mm film by Paola Suhonen
