Joensuu, Finland, 2005. It was in this little frosty town near the Russian borders were singer/guitarist Bjarne went looking for his ancestral as well as his musical roots. He found a deep inspiration to create a sound which had not only the power of rockmusic, but also the tenderness and warmth of nature and tradition. It is here where the first sounds of Joensuu were born. Upon returning to The Netherlands he went on a long journey looking for the right musicians who shared a connection with this. After some good, but not the right, musicians, he stumbled upon Hamid (bass) and Maarten (drums). All share a deep love for the emotional, the technical and the powerful elements of music, coming from different musical and cultural backgrounds. Combining these three elements and driven by various forms of art, Joensuu took shape more and more. The musical and cultural wealth that this world has to offer forms a big inspiration for the spirit and music of Joensuu.
In 2008 their first EP entitled 'In this world' was released and was received well by listeners and critics. Joensuu got the Serious Talent status at 3FM, one of Holland's biggest radio stations. Also, they played the Zwarte Cross Festival and supported bands like Jeniferever and Atlantic/Pacific. It was however time for new music and a deepening of what Joensuu really means to these guys. So again they went into the studio and recorded a 5-track EP called Seasons, which was released in december 2010. Varying from metal influences to dreamy 90's rock, once again they prove to be children from a decade were both genres flourished. With this EP they intend to pay tribute to that. Unfortunately Hamid left the band recently and Joensuu had to continue without his valuable view on music and his unique sound. Fortunately a good replacement has been found in Casper, who adds a whole new dimension to the band. Currently the guys are getting ready to play live again with new material on the horizon. Hope to see you soon.
Bjarne Timonen (June 19,1983) sings and plays guitar in Joensuu. He has
roots in both Finland and The Netherlands. He used to sing in a hardcoreband
called North which met it's demise in 2004. After living in a small town in
Finland, called Joensuu, he had the urge to find a new band which embraced a
larger vision, based on various influences and musical traditions. After
practicing with several musicians he finally found the right guys to form
Joensuu with. He loves making music, Buddhism, red wine, espresso, books and
snowboarding. He is almost graduated as a psychologist.
Hamid Sallali (June 19, 1983) played bass in Joensuu from december 2006 until september 2010. He formerly played in an infamous 5 song-trashcore-project xChuckxNorrisx
and a punkrock band called Stillwell. Hamid has roots in both Morocco and the Netherlands.
Besides playing music Hamid works as graphic designer at communication agency Vandejong in Amsterdam. He loves reading, apologetics,
music, ambient, math-metal, photography, good red wine and above all, his redeemer Jesus.
Maarten van Sprang (November 13, 1982) drums in Joensuu. Born and raised in
the Netherlands, with no roots in either Finland or Morocco. He started his
musical career at an early age playing harpsichord, but the bond between
instrument and musician was short-lived . Drums seemed more suitable for
him, so at the age of 14 he got his first kit and a few years later he
started his first band Against All Odds and later No Cash Value. After
trying out a number of bands he stumbled upon Bjarne and from that moment on
Joensuu was born.
Maarten loves music, red wine, Leffe Blond, Jameson, flat whites, berry
fruit crush, monte bianco, books, Lost, the Anchorman, gaming, new media,
snowboarding and Rotterdam. He works as an interaction designer for
Humanique and is finishing his master new media at the University of
Amsterdam.
In This World
Recorded at Dufry Music, April 2008
Mixed & mastered at Mailmen, May 2008
Released at September 2008
Tracks:
1. Love To Spend
2. Aircastles
3. Like A Queen
4. The Promise
This 4-song EP is available on CD and for free download through Bandcamp as high quality wav or Rapidshare as mp3. To get a copy of the CD for €3 only, simply email us at info[a]joensuumusic.com.
Downloads
Desktops and other artwork will soon be available for download.
Seasons photography Joensuu with help of Jeroen Sikma
Concert photography Lenny Elst and Marcel van Leeuwen
Artwork & webdesign Hamid Sallali
Webdevelopment Hamid Sallali with help of Jonathan Tamboer
Disclaimer This site is best viewed with either Safari or Google Chrome.
'Joensuu' is to be pronounced as yo-n-soo.
In dutch: jo-en-soe
Seasons by Joensuu
We proudly present to you our latest piece of music, Joensuu's second EP entitled 'Seasons'. An EP comprised of 5 brand new songs forged with all the intensity and effort we could possibly have given. We hope you'll listen to it, absorb it and open up to what we wanted to share with you.
The stadium you find yourself in is radiant / It burns your eyes out / I will never forget my love / I will never forge another thing / to dance all the way
Sometimes I cry before your eyes / Because I would like to be on your side / and find the crimes of the mind / Take me to see the brightest flashes / Sometimes I try to compromise / the times when I would try to hide
/ from the life that I aspire / So take me to see the brightest flashes / Take me home / I return from ashes like / a phoenix inside my head
In winter a child is born / It's head adorned / a crown of thorns / It learns how to fly / just before it's wings are torn / by the devil's horns / The seasons change... / You take off your clothes and you see the scars / See them from afar / See your friends / break a bread and waste no time / And then draw the line / between love and crime / The seasons change and the storyline / begins to fade away into shades of grey / Sometimes you make it right... / Maybe one day / we'll make it through the day / without wandering and squandering
Honesty / came into my life when I / Honestly / I was not alive / This vision is all that I have / Just giving and not looking back / Save yourself / Honesty / is burning through my eyes / when all I see is covered up with lies / This vision is all that I have / Just giving and not looking back / Save yourself / This is my vision / This vision is all that I have / Just giving and not looking back / Save yourself / Behind your eyes the treason is burning
