Mother's Delight
Personnel
- Jukka Kääriäinen, el. guitar and effects
- Libero Mureddu, physically modelled piano and effects
- Heikki Nikula, bass clarinet
- Harri Sjöström, soprano and sopranino saxophones
About
Mother’s Delight first performed in 2023, and after that initial concert it was immediately clear that the project should continue as a stable, working ensemble. The quartet’s unusual instrumentation brings together two wind instruments — soprano saxophone and bass clarinet — with two electric polyphonic voices: electric guitar and physically modelled piano. This distinctive setup gives rise to a wide and constantly shifting sonic palette: from Sjöström’s complex yet deeply expressive melodic language, to Nikula’s command of Western contemporary music and extended techniques; from Mureddu’s deconstructed and morphing piano textures, to Kääriäinen’s unique ability to merge distorted noise with fragile microsounds.
Aesthetically, the music synthesises the overlapping yet distinct backgrounds of the four musicians. The sonic radicalism of Kääriäinen and Sjöström intertwines with resonances of Western contemporary music shaped by Nikula and Mureddu. Beyond stylistic categories, the core of Mother’s Delight lies in its commitment to depth, openness, and a sense of joyful, unpredictable musical discovery.
Listen
Mother’s Delight live at Toinen Kerros, Helsinki, September 2025. Recording and mixing by Simone Spampinato
Pictures
