NEWS
ESA HOLOPAINEN'S SOLO ALBUM "SILVER LAKE", BLACK SUN, LAURENNE/LOUHIMO, SCEPTICISM, WIZARDTHRONE AND MORE...
Nino was pretty busy with the Amorphis guitarist Esa Holopainen’s solo project. Drum recordings with Gas Lipstick (Flat Earth, Ex-HIM) and Sampo Haapaniemi (Tuure Kilpeläinen ja Kaihon Karavaani, Ex-Egotrippi) were totally successful and both Nino and Esa couldn’t been more happy with the result!
”Once again it is proven that working with the best of the best is the best thing you can do!”, says Nino (wisely:-) and continues: ”To be honest, this must have been one of the most easy going sessions I have ever experienced! Esa and me, we are almost too much on the same page all the time. And it’s not that we’re old and lazy. It’s because every single thing seems to go in the right place so easily which is very optimal, but rare situation while working on full lenght album. Just love working with this guy! The album will be a blast and something totally different than people are expecting from Esa.”
Check out the first single ”Storm” featuring Nordman singer Håkan Hemlin here: https://youtu.be/wTQBfqxi4cc
Other singles can be found here:
Ray of Light https://youtu.be/deipFVjm2Qk
Alkusointu https://youtu.be/71_0evn_3mU
Sentiment https://youtu.be/Ga_0Jgq_9hM
In the fall 2020 Nino spent couple of weeks mixing the album ”We Are the Dragon” of the Finnish occult murder pop-band Cvlt Ov the Svn. Check out their videos here (if you dare…):
Producer Laurenne has also been busy with his dear friends from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Black Sun’s been working on their acoustic version from the previously released singe ”Still Alive” and this time the vocal duties were handled by amazing Netta Laurenne, who happens to be Nino’s dear wife. Check the video here.
Nino’s own band Thunderstone released a new version from their very first single ”Virus” that was originally released 2002. ”Was fun to work with the guys again and the whole process reminded us that we still have fans around the world and that gained our motivation for the future”, says Nino and referring to the video where their fans were participating by singing together with the band during the chorus of the song. Of course as a guitarist of the band, he recorded 6-strings on the song plus mixed and mastered it. Check out the Thunderstone Virus 2020-video here.
Skepticism, the oldest doom metal band from Finland just got voted 8th in top 10 metal albums of the year 2021 in Rolling Stones magazine! ”Dying has never sounded this good”, says the reviewer of the magazine. Album ”Companion” is mixed and partly recorded by Nino. Check out their video ”The Swan and the Raven” here.
In January 2021 Nino was mixing Wizardthrone’s ”Hypercube Necrodimensions”-album. Guitarist Mike Barber quotes: ”"Nino went above and beyond the call of duty when mixing the Wizardthrone record. As well as his technical insight, the level of communication and personal care he gave meant that even a complex project like this was a pleasure to work on."
During the cold winter days in February, recordings of the Amorphis ”Halo”-album kept Nino busy. Album is produced and mixed by the one and only Jens Bogren who was remotely connected with Nino to get the best result during the recordings at Sonic Pump Studios. Listen the first single ”The Moon” from the album here.
Check the documentary’s first part here.
Making of the Laurenne/louhimo ”The Reckoning”-album in 2020-2021 was one of the most personal productions during these covid times. The combination of Netta Laurenne (Smackbound) and Noora Louhimo (Battle Beast) led to the result that is unbeatable! Nino wrote and produced the album together with his wife Netta and mixed it. ”Working with singers like this is totally mind-blowing! Both ladies were just killing it take after take in the studio, so it was probably the best vocals recording sessions ever”, Nino comments.
Here you can find three videos from ”The Reckoning”-album:
Spring 2021 Nino was recording Finnish death metal band Omnium Gatherum’s full length album ”Origin” that was released in November 5th. Check their first single/video ”Paragon” here.
Singer Jukka Pelkonen comments: ”It is a pleasure to work with Nino. Although he might sometimes be a little bit "kireä", especially if the intern shouts too much in the hallways of Sonic Pump…”
”There’s always and aina amazing relaxed and funny athmosphere to work at Sonic Pump with Nino. Gets the heavy duty job done in nice an’ easy way for an amazing sounding result. Oh yeah, and there’s sauna too which helps.”, continues guitarist Markus Vanhala.
During the last few months of 2021 producer Laurenne has been working with rock/pop bands from Ecuador, Russia and Finland, so stay tuned what’s coming out in 2022 from Nino’s production pool!
MIXING FINNTROLL, RE-AMPING WHEEL AND RECORDING DRUMS FOR THE RASMUS.
24.5.2020
It's been a hectic two months at Sonic Pump Studios. Almost fully booked studio and working on multiple projects have been keeping Nino busy lately.
""I feel very fortunate to have had a chance to work with all these great bands even during these unusual times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic that has introduced new ways of working in music production. Working remotely has been a totally new experience for me and I'm sure it will be a very efficient way to work with the artists also in the future.", says Nino.
James Lascelles from Wheel comments after re-amping guitars for their upcoming album at Sonic Pump Studios:
"Nino is always super easy to work with - his knowledge is insane and he is never happy until you (the client) is happy. He always goes above and beyond with everything he does, whether it is sourcing interesting gear to use for the sessions or creatively approaching projects. I have had the pleasure of working with Nino multiple times in the past, most recently on a re-amping session for the upcoming second Wheel album. Nino managed to source everything we required from unusual amp/cab combos to specific boutique pedals for the sessions and as always, the sessions were efficient, productive and most importantly, resulted in great guitar sounds!"
Check the Wheel website here
Finntroll spent several weeks in the studio working on their 7th studio album! Drum recordings and mixing was done by Nino. Producer Henri "Trollhorn" Sorvali sums up the experience:
"There's a reason why we chose to work with Nino for the fourth time in a row with Finntroll. For me, the most important thing is to get a sound that represents the current album material 100%, and each time Nino has provided us exactly what we want without never taking the obvious or easy route instead. Nino is as dedicated -if not even more- as the client to get the sound "right there" and is never satisfied until the client is as well. And even then he finds some small things to make the mix even better! PS: Your last album didn't exactly suck, it just wasn't done with Nino."
Nino with The Rasmus drummer Aki Hakala after two days of tracking some serious banging.
WORKING LATELY WITH CVLT OV THE SVN (recording), MATERO (recording&mixing), SMACKBOUND (mixing) & TOMORROW'S OUTLOOK (recording)
At the moment Nino is in Gran Canaria working with Tomorrow’s Outlook (Norway) pre-production for their upcoming album.
Check out the band websites:
https://www.facebook.com/cvltovthesvn/
https://www.petrimatero.com/
https://www.smackbound.com/
http://www.tomorrowsoutlook.com/biography/
”Nino was the satans little helper in the creation of Occult Murder Pop. COTS salutes you!”
-Cvlt Leader
”We have been working with this nutcase for over a year now and must say that it´s been a blast! We have been putting out my new album track by track and I really appreciate the musical vision Nino has. And when talking about this long process the work and mixing has been really solid.”
If you are looking for gun for hire when it comes to heavier rock or metal Nino is your guy. His bad jokes and love for 80´s and 90´s metal and hard rock will give honeymoon like studio hours to enjoy!
-Petri Matero/Matero
MIXING MELODIC METAL BAND "BLACK SUN" FROM ECUADOR
"Nino is the real deal, down to earth and very positive person that has been able to achieve the best of us. This project would’ve never reached the level it will without him. A real problem solver who understands the needs and aptitudes of each band member yet he makes no compromises, aims to get the best from each other. To wrap it up, Nino has become a member of our Black Sun family and a true friend."
-Santiago Salem-
WORKING ON "THE ORDER OF CHAOS" MIX
I retained Nino as mixing engineer for The Order of Chaos recent full length album as I had heard nothing put positive reviews from several colleagues who had worked with him in the past, and am a huge fan of several albums he has produced.
I also got to know him personally on tour in 2017, and saw first hand his kind, welcoming, and hilarious personality. As an artist and producer, he holds an extremely high standard of professionalism.
I cannot say enough about how positive this experience was for me. The mixes he created, captured the essence of The Order of Chaos sound perfectly. The mixes were warm, thick, punchy, powerful and modern sounding, while not being tiring to the ears in the way many of the modern over sampled, overproduced albums tend to be.
His attention to detail is second to none and the communication between all project stakeholders was always punctual, direct and concise.
When technical issues arise, he has the expertise, and flexibility to offer immediate solutions to those issues without compromising the integrity or quality of the sound.
I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Nino in the future, and would highly recommend that musicians of any genre/proficiency consider working with him in the production of their next album.
Sincerely
John “Simon” Fallon
The Order of Chaos