1970s guitars meet 1980s synths
Who They?
The “second coming” of Finnish producers Jaakko Eino Kalevi and Long-Sam (real name Sami Toroi) who return as Man Duo following a debut album under their own names back in 2012.
Why Man Duo?
That debut, ‘Amateurs De Vérité’, was full of abstract electronics filtered through a psychedelic lens. Five years on, the new album ‘Orbit’ draws on a number of influences from krautrock, electro and funk, with lyrics sung in English, Italian and Finnish. It all feels very late 1970s/early 1980s, with soaring ballads mixing it with synthpop grooves, there’s even a nod to The Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’ in their track ‘Vanessa’. And why is the album called ‘Orbit’? “It’s a nice-looking word and it’s pleasant to say out loud,” says Sami. Glad we cleared that up.
Tell Us More
The pair have known each other since childhood, having lived in the same neighbourhood of Jyvaskyla, and they put out their first seven-inch as teenagers back in 2001. “We’re more professional now,” claims Jaakko, adding they still retain the “spirit of amateurs”. In between the release of their first album and ‘Orbit’, Jaakko has enjoyed success with a couple of EPs as well as a self-titled album released on Domino in 2015, while his cohort has released his own album ‘Shout’ under his Long-Sam alias on Finnish label Smulki.
‘Orbit’ is out on Kaya Kaya
