Introducing The Man

The greatest, most beautiful shit you’ve ever heard.

No, that’s not our description – it’s theirs.

Yes, this is Scandinaviansoul.com, a website dedicated to bringing you the wide range of soul artists in the Nordic regions…

…and yes, this is The Man, whose self-titled debut EP has just been released, and who are influenced by the legendary Prince…

…and, judging by their painted faces, the rock group KISS.

The Man is an underground indie soul / rock group from Helsinki, Finland. Led by vocalist Ilmo Ylinärä and guitarist Ben Rogers, the band boldly combines elements from a wide range of influences, from hip hop and R&B to modern rock.

Visually and musically, this Finnish band aims to push creative boundaries. Yet the question is: Does it work?

Well, yeah! Mixed by the brilliant Sami Tammela from Oaklyn, and with background vocals from artists such as Heini Ikonen (Dolla Lova), the combination of styles in each track makes the listener a little unsure of what they’re going to get next. However, the whole 4-track EP works surprisingly well.

The first track, ‘Half a Love’, might not grab you at first, but stick with it – it becomes quite enjoyable. Rhythm stands out as a soulful joy as Ilmo is accompanied by a gospel choir. The more I listened to the EP, the more it grew on me!

It will take time for me to get used to their image but hats off to them for trying something different and, as their own description shows, having fun.

We’ll be seeing and meeting with The Man next week in Helsinki, where they’ll be joined by Dolla Lova and Oaklyn.

Listen to the full EP below and rock… I mean, soul on!