Luomo

by Jason BirchmeierInitially, Luomo was just another of Finnish producer Vladislav Delay's many monikers, but after a few EPs for Force Tracks, it became far and away his most celebrated and commercially viable. Delay (born Sasu Ripatti) first began to garner acclaim in 1999, when the Berlin-based boutique label Chain Reaction released a series of experimental dub EPs baring his name. The subsequent year, he began releasing music via another esteemed Germany label, Force Inc. He adopted a pair of monikers for this work: Uusitalo and Luomo -- the former attributed to his dub-techno recordings released by Force Inc. proper (featured on Vapaa Muurari Live), the latter to his dub-house recordings released under the Force Tracks sublabel banner. Vocal City (2000) comprised the bulk of Delay's Luomo material, previously released on a series of 12" EPs. The full-length album quickly became a sensation, as did Delay himself. In particular, the track "Tessio" attained anthem status and was remixed several times over in 2001. When Delay returned with more Luomo material in 2002, contributing "The Present Lover" to the Force Tracks compilation Digital Disco, his aesthetic was slightly modified, incorporating more vocals and a more driving rhythm better oriented for dancefloor play. Released the following year in Europe and another year later in America, The Present Lover offered a full album's worth of this new style, and Delay even took his Luomo material on the road, performing live in Europe as well as America. In 2005, Delay inaugurated his own label, Huume, and reissued Vocal City accordingly. He then released a new album, Paper Tigers, in 2006. This third album continued Delay's progression toward a more accessible style reflecting his affinity for modern R&B.