Sid Hille

Maarit Kytöharju is a Helsinki-based photographer who specialises in taking photos of music and musicians. She made us a compilation of 12 photos reflecting the shifting moods in live music in Finland in 2020.

"Sid Hille and Abdissa Assefa managed to create and capture some truly momentous and mesmerizing moments. The end result is Here – Beyond the Infinite, a defiant ritual to ward off the wraiths of the pandemic."

“During the previous year of my studies in Utrecht I had added theory of music and composition to my curriculum. I knew I wanted to be a performer, but the traditional jazz piano wasn’t where my heart was. I had studied Clare Fischer’s harmonic concepts, which seemed to open windows towards the contemporary classical sounds I had heard in Donaueschingen,” writes composer and pianist Sid Hille. This column is part of the series where composers and other music makers write about their music.

"The album being so well-organized and aurally multi-faceted, it is at times hard to fathom that the music was improvised and recorded during a single session."

"The various stylistic influences from post-tonal classical to blues and jazz blend seamlessly together in Hille’s compositions; what is common in them seems to matter more than what is incompatible. A worthy principle to follow in any area of life."

Led by the startling voice of Anni Elif Egecioglu, Elifantree paints from an idiosyncratic palette, spattered with jazz and electronics. This Helsinki trio celebrates its 10th anniversary with new collaborations and a forthcoming album.

"Foreigners like me once had the idea that Finland was a difficult country in which to be a composer; so strong was Sibelius’s legacy and so dominant those famous names who succeeded him. But that idea now seems outdated," writes Andrew Mellor in his column on the Day of Finnish Music.

How does the latitude of Finland affect creativity among musicians, aesthetically and politically? Andrew Mellor asked some Finns, non-Finns and almost-Finns…

A jack of many trades, Sid Hille has reimagined himself as a pianist many times before, but this disc may prove to be a pinnacle in his career.

"This album is focused more on the beautifully melodic and lyrical side to a surprising extent. The compositions are so strong that it is probably the right decision to construct the album around them and to let the melodies speak for themselves."