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MUSTA
BIOGRAPHY

Musta was formed in Turku in spring 1980 by Matti Laine (vocals), Jari "Suopo" Kauppinen (guitar), Juha Laukkanen (guitar), Esa Hämäläinen (bass) and Markku "Ilmari" Ilmonen (drums). Many of them had history in the local punk/new wave scene. Laine had been the drummer and vocalist in Kypä (featuring Sandborg on guitar, Kaj Backman on bass and later Johan Jaatinen on drums). Kauppinen, Laukkanen, Ilmonen and Backman had all played in Kauko Röyhkä's Turku-based group. Ilmonen had also played drums in Vihan Muna, and Laukkanen had played guitar in TV:n Orjat and been the second drummer in Vihan Muna. Even prior to that Kauppinen and Ilmonen had played together in Iskutyöläiset, a Turku-based band.

Musta played mostly Laine's songs. They gigged in and around Turku, and their song Kosminen kulkuri was released on Vaahtopäät 2, a rock/new wave compilation by Rauno Lepistö's Selecta label. The track was recorded and produced in Studio 55 by Veijo Mäki (later Bogart Co.). Kosminen kulkuri was also the flipside of Myrskyn merkit, the single released by Johanna. The single's A-side was produced by Jukka Alihanka, who also arranged the cover photos by Ilkka-Juhani Takalo-Eskola. Myrskyn merkit was also recorded in Studio 55. The synth sound was mostly of Ilmonen's and Kauppinen's doing: the former was interested in drum machines, the latter in guitar synths.

In spring 1981 Laine had a very shortlived sideproject named Juliet Jonesin Sydän (not to be confused with the Oulu band of the same name), with Kai Raumonen (of Ret Marut) on guitar, Kaj Backman on bass and Jouni Pusa on drums. They only played one gig in a concert organized by Kuolleen Musiikin Yhdistys before disbanding.

The original Musta played their final gig in Ruisrock festival in summer 1981. After that Laine moved to USA to continue his studies. For a while the rest of the band continued with Kari Sutela (ex-TV:n Orjat), but with no record deal, no gigs and Laukkanen leaving for AD, the band broke up.

After returning to Finland, having various groups (including ROM) in Helsinki and Turku, Laine reinstated Musta in 1984 with new players: initially Mika Lähteenmäki on guitar, to be replaced with Timo Linnovaara in fall 1985, Erkki Levä on bass and Jouni Pusa on drums. They made several unreleased recordings in Pusa's home studio. The tone of the material was darker than before. The band broke up in summer 1986, due to lack of gigs and general frustration. After Musta Laine and Pusa played folk rock in a band called Rockport, and later Laine formed Kurtz, which released a couple of records.

text by Matti Laine, translation by Jarkko Kuivanen