The main man behind Planet ERGH is Erkki Vuokila, and he has quite a recent history on the Helsinki scene. A crossword puzzle composer by trade (we don’t get many of those) he’s been a musician on the side for life and started his first band, HiSQ, in 2021, with seven singles released so far including one on which ex-Nightwish bassist and vocalist, the dual-bearded Marko Hietala, sang.
Aside from HiSQ, Erkki has also started to make music with Heidi Mantere aka High-D, and R. G. Williamson, who is American and who is responsible for much of the instrumentation apart from keys and violin here, as Planet ERGH.
The three met in 2022 through an internet radio chat group, and via a series of emails in March 2023 ideas were traded and quickly developed into what would become the recording project Planet ERGH.
‘Chocolate’ is their second single, released on June 23rd along with the official video here.
It doesn’t conform to any single genre that I can think of. It does have a lazy, laid back jazz feel to it though, particularly by way of the bass, extravagant guitar licks and the mellow rim clicks, rounded off by a hint of a bossa nova beat and whimsical lyrics.
At the end of the day it’s song to indulge in, in the same way as its title.
And it does remind me a little of Sweden’s We Ghosts, who also have the knack of engaging you with their secret pleasures and in the same sexy vocal.
Erkki says that with so much music around these days – tell me about it – they are “trying to find an audience that loves us”. Well it doesn’t have to be one of Mars Bar munchers; anyone with a taste for laid back ‘fun’ songs will find their musical taste buds fully sated by ‘Chocolate’.
Incidentally, I’m pleased to read the lyric is ch-ch-ch chocolate, not cha-cha-cha chocolate. I don’t think I could take any more Eurovision.
The video for ‘Chocolate’ was filmed in Anna’s Chocolate Factory (Annan Suklaatehdas) in Helsinki, and stars violinist Heidi and the chocmeister herself, Anna.
Find them on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092397078443
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Planet_ERGH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planet_ergh/
