Jori Hulkkonen

Turbo's Mix Sessions is one of the most highly lauded DJ mix series around. Regardless of the name on the disc, the Turbo label is usually enough to make a fan reach for his wallet. To maintain this level of adoration, you can be sure that label head Tiga chooses only the best in underground tech-house talent to fill his roster. Therefore, Jori Hulkkonen's Helsinki Mix Sessions says a great deal about this producer who only turned professional DJ four years ago. Despite the clinical cover art and Hulkkonen's own Nordic heritage, this mix is a far cry from the glacial techno one might expect. True, the opening selection, "Fututoyshop," is the childish sound of a synthetic assembly line, but it quickly gives way to tracks like Nick Holder's "Summer Daze" and Jaymz Nylon's "I Know a Place" that are hot house burners, as are most of the deep cuts on this mix. The steamy conga riffs and low-tide basslines run until near the end, when Hulkkonen's own "Sumthin" cools things back down. A rich mix that subtly changes mood without ever clashing styles, Hulkkonen stakes his Finnish flag in the world of high-profile DJing. ~ Joshua Glazer, All Music Guide