Matias Kupiainen
Encyclopedia
Matias Kupiainen is a Finnish
guitarist
and producer
.
Kupiainen was chosen as the new guitarist for the Finnish power metal
band Stratovarius
after Timo Tolkki
's departure from the band in 2008. He started playing with the band in 2009, on their album Polaris
for which he composed three songs.
Besides Stratovarius, Kupiainen has got the band project Fist in Fetus, founded in 2006 and described as mainly grindcore
, which released a self-produced EP
in 2007. He guested on the 2007 album Guitar Heroes, on the song "12 Donkeys", that was also released as a single
, and appeared on the record release concert at Tavastia Club
. At the 2007 Tuska
festival, he appeared as the one-man house band
of the TV station YLE Extra
.
Kupiainen has also played as a session musician, among others, on albums of Olavi Uusivirta and Milana Misic, and worked as a producer
, recording engineer
, and mixer
, as well. He has studied at Sibelius Academy
in Helsinki
and the Pop & Jazz Conservatory in Oulunkylä
. He played a PRS
Artist Series I guitar (now he is an endorser of Ruokangas Guitars he plays his custom Hellcat made of Spanish cedar and arctic birch, and uses mainly ENGL
, Hughes and Kettner, Mesa/Boogie and TC Electronic
gear.
Kupiainen was a part-owner of a recording studio named Minor Music in Helsinki, Finland, until it was merged with 5 By 5 Audio.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Kupiainen was chosen as the new guitarist for the Finnish power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band Stratovarius
Stratovarius
Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
after Timo Tolkki
Timo Tolkki
Timo Tapio Tolkki is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, songwriter, and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. He left Stratovarius in 2008 and formed a new band, Revolution Renaissance. To this day, with his tenure extending for more than twenty years, Tolkki was the...
's departure from the band in 2008. He started playing with the band in 2009, on their album Polaris
Polaris (Stratovarius album)
-Japanese track listing:On 7" Vinyl Collector's Edition:- Reception :-2010 Re-Release:On May 21, 2010, Polaris was re-released along with a live album called "Polaris Live" with the following track listing:# Destiny# Hunting High and Low# Speed of Light...
for which he composed three songs.
Besides Stratovarius, Kupiainen has got the band project Fist in Fetus, founded in 2006 and described as mainly grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
, which released a self-produced EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in 2007. He guested on the 2007 album Guitar Heroes, on the song "12 Donkeys", that was also released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, and appeared on the record release concert at Tavastia Club
Tavastia Club
The Tavastia Club is a popular rock music club in Helsinki, Finland. The house is owned by Hämäläis-Osakunta, one of the student nations at the University of Helsinki, but since 1991 the club has been operated by a private enterprise renting the house from the nation. It is located in central...
. At the 2007 Tuska
Tuska
The term tuska can refer to more than one thing:*"Tuska" is the Finnish word for agony. The Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in Helsinki is named after this.*Tuska is a Jewish pedigree....
festival, he appeared as the one-man house band
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
of the TV station YLE Extra
YLE Extra
YLE Extra was a Finnish television channel owned and operated by YLE, the channel launched on 27 April 2007. It replaced YLE24. YLE Extra ceased broadcasting on 31 December 2007 and it was replaced by YLE TV1+, a temporary channel which broadcasts YLE TV1 with fixed subtitles....
.
Kupiainen has also played as a session musician, among others, on albums of Olavi Uusivirta and Milana Misic, and worked as a producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recording engineer
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, and mixer
Mix engineer
A mix engineer, also referred to as "mixing engineer", is a person who, once all instruments, voices, and sounds, etc., have been recorded, creates what is called the final version of a song, hence the term "mix engineer"...
, as well. He has studied at Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
and the Pop & Jazz Conservatory in Oulunkylä
Oulunkylä
Oulunkylä is a suburb and a neighbourhood of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. It is located north from the center of the city.It has been inhabited since the 13th century. Earlier an independent municipality, it was made part of Helsinki in 1946. A rink used for speed skating and bandy is...
. He played a PRS
PRS Guitars
PRS Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. PRS Guitars was founded by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. The company is one of the leading manufacturers of high-end electric guitars.-Materials:...
Artist Series I guitar (now he is an endorser of Ruokangas Guitars he plays his custom Hellcat made of Spanish cedar and arctic birch, and uses mainly ENGL
Engl
ENGL is a German company that makes high-end tube amplifiers for electric guitars. Over the years ENGL has succeeded in becoming a global player in this market...
, Hughes and Kettner, Mesa/Boogie and TC Electronic
TC Electronic
TC Electronic is a Danish audio equipment manufacturer.Its current product ranges include guitar effects, bass amplification, computer audio interfaces, audio plug-in software, live sound equalisers, studio and post production equipment, studio effect processors and broadcast loudness processors...
gear.
Kupiainen was a part-owner of a recording studio named Minor Music in Helsinki, Finland, until it was merged with 5 By 5 Audio.
Stratovarius
- 2009 PolarisPolaris (Stratovarius album)-Japanese track listing:On 7" Vinyl Collector's Edition:- Reception :-2010 Re-Release:On May 21, 2010, Polaris was re-released along with a live album called "Polaris Live" with the following track listing:# Destiny# Hunting High and Low# Speed of Light...
- 2010 Polaris Live
- 2011 ElysiumElysium (Stratovarius album)Elysium is the thirteenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on January 12, 2011 through Victor Entertainment and on January 14, 2011 through Edel Music .-Background:...