Uzva is one of the most important bands of contemporary Finnish progressive rock. Their original, warm and organic instrumental chamber rock mixes a lot of influences - from jazz to folk, from rock to classical. Uzva's music includes both strictly arranged orchestral parts and extended improvised solos, and covers a wide emotional range. Compositions often grow from a relaxed pastoral feeling to intense, aggressive rocking.

Another important aspect of Uzva is their use of rich instrumentations. In addition to the basic instruments traditionally used in rock music, less prevalent kinds of percussions, strings and woodwinds have always played a big part in Uzva.

For more than ten years the strong desire to perform the unique music of the guitarist Heikki Puska has been motivating Uzva.

Uzva was founded in 1994. In the beginning there were four members (ages 15-17 years) playing a kind of angular "teen prog." During the early years Uzva grew into a six-member line-up. At the same time the compositions became more extensive and ambitious. The line-up has gone through several changes since then, but four of these six members are still in the band (Heikki Puska, Lauri Kajander, Olli Kari and Heikki Rita).

The debut album, "Tammikuinen Tammela" ("Tammela in January", YMCD 1) was released in 2000. This theme album includes one six-piece suite composed in Tammela, a peaceful place in the countryside of southern Finland. The music on the album is mostly relaxed and beautiful folkish chamber rock, sometimes growing into more high tension jazz-rocking. The record was released by the band themselves and was succesful with both reviewers and audiences.

At this point, Heikki Puska and Olli Kari had started classical music studies in the Conservatory of Helsinki. The release of "Tammikuinen Tammela" was followed by line-up changes. Three classical musicians and a new bass player joined the band, which now had seven members.

In 2001 Uzva was singed by the Finnish record label Silenze. (a sublabel of WolfGang Records), which allowed for a longer creative work recorded in a better studio. The result was the second album, "Niittoaika", in 2002. This time the classical influences were even more prominent. Each of the three compositions on the album start with an acoustic, chamber music inspired introduction. The other end of Uzva's musical expression was also extended further than before, with "Niittoaika" ending in a dark, distorted and aggressive piece called "Drontti".

Since the release of "Niittoaika", Uzva's line-up has changed once more for the presently acting enthusiastic seven-member line-up. This line-up has worked on new material for a while. Recordings for the third album, "Uoma", started at the end of 2004 and was ready in early 2006. "Uoma" will be released on CD in August, 2006.

Over the years Uzva has played live concerts regularly in Finland, but the only concerts outside of Finland were during a short tour in Slovenia and Italy in 2001. 2006 is a very exciting and important year for Uzva, as the release of the third album "Uoma" is to be followed by concerts in Germany in July and in the USA in September.