WeeGee Live: Heikki Ruokangas & Julien Tassin

Finnish guitarist Heikki Ruokangas and Belgian guitarist Julien Tassin first became acquainted thanks to the Australian record label Ramble Records. Both musicians had released music through the label, and before long they found themselves discussing music and the possibility of collaborating. What connects the two artists is their spontaneous and intense approach to music, as well as their passion for personal expression.

A common thread running through the duo’s musical expression is the unified sound created by two guitars, blending together as if produced by a single large instrument. In their music, the concrete and the abstract coexist as equals. Melodic lines intertwine with atonal storytelling, creating an organic and constantly evolving sonic landscape. Much like life itself, the duo’s music is filled with both beauty and ugliness, not forgetting a sense of humor. Both guitarists began their musical studies in classical music, and later pursued jazz and improvisation studies that led them toward a more contemporary musical language.

The duo’s debut album, Behind The Mask, was released in 2025 by the Dutch label Challenge Records. To celebrate the release, the duo embarked on a seventeen-concert tour across five countries in 2025, and the final concert of the tour was recorded. The live album Live In Brussels will be released in May 2026 by zOaR Records, led by American musician Elliott Sharp. During the tour, the duo’s music developed increasingly experimental qualities, and the addition of mandolin, various bells, and found objects expanded their instrumentation, bringing new colors to their sonic palette.

Born in 1987, Heikki Ruokangas is a guitarist and composer from Oulu, Finland. He has appeared on more than twenty solo and compilation albums and has performed not only in Finland but also in the United States and extensively throughout Europe. The dialogue between melody and atonal musical language forms the foundation of Ruokangas’s artistic expression, ranging from delicate atmospheres to almost violently expressive avant-garde explorations.

The melodic elements of his music draw from the melancholy of the Finnish waltz, the austerity of Delta blues, the deep echoes of Western-inspired guitar traditions, and the ecstasy of jazz. His atonal language combines outside-playing concepts from jazz with a geometric tonal system of his own design. Together, melodic themes rooted in tonal tradition and his atonal language create a distinctly unconventional soundscape that reflects both Finnish identity and personal expression, where familiar melodies provide points of connection while atonal forms offer something new and unexpected.

Born in 1982, Julien Tassin is a Belgian guitarist devoted to creating powerful lyrical melodies and cinematic soundscapes. He has developed a distinctive style inspired by blues, free improvisation, rock, folk, and jazz.

Julien frequently uses alternative tunings and plays his instrument with objects designed for other purposes, such as pens, paintbrushes, and similar items. At the heart of both his compositions and improvisations lies an inexhaustible desire to break boundaries and search for his own voice. Tassin has released numerous albums and performed extensively across Europe.

Event Schedule

11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Exhibitions open

7:00 PM
Heikki Ruokangas & Julien Tassin

9:00 PM
Exhibition Centre WeeGee closes