Mikko Kaakkuriniemi (Keminmaa, 1975) is known as drummer with Quintessence. He joined Stratovarius singer Timo Kotipelto as a session drummer during Kotipelto's European tour with Kamelot and Epica in 2005.



Mikko Kaakkuriniemi started piano studies at the age of six. As time went by, his interest in drums and playing drums grew. He got his first drum kit at the age of eleven. From that point on drumming continued to play a bigger part in his life. He stopped piano studies at the age of 12 and started teaching himself how to play the drums.



By the time Kaakkuriniemi was 19 (in 1994), he got in to Haparanda Folkhögskola. Studies contained music theory, piano and band ensemble (mainly jazz oriented). There he had Jukkis Uotila as a teacher for a four year period. He moved to Helsinki in 1998 and started studying at the Pop/Jazz Conservatory. He joined a free jazz group called Free Control 1999 and Quintessence 2001. He also performed with the Sami Saari & Sonics and joined the band in 2002. He has also played and recorded with Kriya, which is famous guitarist Peter Lerche´s solo project.



Mikko also plays studio sessions in various music styles. Quintessence has a side project called Q-continuum which includes Mikko Kaakkuriniemi on drums and all the other Q members plus some other featured artists...