Helsinki Export Showcase

-  A research report on the total market value and structure of Finnish music exports released in the same event
 
Music Export Finland with its collaborating record companies are organising an export event in Helsinki presenting a fine tasteful of today’s Finnish top artists. During these two days a group of European professionals will have an opportunity to check out performances from both exciting newcomers and already internationally rated talents. Helsinki Export Showcase also provides a chance for European professionals to meet with their key Finnish colleagues and to investigate the state of the business. 
Tavastia, chosen the rock club of the year in Finland for eight consecutive years, will be the host for altogether eight live sets. The selection will span from all genres including some thundering rock and brilliant pop, some electronic music wizards and naturally, some of the Finnish left-field mavericks. Each artist is topical with a current release and is in a strategic phase with distribution or licensing contract.
Performing acts:
Thursday 4 September (electronic music evening) 9.30pm-~2am
- Kimmo Pohjonen (Rockadillo Records)
“Accordionist Pohjonen is sure one of the world’s most idiosyncratic musicians.” The Wire
An accordionist of exceptional ability and imagination, Kimmo´s solo show features extreme and original compositions, live loops and effects, a dynamic and animated stage performance, orchestrated lights and surround sound.
- RinneRadio (Rockadillo Records)
“The astonishing RinneRadio, a hard-edged techno band led by a cool jazz sax player. - - - Spiralling, mesmerising.” Melody Maker
RinneRadio fuses electronic underground beats with progressive jazz. As the rhythms of drum’n'bass and hip hop are fermented with dark dub, lush ambient soundscapes and timeless soprano sax textures, the resulting brew becomes equal parts sexy trance jazz and surreal dance music. The latest album Lumix shows that the self-regenerating band is as appealing as ever. Featured with two tracks on the Universal worldwide release (outside of USA) Nu-Jazz curated by jazz critic Stuart Nicholson.
- Giant Robot (Stupido Records)
“Ten time cooler than anything America has produced in five years or more.” Las Vegas City Life
Helsinki based six piece Giant Robot are the first Finnish band to mix dub, electronica and R&B beats with an urban lyrical perspective, focusing on culture, travel and architecture. Their influence unsurprisingly has been immense. They have recently signed to Stupido Records resulting in Best Match CDS which will feed the appetite of drooling fans in August.
- Accu (Exogenic Records)
”Beach Boys meeting Happy Mondays for serious loungecore.” Muzik
The crossover nature of the band is evident from the varied descriptions of the music: “Abba laced with Yello” and “Underworld meets Air” to quote a few examples. The self-titles debut album, released in Finland in spring 2002 has received rave reviews in the international music press and also considerable radio play.
Friday 5 September (rock/pop evening) 9.30pm-~2am
- Judge Bone & Doc Hill (Love Music Publishing/Johanna Kustannus)
Judge Bone (aka Tuomari Nurmio) has released 13 albums since 1980 with different lineups and various music styles. In Judge´s own words the duo is based on freedom of playing and primitive sound; edgy roots music. One of the main factors in their sound is Judge´s baritone guitar, an instrument which is almost like a crossbreed of a bass and a guitar. “For me guitar is most of all a percussion instrument”, Judge Bone says with a smile. The new Judge Bone & Doc Hill album in English will be released in March 2004.
- The Latebirds (Warner Chappell)
“Less knowledgeable would have thought of them as the main act of the evening [instead of The Jayhawks]; so impressive and authentic was their music.” Rumba
A marvellous dark-pop album Fortune Cookies by The Laterbirds was released in Finland on the same day, August 8, as an an intimate solo album Latebird by Markus Nordenstreng, the multifaceted singer-songwriter. And more news will follow… 
- Creamstar (Poko Records) 
The music is a clever mixture of stylish stadion pop and European mainstream rock with a scent of the golden sixties. The debut album The twelfth of never contains 12 retro rocking pop pearls. Quoting Teemu, the guitarist: ”Creamstar is not as easy as Shakira and not so indie as White Stripes, but certainly as much rock as the Beatles itself and definitely as porn as Blondie.” 
- The Flaming Sideburns (Spinefarm Records)
“If you’re looking for something that’ll burst through you like a good shot of cat-jacked-crazy adrenaline, track down The Flaming Sideburns.” Babel
Their previous album Hallelujah Rock n’ Rollah was hailed as one of the true rock’n'roll records of the new millennium. The latest, Sky Pilots (2003) was released in several European countries by Universal and in North America by JetSet Records and indeed did not fail the high expectations of the audiences hungry for true and honest rock n’ roll. 
- Technicolour (EMI)
Timeless, pure rock´n´roll act by the enigmatic Skull Jimi. The debut single “One Night” was an immediate power play radio hit due to its fresh and pure nature. The debut album release around the time of the export showcase is one of the most awaited. 

Release of the export research
Since the breakthrough year 2000 Finnish music exports have been on ever rising curve. This is clearly visible in the international chart successes and in the radio play density of Finnish bands abroad. In the last year alone five Finnish bands feasted on the German charts. Finnish Composers´Copyrights Society Teosto declares a remarkable rise in the fees collected from abroad. The company activity is also strengthening. Finnish record labels and publishers are more and more actively out there and reflective of this, attending the Popkomm 2003 trade fair in record numbers.
However, the export business also needs analytical tools to work with its strategies and to develop its actions. All the key Finnish music organisations joined their forces to conduct a research on the total market value and the structure of Finnish music exports. The research report will be released in an export seminar on Thursday 4 September, to coincide with the showcasing event at Tavastia. (The time and place of the launch reception will be announced shortly.)
If you are interested in coming to spend two rocking days in the beautiful summer green capital of Finland, please contact Music Export Finland office for more information. Looking forward to seeing you in Helsinki!

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Helsinki Export Showcase is kindly supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and the Finnish Composers’ Copyright Society Teosto.