December 2004
- Features:
* A peak into 2005 special
* First metal music expo - in the land of metal
- Business - metal mania
- Awards
- Live News
- Behind the Numbers / Behind the Scenes
FINNS COMING TO A TRADE FAIR NEAR YOU IN 2005!
The Finnish music industry will be highly active in 2005, too. Numerous Finnish companies and bands will attend all the key international trade events with Music Export Finland in the first half of 2005.
Eurosonic/Noorderslag 2005 (January 13th-15th) will feature two Finnish showcases; on Thursday January 13th, one of the most intense live acts around, Soul Tattoo (PLASTINKA) plays their dark rock at De Beurs at 10.15pm, and right thereafter funk/trip-hop squad Giant Robot (STUPIDO RECORDS) jams at the Grand Theatre at 11.00pm.
Midem 2005 participants (January 23rd-27th) will certainly wittness the buzz around Finnish acts as a record amount of at least 26 companies and over 60 delegates will take part at the Music Export Finland stand R35.11.! More information on the companies and their products here>>>
By:Larm 2005 (February 10th-12th) has invited the Max Payne game-famed Poets of the Fall (SAM AGENCY), Sister Flo (DELPHIC RECORDINGS), hailed as “truly charismatic” by Record Of The Day and the passionate all-star group Soul Tattoo (PLASTINKA) to play in the event in Stavanger.
Furthermore, there will be Finnish and Nordic showcases at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin March 11th-20th, and a whole gang of Finns bustling in Tokio with showcases and trading days May 12th-14th. So keep in tuned for the action…
METAL MUSIC INDUSTRY ASSEMBLES IN HELSINKI
Metallists will finally get an event of their own: The Finnish Metal Expo will gather consumers, musicians and businesses under the same roof at the Cable Factory in Helsinki January 28th-29th 2005. FME offers metal industry professionals from Finland and abroad a full smörgåsbord: gathering of professionals in the International Metal Meeting; the most prominent metal acts such as Sonata Arctica and Finntroll (SPINEFARM), Machine Men (KING FOO ENTERTAINMENT) and Danish Mnemic (Nuclear Blast) live; punters can also take part in instrument workshops lead by famous metal musicians. Moreover, FME also looks into the future by seeking new metal talent in the Hilselinko (dandruff catapult in English) band contest. More information here>>>
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BUSINESS - metal mania
Heavy metal monster band Lordi (Sony/BMG Finland) has signed a co-operation agreement with Sanctuary Records. The goal is to achieve a foothold in the UK as well as in the Central European market. The contract also gives a possibility to release Lordi material in Japan and in the US during the next year. In the Nordic countries Lordi remains at Sony/BMG and their GSA representative is Drakkar Records. On December 2nd metal journalists from all over the world gathered in Rovaniemi in Lapland to see Lordi live, and the response ranged from overwhelmed to amazed and thrilled.
FULLSTEAM RECORDS has signed a licensing deal for metal band Callistos debut album True Nature Unfolds. The CD is going to be released worldwide in February. At the moment Callisto is on a European tour, which started December 3rd in Sweden and will visit in Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Poland and Latvia.
Diablo (POKO REKORDS) is one of the nominees for “Newcomer of the Year” category in the forthcoming Rock Hard January issue. Their single Read My Scars is also included in the Rock Hard compilation cd, which will be attached to the January issue. Diablo’s latest album Eternium is out in Europe by Drakkar.
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AWARDS
The biggest independent cultural house in Europe, The Cable Factory, awarded the accordion wizard extraordinnaire, Kimmo Pohjonen (ROCKADILLO), the Kaapelipalkinto 2004 award. The 15 000 euro price was targeted for musicians reciding at the Cable Factory and assigned to the most “ambitious and uncompromising talent”. The board also awarded two strong up-comers, Quintessence (TEXICALLI) with 3 000 euros and Bitch Alert (POKO REKORDS) with 2 000 euros.
Composer Jukka Tiensuu and the Ilmiliekki Quartet dealt the 40 000 euro Teosto Award of the Finnish Composers´ Copyright Society Teosto. Tiensuu got the price for his big band piece Umori, composed for Tampere Biennale 2004. Ilmiliekki was awarded for their astonishing debut album March of the Alpha Males (TUM RECORDS). The band has indeed been the favorite of jurys: In July Pori Jazz, the biggest jazz festival in Finland, awarded the trumpet player Verneri Pohjola with the Young Artist 2004 award.
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LIVE
The Rasmus (PLAYGROUND MUSIC SCANDINAVIA)is on a well deserved 1,5 months pause after having played in Lisbon December 10th. The next gigs up are in Japan: their mini-tour visits in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka on January 31th February 3rd. Tour info>>>
Nightwish (SPINEFARM) continues their Once Upon tour that has roared around the world since May. After Christmas at home in Finland the band will still play two shows in Germany. And 2005 seems to be just as busy: in February the band will tour in Europe with many already sold out shows, and in March Nightwish takes the Once Upon entourage to Japan and Australia. Tour info>>>
Glam rock icons Hanoi Rocks (WOLFGANG) will be touring Europe January 21st March 1st. Lots of make-up, roses and theatrical on-stage jumping as well as catchy songs will be met in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Tour info>>>
Timo Kotipelto (Century Media) will tour Europe this spring with his band. The former singer of the heavy-metal band Stratovarius will be playing at least in Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands and Greece on March and April. Tour info>>>
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Behind The Numbers: 100 songs, 25 years and 5cds. That’s what the 25th anniversary publication of POKO REKORDS, Pure Finnish Rock entices. One of the biggest classics among Finnish labels (nowadays owned by EMI) was started by Epe Helenius, and has produced a record amount of quitable platinums and many of Finland’s biggest rock hits from the likes of Eppu Normaali, Popeda and Yö, as well as internationally recognised acts such as The 69 Eyes, Diablo and Bitch Alert. There’s also been some misses, and Poko isn’t ashamed of those: the fifth cd in the compilation is all about the less successful signings. The five cds are named according to their respective themes: Home Runs, In English, Girls, Boys and Strike Outs.
Behind The Scenes: The rock’n'roll lifestyle isn’t all about sex, vampires and rock’n'roll. At some point goodwill enters the game. The 69 Eyes’ (EMI) vocalist Jyrki69 joined the likes of Robbie Williams and Angelique Kidjo by becoming a spokesperson for UNICEF‘s two-year campaign against trafficking and sexual exploitation in Benin. But don’t worry, this won’t stop Jyrki from hiding his handsome face behind sunglasses and singing about devils, heroes, vampires or African Gods as he does on the new album’s Hevioso.